T. 07768 654955 E. scott.walker@scconsultancy.uk
A recent rapid evidence review by the Food Standards Agency on consumer views of cell-cultivated products offers a useful reality check. Drawing on UK and international studies alongside FSA survey data, the review highlights how shoppers really feel about lab-grown meat. While the topic attracts significant media attention, the research suggests that mainstream consumer acceptance remains far from assured.
The findings are clear. Most consumers are either unwilling or unsure about eating cell-cultivated meat. Concerns about safety, naturalness, and the impact on farmers are widespread. Awareness of these products is still relatively low, and first impressions are cautious. Shoppers question how these products are made, how “natural” they are, and what this means for nutrition, safety, and transparency. In a climate of growing concern over ultra-processed foods, these worries are significant.
Willingness to consume cell-cultivated meat in the UK has not increased significantly over the past two years. Around 85% of people report concerns, particularly regarding safety, unnaturalness, and potential impacts on farmers.
Trust is another central theme. Consumers consistently show greater confidence in familiar, established food systems and regulatory structures than in newer production technologies. Clear labelling, robust regulation, and transparent communication are repeatedly identified as essential if acceptance is to grow.
Price and taste also remain decisive factors. Evidence suggests most consumers are unlikely to switch from conventional meat unless cultivated alternatives match on flavour, texture and, critically, affordability. Where price premiums are expected, willingness to purchase drops sharply.
For the UK meat sector, these findings reinforce an important point: consumers continue to value real, recognisable meat products produced within trusted, regulated supply chains. Innovation will continue across the protein landscape, but consumer choice will ultimately be guided by confidence, clarity, value, and eating quality — areas where traditional meat continues to perform strongly.
For the full FSA paper click here
Scott Walker
Frank Ross, Gareth Scott, and Isla Roebuck have been appointed as new members of the Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) Board.
SAMW welcomes these appointments and considers them to be strong additions to the Board. Each of the new members brings significant processing-sector experience, which will help strengthen the Board’s practical insight and industry balance. We believe their expertise will contribute a fresh and well-grounded understanding of the commercial realities facing the processing sector and will support informed decision-making within QMS.
A Sector with Strong Demand but Political Headwinds
Enduring consumer demand for red meat emerged as a clear positive for Scotland’s producers and processors as industry leaders gathered at the Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers’ (SAMW) Annual New Year Lunch (NYL) in Edinburgh.
Asked to reflect on what is working well—and what is not—for the red meat sector as we look ahead to 2026, a pre-lunch panel discussion struck a balanced tone. Panellists and delegates alike were upbeat about the strength and resilience of Scottish red meat production, while expressing deep frustration at the lack of political understanding and support for the industry that will drive growth.
Strong Foundations and Growing Optimism
(l-r) Scott Jarron, Nick Allen, and Sarah Millar.
Leading the discussion on the distinguished panel were Scott Jarron, Dundee butcher, and past president of Scottish Craft Butchers; Nick Allen, Chief Executive of the British Meat Processors Association (BMPA); and Sarah Millar, Chief Executive of Quality Meat Scotland (QMS). Delegates also contributed actively to the debate during the panel discussion and the rest of the day
On the positive side, there was strong agreement that consumers continue to want—and buy—red meat. This was seen as a major boost for the sector, particularly when set against previous periods of market turbulence and sustained pressure from anti-meat campaigning in more recent years.
With international markets also presenting valuable sales opportunities, delegates felt there remains clear scope for further demand growth. Renewed optimism among suckler producers was highlighted as especially encouraging, with confidence levels described as possibly the strongest seen in the past decade. Demand for protein, one delegate noted, is very much “having its heyday.”
Political Frustrations Remain
However, the most significant concerns raised centred on the role of politicians and officials. Delegates expressed frustration that too many decision-makers appear unwilling to recognise the economic, social and food security value of a strong Scottish and British red meat industry.
Strong delegate involvement
Some delegates argued that, over the past five to seven years, little tangible action has been taken by politicians to actively advance the sector. Words of support were too often not matched by delivery.
