Mrs Rowell, who has been a member of the QMS board since April 2015, will take over the role on 1 October when current chair Jim McLaren steps down after almost eight years at the helm.

She is a fifth-generation farmer running the 750-hectare Hundleshope Farm on the Haystoun Estate, where the family have been tenants for 150 years. She runs the hill unit near Peebles with her husband Ed and their four children

A qualified vet, Mrs Rowell worked in a mixed practice in the North of England for eight years before she returned home to take over the reins of the family business. The Rowells run 75 suckler cows and around 800 sheep on the farm which was previously a monitor farm, part of the successful QMS programme.

Mrs Rowell is an honorary president of Peebles Agricultural Society and took part in the Scottish Enterprise Rural Leadership Programme in 2015/16, attending the 2018 Oxford Farming Conference as an Emerging Leader. She is also actively involved in supporting the work of the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) which aims to encourage children to have a better understanding of farming and where their food comes from.

Stepping up to the helm

Mrs Rowell said she was delighted and very much looking forward to taking up the role as chair at the start of next month. During the coming weeks she will be spending time working closely with current chair Jim McLaren to ensure a smooth handover and transition.

“I feel privileged to have this opportunity to play such a pivotal role in the Scottish red meat industry. I am very much looking forward to getting out and about in the coming weeks and months to hear more from people working in all parts of the red meat industry,” said Mrs Rowell.

Jim McLaren said he was looking forward to working closely with Mrs Rowell over the coming weeks, before stepping down on 1 October.

He said: “Kate brings a wealth of experience to the roll of chair, both as a farmer and a vet. Her passion for farming is shared by her enthusiasm for the wider industry and inspiring and educating people about farming and where their food comes from.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my tenure in the role of QMS chair which has given me an opportunity to see firsthand the superb range of activities delivered by what is a very small team of staff at QMS.

“I have also been fortunate to have been supported by very strong board members during my period in post and I look forward to continuing to support the valuable work of QMS as a levy-payer after I step down.”

Sheep farmers providing inspiration

Sheep farmers from across Scotland will be flocking to their local supermarkets in the coming weeks to support a campaign that aims to get Scotch Lamb PGI firmly on the midweek menu.

An estimated 22,000 shoppers will get a taste of the delicious, versatile meat when the Scotch Lamb PGI sampling roadshow – delivered by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) – visits 40 Morrisons stores and nine Aldi stores around Scotland.

Lidl shoppers will also have the chance to sample Scotch Lamb PGI during September as part of the Scotch Kitchen tour which will promote Scotch Lamb PGI, Scotch Beef PGI and Specially Selected Pork over the next five months.

The Scotch Lamb roadshows come as new research carried out for QMS reveals that over half (54%) of the nation consider themselves “stuck in a rut” when it comes to dinner, and over a third (38%) of people in Scotland never eat lamb midweek.

Jonny Williams, one of a team of Scotch Lamb Champions from throughout Scotland including farmers and others involved in the industry, joined the QMS sampling team at Morrisons in Hunter’s Tryst, Edinburgh.

“These sampling events are an excellent opportunity to talk to consumers not only about the versatility of Scotch Lamb, but also about what goes in to putting fresh, tasty Scotch Lamb on their plates,” said Mr Williams.

“Farmers work hard to produce a fantastic product which is produced on Scottish farms which meet stringent criteria regarding animal welfare, feeds and natural production methods.

“At this time of year Scotch Lamb is at its most plentiful, so there is a huge scope for more people to routinely enjoy it by adding it to their midweek mealtime repertoire.”

Carol McLaren, director of marketing and communications at Quality Meat Scotland, said: “Our recent research has revealed that 81% of Scottish consumers regularly eat the same meals.

“This lack of variety is mainly attributed to people simply not knowing what to cook which is why roadshows like these are so important to inspire people to try something tasty and new.

“We’ll be encouraging shoppers to look out for the blue Scotch Lamb PGI logo next time they’re in their local store – and to remember that lamb is deliciously versatile for midweek meals, and not just a Sunday dinner!”

Running until 13 October, the Scotch Lamb sampling activity forms part of QMS’s “Scotch Lamb, Naturally” campaign, a nine-week long promotional push which will for the first time include television advertising as part of the promotional mix, along with billboard, press, digital, social and radio advertising.

Consumers are encouraged to visit www.scotchkitchen.com/scotch-lamb-naturally to discover a range of new recipes created using Scotch Lamb with a preparation time of 30 minutes or less.