United Kingdom Part 1

I have spent the last 6 days travelling around Britain and my trip has taken me over many. many miles along motorways and back lanes.  I have visited with producers, attended an local fair and spent a considerable amount of time in grocery stores. I have tasted the Gold Award winner of England’s Best Burger Challenge and had the best fish & chips I’ve ever tasted.  All in, it has been a wonderful week.  The United Kingdom for me has been a country of contradictions which makes it, its own unique self.  

Also, I have been able to reflect on the similarities between the beef industry here and our Canadian system as well as contrast the strengths and weaknesses of both.  The similarities have been slightly startling.  The biggest commonality we share is the inability to have a strong marketing presence internationally.  I have been toying with a few ideas in my head as to why this happens in Canada.  After talking to some people this week I believe we share the exact same problem.  For years both Canada and the Untied Kingdom have had a large, affluent customer base for their meat exports right at their doorstep.  While Canada enjoys geographical proximity to the United States of America, the UK has Western Europe just across the channel.  Both markets take a lot of meat products and neither exporting country has to work very hard to fill the need.  

I am a strong believer that this will change very shortly and was pleased to find someone with a similar opinion in the United Kingdom.  Canada will need to do a better job of branding ourselves internationally if we want to be recognized as an exporter of quality, premium beef.  I believe the first step starts at home. There has been much progress made by Canada Beef through the Canadian Beef Advantage and I applaud the work done thus far.  I don’t think we can stop however until all meat sold domestically and internationally is branded with the Canadian beef logo.  It was amazing to see all British beef marked with their official designation.  The mark is exactly the same across all meat products as well which makes it easy for consumers to identify Canadian product.  Australia has a very similar system and I hope one day in the near future, Canada’s product will be similarly branded with the red maple leaf.  

This trip so far has reinforced for me the need for the Canadian beef industry to work together as when one sector succeeds we all succeed.  We are headed in the right direction and I am confident that we will get there sooner rather than later.

I am now off to Northern Ireland and Ireland for the next week.  More updates and photos to come soon.