Strengthening Supply Chain Relationships
When discussion turned to relationships between farmers and processors, delegates acknowledged that perceptions vary widely depending on where producers sit within the supply chain. While many processors and finishers enjoy strong, mutually beneficial partnerships, there is scope to do more.
An increased focus on partnership working and improving understanding across the supply chain is essential. Greater transparency and collaboration were seen as key to strengthening resilience and shared success.
At the same time, concern was raised about the damaging impact of misinformation. Delegates agreed that the industry gains nothing when inaccurate or misleading narratives are injected into debate, undermining trust, and progress.
Looking Ahead
Jane McHarg, General Manager at Dunbia Highland Meats
The message from the NYL was clear: Scotland’s red meat sector has strong foundations, resilient demand, and real growth potential. But unlocking that potential will require political leadership that moves beyond rhetoric, alongside continued collaboration across the supply chain to ensure the industry remains competitive, confident, and future-focused.
Thank you to Dunbia Highland Meats for the top class NYL steaks.
The future of Scottish red meat production will move firmly to the centre of the national political debate in 2026 as voters choose the next Scottish Government against a backdrop of repeated missed opportunities to unlock sector growth, according to the Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers (SAMW).
Alan Brown
“While there have been some positive developments over the past year, they fall well short of providing the clear, pro-growth signals that farmers and processors have consistently sought from both Holyrood and Westminster,” said SAMW President Alan Brown. “Stability alone is not enough for an industry with the market potential we have.”
SAMW welcomed the Scottish Government’s effective rejection of the Climate Change Committee’s targets to reduce livestock numbers.
“That decision provides a welcome foundation to build livestock stability in Scotland,” said Brown. “But stability is the baseline, not the ambition. Our industry has clear domestic and international growth opportunities, and government should be actively supporting an expansion of Scottish livestock numbers to meet that demand.
“Despite repeated engagement, a reluctance to back growth is not just frustrating in policy terms — it has real and damaging consequences for investment, confidence and business viability.”
Those consequences are already being felt. SAMW lost another member business in 2025, continuing a worrying decline in processing capacity across the red meat sector.
“This is happening despite our members generating more than £1 billion in annual turnover and directly employing over 3,000 people across Scotland,” said Brown. “With the right political backing, we could be doing significantly more. Without it, the risk is a rapid and damaging contraction in jobs, throughput, and economic contribution.”
For these reasons, SAMW says the future of Scottish red meat production will be a major rural and economic issue in the run-up to the Scottish Parliament election on 7 May 2026.
“After spending much of 2025 in working groups formed on the basis of partnerships that delivered discussion rather than decisions, it is clear that government must now change gear and move from talk to action,” said Brown. “We need bold leadership that backs growth, removes barriers, and modernises how government works with our sector. Only then can we unlock the additional output, jobs and turnover that are within reach.”
Regulatory costs, particularly those linked to meat inspection, remain a significant pressure on the sector, although SAMW acknowledged some limited progress during 2025.
“We strongly welcome Food Standards Scotland’s decision to establish a technical group, with industry involvement, to explore new approaches to ante-mortem inspection,” said Brown. “That shows a willingness to think differently and to modernise.
“However, that same mindset must now be applied to inspection charges. We cannot continue to face annual increases under a system that is neither innovative nor fit for the future. Processes and procedures remain rooted in the past, which is simply incompatible with a modern, efficient, and competitive red meat sector.”
The strongest underlying positive, however, remains demand for red meat.
“Demand for high-quality protein is strong in the UK and globally,” said Brown. “Scotland produces some of the best red meat in the world. The opportunity for growth is real and immediate. What we need now is for governments to look favourably on our sector, work with us to modernise regulation, unlock investment, and allow Scottish red meat to fulfil its full potential in 2026 and beyond.”
