Meaty tips and tasters at the Winter Fair

Changing consumer demands, reducing food waste and recipe tips for Christmas will be key themes for Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) at next week’s Royal Welsh Winter Fair.

Recently commissioned data from Kantar Worldpanel on changes in consumer shopping and eating habits has highlighted opportunities for the red meat sector. People nowadays expect exciting meals in minutes due to busy lifestyles and trendy taste buds.

With this in mind, HCC’s cooking demonstrations will focus on preparing delicious dishes with shorter cooking times and meal solutions which include Welsh Lamb, Welsh Beef and pork from Wales.

Visitors to the Winter Fair can watch TV chef, HCC’s Elwen Roberts prepare mouth-watering meals using cuts of meat displayed on the stand. Not only can they sample the produce, but they will also be challenged to guess the location of the cuts on a carcase for a chance to win a £50 meat voucher.

Elwen will be joined in the HCC kitchen by Michelin-starred chef Richard Davies, a leading HCC Welsh Lamb Club ambassador and champion of local food sourcing, who is enjoying driving an exciting new high-end fine dining experience at the Celtic Manor Resort.

Also showcasing the wonders of Welsh red meat will be Jack Davison, Captain of the Junior Team, Wales Culinary Associationwho recently represented Wales in the Culinary Olympics in Germany and enjoyed the flavour of success with Welsh Beef dishes. 

Another HCC highlight will be an opportunity to watch HCC’s Butchers’ Club – Butcher of the Year, Mark McArdle from Chirk as he masterfully demonstrates and discusses new and innovative meat cuts. They will then be used to cook a selection of warming recipes as featured in HCC’s point-of-sale marketing materials and new recipe calendar which will be exclusively launched at the Winter Fair.  

HCC, in partnership with WRAP Cymru will also present a range of meaty tips on how to reduce food waste. Practical advice includes asking your butcher for guidance when buying meat and how to love your leftovers.

Caroline Hutchinson, Campaign Manager for WRAP Cymru’s Love Food Hate Waste campaign said: “WRAP’s research has shown that despite our love of meat in Wales, we still throw away hundreds of millions of pounds worth of it every year. In the UK as a whole, this would be the equivalent in weight to 150 million steaks! But there’s lots of ways that you can make more of your meat at home, saving you money and helping the environment. So we’re delighted to support Hybu Cig Cymru in sharing food waste prevention hints and tips at this year’s Royal Welsh Winter Fair.”

Consumer expert Elwen Roberts said: “We look forward to welcoming visitors to our stand at the Winter Fair and to sharing handy hints and tips, from Christmas cheer and recipe ideas to key messages which, in the long term, could make a huge difference to the red meat sector in Wales by boosting demand for Welsh Lamb, Welsh Beef and pork from Wales.”  

A wealth of technical literature will be available for farmers to take away and a new leaflet on the shelf life of Welsh Lamb has been prepared for the event. A lamb carcass competition will highlight the commercial importance of producing for the market.