An annual week long initiative championing British beef and the farmers who produce it will return again in late April.
Ladies in Beef – a group of more than 150 female beef farmers from across the UK – will be spearheading the Great British Beef Week from 23 April to 30.
The group was formed to help drive awareness of the quality of British beef to consumers using a country-wide network of female beef producers.
Ladies in Beef co-founder Jilly Greed said: “All of our ‘LIBs’ are British beef farmers and proud of it! Ten years on, the importance of promotion has never been more critical.
“We are asking the whole supply chain to really get behind Great British Beef Week this year to fly the flag and champion our home-produced product.”
Ms Greed, who is a fourth-generation farmer from Devon’s Exe Valley, said British livestock is produced to some of the highest welfare standards in the world.
“Here, our suckler beef herds are vital for landscape management, in order to maintain the critical carbon sink for damaging greenhouse gases.
“Great British Beef Week gives us a tremendous opportunity to bang the drum for our wonderful beef farmers,” she explained.
This year will be the 10th anniversary of the annual campaign and RABI is again the farming charity partner.
It’s estimated that Great British Beef Week has already helped generate £90,000 for RABI since the charity first became involved in the campaign.
This year’s fundraising target is £10,000 in order to break through the £100,000 mark.
Ladies in Beef co-founder and NFU President Minette Batters believes beef farmers must engage with consumers to communicate key messages on quality and farm assurance.
She said: “Ladies in Beef is entirely a voluntary organisation. Very soon after formation we quickly discovered how we could help influence consumer trust in our product, where the public could relate to nurturing, cooking and caring for the family alongside raising livestock to high production standards.
“It’s such an achievement to reach a 10th anniversary as well as raise thousands of pounds for the vital work of RABI.”