Sandy was a strong and extremely active member of SAMW’s Executive Council and will be missed by all who knew him and worked with him in his determination to help improve the state and prosperity of the Scottish red meat industry. He was always a refreshingly clear voice within the Executive and was never afraid to speak his mind whenever the political or regulatory situation required a bit of straight talking. He was also a good friend to us all.
Colin Ley
Why Meat Matters for Scotland’s Children
A new report from Food Standards Scotland (FSS), produced in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh, has shed important light on the nutritional importance of meat and dairy in the diets of Scotland’s children and young people and has once again underlined a simple but vital truth: meat matters.
The study explored what might happen if meat and dairy consumption were reduced, following a recommendation from the UK’s Climate Change Committee for a 20% cut in meat consumption by 2030, rising to 35% by 2050. What the findings make clear, however, is just how significant a role meat plays in supporting the health, growth and development of Scotland’s young people.
Meat: A Key Source of Essential Nutrients
On any given day, around 90% of Scottish children and young people eat meat, and almost 100% consume dairy. These foods are not just popular they are nutritional cornerstones. The report highlights that meat and dairy provide many of the essential nutrients that growing bodies need, including protein, iron, zinc, iodine, selenium, calcium, and vitamin B12.
Importantly, the research found that some of these nutrients especially zinc, iodine, and calcium are already too low in many young people’s diets, particularly among 11–15-year-olds. Reducing meat or dairy intake could make those deficiencies worse, even when care is taken to replace them with other foods.
A Risk of Nutrient Gaps
The study’s authors caution that, while it’s possible to replace some of the nutrients provided by meat and dairy, it’s not always sufficient. Many children and teenagers are already at risk of low micronutrient intake, and cutting meat and dairy could exacerbate those deficiencies, with potential consequences for growth, energy levels, and cognitive development.
In short, the report recognises that meat and dairy remain vital contributors to a balanced diet, particularly for young people who may already be struggling to eat well.
Climate Ambitions Need Nutritional Balance
While the research acknowledges that reducing meat and dairy could help to lower greenhouse gas emissions, it also notes that children and young people make up only 15% of Scotland’s population meaning the environmental gains from cutting their meat consumption would be relatively small compared to the potential nutritional risks.
The report concludes that any future dietary changes must be carefully balanced to avoid worsening existing health and nutrition issues. As it stands, achieving climate goals safely would only be possible if children’s overall diets improved in line with the Eatwell Guide. A challenge that requires a shift in children’s diets to a much wider range of food choices than what they eat now and cannot simply be achieved by meat or dairy restrictions.
Supporting Healthy, Balanced Diets
For parents, educators, and policymakers, the takeaway is clear: meat and dairy play a vital role in keeping Scotland’s young people healthy. Rather than removing these foods, the focus should be on encouraging balance, variety, and quality ensuring children eat enough fruit, vegetables, and whole grains alongside nutrient-rich meat.
As the debate around sustainable diets continues, this research is a timely reminder that good nutrition starts with balance, not restriction and that meat continues to be an important part of that equation for growing children.
SAMW’s 2025 conference attracted a strong line-up of speakers and sponsors, enabling members and guests to embrace a range of key issues from how to boost livestock numbers to the impact of weight loss drugs on meat demand and the challenge of net zero farming.
(l-r) Robert Neill, Alan Brown, Andrew Niven & Prof. John Gilliland
Association president, Alan Brown, set the tone for the conference debate with his ‘Grow Baby Grow’ challenge to the nation’s political leaders (as reported in our news section).
No commitment on cow numbers
Jim Fairlie, Scotland’s Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity, who joined the conference via video link, assured delegates of his support for the industry, describing the red meat sector as being vital to the country’s economy.
Telling the conference audience that he wanted to work to make sure the country’s red meat industry has a sustainable future, Fairlie added that he had ‘no policy to reduce livestock numbers in Scotland’.
Conference delegates
When challenged during a question session on his presentation that his comments amounted to ‘hollow words’, the Minister said he disagreed with such a charge.
