Royal Highland Show: Fife business named ‘Sustainable Food Producer of the Year’

The Butchery at Bowhouse was named winner of the ‘Sustainable Food Producer of the Year’ at the 2024 Rare Breeds Survival Trust Scotland Food & Farming Sustainability Awards which were announced at Scotland’as major agricultural event. The organisation behind the awards is the national charity that promotes the UK’s rare native livestock and equine breeds.

Rosie Jack, business development manager at Balcaskie, said: “Being part of Balcaskie Estate means we hand-select livestock from the farm team while also working seasonally to offer our customers meat when it's at its best. We will continue to champion rare breeds like Lincon Red beef and Tamworth pork for their quality and flavour.”

The awards were presented by Mairi Gougeon MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands.

She said: “I wish to thank the Rare Breeds Survival Trust for their ongoing work to protect and conserve a key part of Scotland’s rural heritage. Their ongoing expertise is vital in helping us to provide a future agricultural support system that is both sustainable and regenerative. I’d like to congratulate all of today’s winners and nominees for the important work that they continue to do to protect the most historic breeds in Scottish agriculture.”

Martin Beard, RBST vice president Scotland, added: “The winners show just what can be achieved with native breeds at the heart of a sustainable business. The creativity, commitment to supporting the environment and entrepreneurial approach displayed by these winners is highly impressive and we are delighted to celebrate their work with these awards.

"We introduced two new award categories this year, reflecting the exciting innovation we are seeing in sustainable farm diversifications and in the development and marketing of sustainable produce. Entries for these and all the categories were of exceptionally high quality and we congratulate all those shortlisted as well as the award winners.”

The winners of the eight categories were chosen from the entrants by a judging panel led by RBST Scotland Chair Steve McMinn alongside creator of The Scottish Food Guide Wendy Barrie; Principal Consultant at SAC Consulting Ceri Ritchie; and Rosemary Champion of the Scottish Smallholder Festival.