Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb more than satisfy the quality and consistency requirements of even the largest scale catering operations

The variety of Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb cuts available means that no catering facility needs to compromise on red meat quality. Careful planning, the right butchery specifications and yieldefficient preparations enable the cost sector caterer to satisfy thousands of hungry students, visitors and staff, every day.

In an institutional catering environment such as a large university, the Group Executive Chef is responsible for a number of brigades that manage their own outlet on the site. These outlets can often range from a 24/7 snack proposition to silver service dining, meetings and conferences.

The businesses therefore need to operate independently and satisfy different eating occasions whilst maintaining the institution’s overall high standards, profitability targets and consumer quality demands.

In large scale catering – often up to 800 or more diners in one sitting – Scotch red meat products are popular and reliable ingredients which the chefs agree do not have to be ‘worked’ hard to produce a great dish.

In order to meet such large-scale demand, a central production unit (CPU) is often the most efficient solution. The CPU’s cook chill system typically works on a four-day pattern:

Day 1 – butchers prepare to specification

Day 2 – delivery to CPU, caged by ‘batch’

Day 3 – batch cooking, blast chilled within 90 minutes, kept in holding fridge

Day 4 – delivered to unit, reheated and consumed

To facilitate ordering and planning the process often works to a 10-week menu cycle.

Preparation is simplified by providing user-friendly specifications to the butcher. For example, specify 5kg bags of Scotch mince – to make six trays of twenty portions of lasagne (120 portions in all), requires 20kg of Scotch mince. So four bags need to be ordered. This eliminates the need to preweigh the mince and minimises wastage.

Relations with the catering butcher are just as important for the cost sector as the profit sector. With such high annual red meat usage, butchers are required to tender for business, meeting specification, volume, pricing, invoicing and delivery criteria. A good catering butcher will liaise with the units recommending ideas, new and innovative cuts (at the right price) and offer in house butchery training to the brigades.

To keep within budget, the forequarter of Scotch Beef offers a number of profitable and delicious meal solutions. Blade of Scotch Beef can be gently braised and served with caramelised button onions and a red wine jus for special occasions, or simply braised and served on creamed potato. Likewise, shoulder of Scotch Lamb can be double roasted to extract maximum flavour at a good price point.

Scotch Beef makes great mince and dice, the foundations of many batch-cooked, cost-sensitive meals. For the cook chill process, the propensity for marbling in Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb ensures that the meat will remain moist. Good butchers will even search out the best marbled cuts if this information is on the specification.

The other ally of the cost sector caterer is ‘yield’. Quality Meat Scotland’s recommended cooking practices counter the price premium of Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb. The integrity and care that has gone into producing meat for a carvery roast ensures that the meat served is flavoursome, moist and a delight to the customers – for more formal dinners Scotch sirloin and Scotch rib of beef are ideal, or for a lower cost, Scotch topside of beef.

Quality Meat Scotland supports the cost sector catering industry by providing information and assists chefs by hosting guided visits to abattoirs, farms and butchers.

Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb are available across the UK from all reputable catering and retail butchers supplying the catering trade

With thanks to Graham Crump, Group Executive Chef and Amanda Simpson of the University of Warwick

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