Coinciding with St Andrew’s Day, the event started at the Old Course Hotel Golf Resort and Spa where the chefs met nearby sheep farmer and development officer of the National Sheep Association Scotland (NSA), George Milne, to learn about the “dedication, care and stockmanship skills” that go into producing Scotch Lamb PGI, as well as the importance of quality assurance and the Protected Geographic Indication (PGI) status.
Milne said: “We are extremely proud of the Scotch Lamb PGI we produce. To carry the Scotch Lamb PGI logo, lamb must have been reared in Scotland to very high standards.
“It was great to meet the chefs, give them some insight into production and inspire them about lamb and what a fantastic versatile product it is. I hope that with their new understanding of all that is behind Scotch Lamb, they will take even more pride in preparing and serving it to their customers.”
They then visited Fife College Leven Campus where they took part in a butchery demonstration by Smiddy Butchery’s master butcher, Stewart McClymont, before butchering their own French trimmed rack of lamb and rolled lamb loin.
McClymont explained: ”I’m a huge Scotch Lamb fan and it was great to give the chefs a chance to get some hands-on experience of preparing different cuts of lamb, which look top quality visually but are also packed with flavour for their customers.”
Following this, the chefs enjoyed a three-course Scotch Lamb lunch by Old Course Hotel’s (a member of QMS’s Scotch Butchers Club) executive chef, Martin Hollis, designed “to showcase the versatility of the meat and highlight how to be adventurous with cheaper cuts.”
This included a starter of Epigram of Lamb Belly, black pudding and a deep fried poached egg hollandaise and “Trio of Lamb” main – pave of Scotch Lamb herb, skewer of lamb offal pease pudding, braised lamb neck herb, crushed potatoes, parsley veloute, grilled leeks and honeyed parsnips.
QMS marketing executive, Ciara Etherson, said: “The journey has been fantastic opportunity to help the chefs understand the care and attention involved in Scotch Lamb production from field to fork.
“Scotch Lamb PGI is delicious, simple to cook and very much in season at this time of year, making it the ideal choice for St Andrew’s Day celebrations around the country.”