Asked to support a call to restore Scottish livestock numbers to 2020 levels, however, the Minister declined to do so, stating that it wasn’t the government’s job to say ‘keep more cows’.
More cows for me
NFU Scotland, vice president, Robert Neill, assured meat processing listeners that he for one was committed to increasing cow numbers on the family farm in the Scottish Borders, a message that went down well with delegates.
Weight loss drugs and meat demand
Andrew Niven from Scotland Food & Drink’s Knowledge Bank delivered a detailed assessment of how meat demand might be impacted by the developing use of weight loss drugs. (A full report on his presentation is being prepared).
Net Zero challenge and success
Professor John Gilliland, a willow and livestock farmer from Northern Ireland, told delegates about his own successful journey to ‘Beyond net zero’, urging the UK to ‘get its act together’ on net zero livestock production.
A special adviser to Quality Meat Scotland and the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, Prof Gilliland left the conference audience in no doubt that there is plenty of room for positivity in the future management of net zero in farming. (A full report on this presentation is also being prepared).
Sponsors
Finally, a massive thanks to all our 2025 conference sponsors whose support for this important industry even is hugely appreciated:
Conference displays pictured below:
Thanks also to ABP who supplied dry aged sirloin joints for the conference lunch.
Scotland’s meat wholesalers have called on government leaders to back the red meat industry’s ‘Grow Baby Grow’ agenda.
“While our governments in London and Edinburgh strive for growth, seeking ever new ways to boost the UK and Scottish economies, Scotland’s red meat industry is perfectly placed to deliver growth in simple, time-honoured fashion,” Alan Brown, President of the Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers (SAMW) told the organisation’s annual conference in Edinburgh on Friday, September 26.
SAMW President Alan Brown addresses 2025 conference
With the nation’s political parties working their way through the autumn conference season, Brown urged party leaders to recognise the fact that Scottish red meat production is fully equipped for growth in contrast to many other GDP expansion options.
“While new investments in AI technology and the like dominate the political headlines, accompanied by eye-watering financial commitments, it is important to remind our national leaders that they have a ready-made growth resource on their own doorstep,” said Brown.
“Every time I talk to producers about the industry, the overwhelming message is about Scotland’s red meat potential. It’s the same for our own member processing businesses, who are all striving to develop new products and new markets – at home and abroad.
“The facts are that we have a well-equipped production, processing and retailing chain. We’re ready to go to new levels of output, given the right support and confidence.
“Why, in this context, would any government sit by and watch such a well-placed industry being slowly run down and diminished? It doesn’t make any sense at all, and yet this is what has happened throughout the past 10 or more years.
“It has been a particularly tough last 12 months for our industry, complete with business casualties, all of which always inflict job and economic losses on local areas and national GDP. Any such loss is to be regretted and it’s important that we recognise the negatives of the past year for what they were – deeply disappointing and most definitely not something we wish to repeat in 2026.
“In contrast, to borrow and adjust a quote from the recent US President’s State visit, let’s Grow Baby Grow in 2026 and beyond. This needs to be our mantra for the future and hopefully one that will gain government support at UK and Scottish levels. We’re most definitely ready as a red meat farming, processing and retailing industry.”
Scotland’s red meat sector has enormous growth potential with growing domestic and international demand. But that potential has been squandered by years of political indifference, shallow words, and a lack of meaningful action.
“Farmers, meat processors and retail leaders once again converged on this year’s Royal Highland Show to celebrate the strength and heritage of Scotland’s livestock and red meat production,” said Alan Brown, President of the Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers (SAMW). “But behind the fanfare and displays lies a far more fragile reality—one of shrinking livestock numbers, underutilised processing capacity, and rising imports.
“Sadly, the quality of livestock on display across the showground is not being matched by on-farm numbers, where falling production is leaving Scotland’s meat plants running at no better than 70% operating capacity and with some retailers looking abroad to fill shelves, despite Scotland’s unmatched natural assets for sustainable red meat production. The recent closure of a member plant is yet another stark warning—jobs lost, supply chains broken, and another outlet removed for Scottish farmers.”
