ADVERTISEMENTS PROMOTING the English beef and lamb quality standard will be on television from March 2005.

The adverts will be screened from Mar 1, and promotional body the English Beef and Lamb Executive (EBLEX) is promising to bring a fresh approach to marketing beef and lamb.

“You”ll either love them or hate them. They will really stick in people”s minds,” said Andrew Garvey, head of marketing at EBLEX.

The adverts will run for a five-week period initially, said Mr Garvey.

“But the ads are part of a three-year campaign, so we will reintroduce them at relevant times of the year – September, for example, for the lamb trade.

“The TV adverts will be backed by printed versions in national newspapers with our key aim to boost market share for the English products,” he said.

Mr Garvey was bullish about future prospects for English beef and lamb and the prospect of competing with Scottish and Welsh beef and lamb.

unique

“The EBLEX quality standard is unique in stipulating age and type of animal to ensure eating quality is at its best. The Scottish and Welsh schemes don”t do that.

“The Scots and Welsh have Protected Geographical Indication status, which ensures that only beef and lamb which has been born and reared in those countries, can be branded as such. That gives them a marketing advantage.

“But I”m confident that we will drive our message home to the consumer and the whole chain that the English mark means consistent eating quality, guaranteeing tenderness and succulence.”

Mr Garvey denied that the competition with other home countries would be bad for British farming.

“Look at the competition in the soft drinks market. It boosts market share for all soft drinks. I think the new standard and the new competition is good for all UK beef and lamb producers. We will all have to step up our campaigns.”

He was able to reveal more information on work to promote the quality mark to the trade. “We launched the standard in September and have been working on promoting it to the whole chain from farm right up to retailer.

“Prospects look good. There”s been a huge and favourable response,” Mr Garvey said.