St George's Day celebrations herald Great British Beef Week 2014 - April 23 – May 3. Ladies in Beef are urging the British beef industry to get behind Great British Beef Week 2014 and capitalise on shopper preference for home produced Red Tractor Assured British beef to further increase market share in retail stores across the UK. The proportion of British beef in supermarkets and other retail outlets rose from 81% in 2012 to 83% in 2013, with 86% of shoppers confirming their preference for fully traceable food from British farms (EBLEX, NFU & BRC data).
Great British Beef Week 2014 begins on St George's Day April 23rd and finishes on May 3rd and will celebrate the quality, versatility and nutritional benefits of Red Tractor Assured British beef.
'In the wake of the first anniversary of the horsemeat scandal and heightened consumer awareness of the importance of label of origin, there's never been a better time for the industry to work together to promote fully traceable Red Tractor Assured British beef,' said LIBs co-founder Minette Batters.
For the second successive year Ladies in Beef are partnering with the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (R.A.B.I), to support the award winning work of the charity. The partnership raised over £25,000 last year, giving practical help to farming families in financial difficulty, many of whom have borne the brunt of the severe weather conditions, from snow blizzards to devastating flooding and gale force winds.
Ladies in Beef are encouraging farming families, land based colleges, young farmers clubs, livestock markets, supermarkets, butchers, farm shops, direct sellers, restaurants, hotels and food service outlets, to come together during Great British Beef Week and celebrate St George's Day! This year the fundraising focus is on the versatility and nutritional value of British beef. Why not invite friends, family or colleagues, to join a St George's Day celebration or hold an event in the following week to raise funds for R.A.B.I who have produced a special fundraising information pack for Great British Beef Week.
Angela Sargent, a Ladies in Beef producer and Derbyshire county chair of R.A.B.I, is the face of GBBW 2014. 'We're a nation of beef lovers,' she said. 'It's not just Sunday roast when it comes to beef, with many other hugely popular dishes including cottage pie, beef Wellington, meat pies, pasties, casseroles, curry, chili con carne, burgers, lasagne and spaghetti bolognaise. Any one of these dishes would make a delicious celebration meal on St George's Day. This year we hope even more people will hold fundraising events and enjoy the versatility of British beef.'
Ladies in Beef have produced a 'Shoppers' Guide to Buying British Beef', which promotes the Red Tractor assurance scheme and explains beef labelling legislation including the EU Health Mark and country of origin and what to look out for on the packaging of processed meat products and ready meals. The Guide also includes recipes and nutritional information.
LIB's co-founder Jilly Greed believes the health benefits of British beef are not always widely known. She said, 'Beef is a really important part of a balanced diet as it supplies a large amount of key nutrients including protein, zinc, phosphorus, iron, selenium and vitamin B 6 and12, all of which contribute to brain and muscle function, red blood cell development and a healthy immune system.
Beef has one of the highest nutrient concentrations, which is why it's so good for children and teenagers in preventing iron deficiency.
'Buying Red Tractor Assured beef in Great British Beef Week is a positive way for consumers to not only to eat well and healthily but show their support for the industry which is still very challenging for many livestock farmers in flood hit areas such as the Somerset Levels.'
To find out more about Great British Beef Week, R.A.B.I fundraising, or to download a copy of the Shoppers Guide, visit www.ladiesinbeef.co.uk and www.rabi.org.uk. For a GBBW fundraising pack contact telephone R.A.B.I. Regional Manager Milly Wastie on: 07525 323450 or email: [email protected]
Note to Editors:
• Ladies in Beef is an association of more than 100 female beef farmers who are simply passionate about the beef they produce. Ladies in Beef was officially launched in March 2011 at a reception hosted by HRH The Princess Royal.
• Great British Beef Week is a promotional initiative organised by Ladies in Beef and timed to coincide with St George's Day each year (April 23).
• More information can be found at www.ladiesinbeef.org.uk from where you can also download a copy of the 'Shoppers' Guide to Buying British Beef' or email [email protected]