LMC raises red meat awareness with skills workshop

The aim of the workshops, hosted in conjunction with the Food Teachers’ Centre (FTC), with red meat supplied by ABP Food Group, was to advance the capabilities of the teachers and to advance the quality of education surrounding the product for the future.

During the workshops, teachers cooked a number of Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assured (NIFQA) beef and lamb recipes relevant for all key stages but particularly focused on the GCSE and A-Level curriculum. Teachers were also given the chance to learn more about the NIFQA scheme, as well as the nutritional value of incorporating beef and lamb as part of a healthy, balanced diet. 

Engaging​

“We do a lot of work in post-primary schools through the provision of 350 demonstrations each year to educate pupils about the importance of NIFQA beef and lamb, but it’s just as vital to support the application of learning by teachers who are engaging with pupils​,” said Lauren Hyde, LMC education and consumer promotions manager.

“Teachers who attended the workshops learned how to prepare, handle and cook with NIFQA beef and lamb, as well as how to present dishes attractively. ​

“They also learned about the nutritional value of beef and lamb and the role of the NIFQA scheme in producing sustainable, traceable, high-quality produce. Provenance and quality assurance are an integral part of the Food and Nutrition curriculum, and with the NIFQA scheme having a place on the syllabus, we want to ensure that teachers have the skills and information available to teach these modules. ​

“Over the duration of the workshops, almost 60 teachers from across Northern Ireland attended and the feedback received was extremely positive. We’re delighted to be able to offer these services to teachers and pupils alike, and there will hopefully be many more workshops delivered in the future.​”

Judith Finlayson, head of home economics at Killicomaine Junior High School, added: “We were so pleased to welcome LMC and FTC to our school earlier this month. ​

Invaluable​

“The workshops are invaluable in terms of upskilling our teachers, which in turn will have a positive impact on the learning of our pupils. ​

“Attending the workshop has developed my own confidence when working with NIFQA beef and lamb, and I’m sure many other teachers will say the same. I now have the skills I need to teach my pupils how to prepare and cook NIFQA beef and lamb in an engaging, creative and cost-effective manner​.” 

The negative connotations attached to the red meat sector have been highly publicised over the past year, particularly with the rise of plant-based products.

As reported in October by Food Manufacture​, the meat industry has spoken of the need to build positive promotional campaigns​ to tackle the obstacles facing the sector.