Pioneer Gold for Quality Beef and Lamb
23/11/07

Pioneer Foodservice, of Cumbria, has picked up a gold award for signing-up customers to the English Quality Standard scheme for beef and lamb.

David Jenkins

The company based at Rosehill, Carlisle works closely with the English Beef and Lamb Executive (EBLEX) and was awarded the organisation’s gold medal experience for the high amount of customers it signed up to the declaration of their commitment to be proud to sell English beef and lamb. Pioneer topped all other catering butchers in the country for numbers of customers.

“We won the gold medal experience which gave us the pick of different sporting activities,” said Pioneer’s sales director David Jenkins.

The sporting experience David chose also rewarded the company’s sales manager for Carlisle and the surrounding area, Brian Queen, who recruited the most customers.

They enjoyed a day’s sailing in a 60ft ocean racing clipper on the Clyde from Rhu Marina, near Helensburgh.

“It was a great experience and a wonderful reward for promoting home-produced beef and lamb through our own Lakeland scheme which was set up seven years ago and which is now gaining recognition as a brand in the market place,” said David Jenkins.

“We have had a huge amount of help and guidance from EBLEX whose mandate is to promote and develop English farm-assured produce – which is great news for companies like us and the industry generally.

“Traceability, assurance and provenance are the current catering industry buzz words and research shows that there is increased consumer concern about the origin of meat served in catering outlets,” he added.

'Beefy' - star of the EBLEX Quality
Standard Mark television adverts.

The promotional material, which Mr Jenkins says customers wholeheartedly welcome, includes special seasonal packs such as for barbecues, to commemorate St George’s Day and currently autumn lamb, as well as recipes and literature highlighting the customer’s use of locally-produced beef and lamb.

EBLEX foodservice project manager Hugh Judd, said: “Pioneer’s success is driven by the company’s team effort and really serious commitment to the local supply chain. They genuinely believe in what they do and the success in achieving this award re-iterates this.”

He described the Lakeland brand as the perfect model for transparency and credibility that EBLEX was delighted to be associated with. The whole chain was totally assured and caterers could buy beef and lamb with the utmost confidence.

As well as sourcing as much beef, lamb, pork and poultry in the region, Pioneer looks to include as much food as possible for its frozen and ambient ranges from local suppliers.

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