Hitting target is key to export success

SCOTLAND - Breaking the milestone £10 million mark has underlined the increasing importance of the European export market for Scottish producers and processors.
calendar icon 20 March 2007
clock icon 2 minute read

Hand-in-hand with this goes the need for producers to know their markets in order to access this potentially lucrative aspect of the business.

Quality Meat Scotland is making a major push into Europe, and has agents working on behalf of the industry in the most important European target markets of France, Italy and the Benelux countries, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

By focusing on large trade shows such as SIAL, SIRHA and the this year’s ANUGA show in Cologne, Germany, the Scottish meat industry can access key European wholesalers, which has a far greater opportunity for real sales than targeting individuals.

It is in the wholesalers’ interest to promote Scotch to their customers as a premium product in order to get the best prices for themselves. This reputation continues to build across the sector to the consumer, who sees Scotch sold as premium product on restaurant menus and in supermarket chillers.

Using the Dutch foodservice market as our guide, there are a number of opportunities for Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb, and significant evidence that wholesalers are continuing to promote both brands as their premium offering. In wholesale terms, Scotch beef commands about 2 Euros per kg more than other European imported beef

The Netherlands is anticipating strong growth in the foodservice or out-of-home market. The Dutch are embracing eating out, and the foodservice market, worth 16.4 billion euros in 2004, is estimated to grow to about 25 billion euros by 2015. Scotch products are being served in more than 200 restaurants in The Netherlands, and it is a major choice of those that are demanding a quality assured product.

Similar to the coffee shop boom seen in the UK in the past five years, the lunch-time restaurant concept is by far the strongest growing sector in The Netherlands. This contrasts with sales in the fast food and takeaway market reaching a plateau and a strong move towards healthier eating.

On top of this, The Netherlands has also been gripped by celebrity chef fever where big names like Cees Helder, one of our Scotch Beef Ambassadors, rule the roost. As a result, a general up-skilling of chefs has been witnessed as culinary competitions and awards are taken very seriously.

Continued efforts by QMS and the Scottish industry as a whole are ensuring Scotch Beef has a clear premium price attached to it.

TheCattleSite News Desk

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