Magical menu to end NFU Scotland’s Centenary Year

Four of NFU Scotland’s farming regions have pulled together to provide the fantastic fare being served up at the Union’s annual dinner in St Andrews next week (Monday, 10 February) – marking the end of the Union’s Centenary celebrations..

The Union’s annual event provides a fitting showcase for food and drink production, with more than 500 farmers and friends of Scottish agriculture sitting down to dine.

The beef, pork, potatoes, vegetables, cheese and confectionary on offer have all come from Union members and crafted with other Scottish produce into a stunning one-off menu to be prepared by the host chef at the Fairmont Hotel.

This year, the food has been sourced from Forth & Clyde; Lothian & Borders; Argyll & the Islands and Orkney & Shetland.  The menu throws down the gauntlet to Highland, East Central, Ayrshire, North East and Dumfries & Galloway regions when they source the food for the 2015 event.

Scotland’s national drink will also receive top billing as, at the end of the dinner, the first two bottles of the Banffshire Centenary Blended Malt will be presented for auction, with all proceeds from this unique cask going towards the Union’s Centenary Trust.

The calibre of the event means that the Union has also attracted two new sponsors – Bridge of Allan-based dairy company Graham’s – The Family Dairy and renewables firm UKFM.

NFU Scotland Chief Executive Scott Walker said:
“As our Centenary draws to a close, the fantastic menu prepared for our annual dinner will provide a fitting tribute at the end of what has been a very special year.

“More than ever, Scotland’s farmers rightly see themselves at the heart of Scotland’s successful food and drink sector and this event continues to provide them with a fantastic opportunity to showcase the work that goes in from the farm all the way to the plate.  

“The menu reflects that our integrated industry also benefits from the work of co-operatives and those involved in the processing and manufacturing of our produce and the part they play in growing our reputation as a land of food and drink.

“It also reflects our need to add value and remain efficient across the whole food chain.  The main course, while built around excellent Scotch beef, also has accompaniments using other parts of the carcase less commonly used but, if prepared properly, can be just as tasty.”  

Notes to Editors

• The NFU Scotland Annual Dinner will take place at Fairmont Hotel, St Andrews on Monday 10 February as part of the Union’s AGM.
• The menu for Monday evening is as follows:

-    Starter - Pressed terrine of slow cooked Ruchlaw pork belly studded with pickled root vegetables along with Thistly Cross cider and apple jam
-    Main Course - Gaindykehead Farm roast sirloin of beef, pepper crust; slow cooked cheek & oatmeal crumbed shin served with fondant potato, root vegetables, slow cooked cabbage and kale, pan juices
-    Sweet - Grimbister Farm Orkney fudge cheesecake; oatmeal clover and heather honey crumble and raspberry cream
-    Freshly brewed coffee and a selection  of teas served with tablet and fudge
-    Cheese from Argyll and the Islands served with hot beetroot chutney

• Key suppliers to the dinner include: The Wylie family, Ruchlaw Produce Company, East Lothian; W & R Logan, East Lothian Produce; The Brown family, Gaindykehead, Airdrie; JW Galloway, Scotbeef; Ian Craig Potatoes, Waterstone Farm, Johnstone, Renfrewshire; The Seator family, Grimbister Farm, Firth, Orkney; Taste of Arran; Isle of Mull Cheese, Tobermory; First Milk’s Mull of Kintyre Creamery; Ramsays of Carluke; Thistly Cross Cider, East Lothian; Argos Bakery, Stromness; Hogarths of Kelso and Graham’s – The Family Dairy.
• The event has two new sponsors:

-    Graham’s – The Family Dairy - The Graham Family has been dairy farming for five generations, with its own herd of almost 300 beautiful Jerseys grazing in the lush pastures of Stirlingshire. They supply them with milk for their award-winning Graham’s Gold milk – part of growing range of milk and dairy products that includes milk, organic, butter and ice cream.

-    UKFM Group Ltd. has a trading history dating back to the 1970s when commercial and domestic heating systems were installed throughout Scotland.  The business has evolved over the years to become a group of five, UK Wide, trading companies specialising in Renewable Technology and Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVAC). Combined, the group has a turnover of £12M and remains in the same family ownership as when the original partnership was founded.

• In creating The Banffshire Centenary Blended Malt, members of the branch toured the distilleries in Banffshire on Thursday, 3 October and Friday, 4 October, 2013 using a Landrover, a vintage tractor and a vintage lorry to carry the cask. The first two bottles of The Banffshire Centenary Blended Malt will be auctioned at NFU Scotland’s annual dinner, Fairmont Hotel, St Andrews on the evening of Monday, 10 February.  A third bottle has been entered into the specialist whisky auction being staged by Edinburgh auctioneers Bonhams on Wednesday, 26 February. More information available at the website: www.banffshire-centenary-blend.co.uk

Ends

Contact Bob Carruth on 0131 472 4006