The fragility of Scotland’s processing sector was shown again this month with the plant closure, removing a valuable outlet for farmers and losing important jobs from the affected location. SAMW has warned repeatedly that such closures are a constant risk for our industry and it is no comfort whatsoever to be proved right, once again.
Alan Brown being interviewed by STV during BeefTech 25, the Royal Northern Agricultural Society’s specialist event held at Home Farm, Kininmonth, Mintlaw.
“We’ve been sounding the alarm for years,” said Brown. “This isn’t a surprise—it’s the inevitable result of political complacency and an unwillingness to replace policies that have not and will not work. The continued decline we’ve seen in livestock numbers is the result of what, in practical terms, amounts to reduction by stealth, orchestrated by government.
“Politicians have again walked the Highland Show, praising Scottish livestock, pledging their support, and delivering all the right soundbites. But soundbites don’t stop decline. Soundbites don’t rebuild breeding herds. Soundbites don’t keep processors in business.”
Farmers and processors are calling for more than admiration—they need policy certainty on future support, the ability to plan across multi-year cycles, and a government that truly understands the mechanics and potential of the red meat supply chain.
“Properly backed, encouraged, and supported, Scotland’s meat and livestock chain could deliver a significant GDP boost for the national economy over the next decade,” he said. “The sector is ready to grow, to invest, to lead—but only if governments match the industry’s ambition with real-world, strategic support.
“This year’s Royal Highland Show marked a pivotal time for Scottish red meat. Scotland must decide: do we build a thriving, value-adding red meat sector—or do we stand by and watch it decline? The choice is stark. And we can’t afford to get it wrong.”
SAMW respond to ‘no cuts’ pledge
“The Cabinet Secretary’s (Highland Show) pledge that the Scottish Government has no policy to cut livestock numbers either now or in the future, is clearly welcome as a direction of travel,” said SAMW President, Alan Brown. “Sadly, we’ve been on this journey throughout the lifetime of this government and numbers have continued to decline each and every year. Unless we see these latest positive words converted into new and supportive policies, nothing will change.
“As for the Cabinet Secretary’s challenge to industry to provide Government with net zero solutions to enable the CCC targets to be met, the truth is that industry has repeatedly researched, debated and delivered such solutions over many years, without ever seeing government provide the necessary incentives to make the net zero process work; at least not without damaging Scotland’s livestock ambitions.”
Deadline to enter – May 23
The 2025 Meat Industry Awards programme, staged each year by Meat Management magazine, is well underway, with the organisers reminding participants that the final deadline for product nominations is May 23.
The annual Awards is the UK’s biggest annual initiative of its kind and recognises the best of the best across various product categories, plus highlighting the leading people, trade bodies and companies via a voting and nomination process too.
Free entry for products is quick and easy, and businesses both large and small can nominate their products or vote in all 21 categories. The number of product nominations allowed in each category is unlimited, and products can also be nominated across multiple categories.
The judging periods will culminate in the 2025 ceremony, held at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole, near to the NEC, on Thursday evening 18th September. This year, celebrity magician and comedian Pete Firman will host the awards alongside Meat Management publisher Graham Yandell MBE.
Graham Yandell commented: “After such a positive response to our 2024 Meat Management Meat Industry Awards, we are seeing high volumes of product nominations and voting. This year’s initiative could well be our biggest yet.
Head Judge for product evaluations Keith Fisher of the IoM added: “Along with fellow judges I am looking forward to evaluating and tasting the diverse range of products that have been nominated. This is an ideal opportunity for companies to put their products on the map and to enhance branding and company image.
“The message is; make sure all your products are nominated by the deadline Friday 23rd May. It’s going to be another great year for judging products I’m sure.”
For more information about the 2025 Meat Management Meat Industry Awards, head to meatmanagement.com/awards or email Libby Goodwin on 01908 613323.
T: 07768 654955 E: scott.walker@scconsultancy.uk
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