Beefy and Lamby boost meat sales
27/05/05

Beefy and Lamby at the Chelsea Flower Show

IAN Botham and Allan Lamb have proved a formidable partnership when it comes to boosting meat sales in England.

Latest figures from the English Beef and Lamb Executive (EBLEX) show that while Beefy and Lamby were promoting the new Quality Standard Marks on TV and in the Press and magazines, sales in England of beef rose by four per cent and lamb five per cent.

This good news for producers and the whole meat trade comes as research shows that 55 per cent of people are aware of the TV "At Home With Beefy and Lamby" advertising campaign and of those: * 86 per cent agree the adverts are clear and easy to understand, * 83 per cent find them funny or amusing and * 77 per cent believe the Quality Standard Mark is a label they can trust.

The Press adverts have also been well received with 90 per cent of people agreeing they were eye catching and 85 per cent saying they liked them.

And while consumer awareness grows rapidly, more and more members of the industry are joining up to the Quality Standard Scheme.

Scheme membership now embraces eight national and regional supermarket groups, 1330 independent butchers, 89 abattoirs and processors, 101 wholesalers and distributors and three major pub chains with 2,050 restaurants between them.

Head or Marketing for EBLEX, Andrew Garvey, said: "The Quality Standard Mark has been a fabulous success both inside the industry and with consumers.

"The Botham/Lamb combination has proved absolutely formidable in getting our message across and, it seems, in boosting meat sales as well."