Catering Scotland

A Scotch Bonnet burger – described by judges as ‘delicious, healthy and very Scottish’ – has lifted the top award in the Commonwealth Burger contest organised by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS).

The three finalists in the nationwide competition battled it out at the Royal Highland Show last month, with 12-year-old Eve Cattanach from St Mungo’s High School in Falkirk taking first prize.

The winning recipe, which contained lean Scotch Beef mince, Scottish free-range egg, Scottish cheddar cheese and Scotch Bonnet chilli, also included porridge oats.

Scottish schools were invited to participate in the challenge, which involved the children creating a burger incorporating a Commonwealth twist using naturally produced Scotch Beef PGI, Scotch Lamb PGI and/or Specially Selected Pork.

The shortlisted schools then worked with their local Scotch Butchers’ Club butcher to perfect their final recipes before the three finalists were chosen.

Eve – pictured with presenter Max Murphy (left) and butcher Rod Gillie from Thomas Johnston in Falkirk – scooped a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to feature her burger in Scotch Butchers’ Club member shops across the country in the run-up to the Commonwealth Games. In addition, her school also received a £250 voucher to spend on Scotch Beef and Lamb PGI, as well as Specially Selected Pork.

Jennifer Robertson, health and education coordinator at QMS, said: ‘The competition provided a fun and entertaining opportunity to raise awareness of healthy eating, encouraging the pupils to take a more active role in the kitchen, and learning how to prepare and cook meat from scratch.

‘The assistance of our partner Scotch Butchers Club butchers was invaluable and they worked with the pupils to develop their recipes and think about what makes a product popular with customers.’

www.qmscotland.co.uk