A young artist from Inverness has been named the winner of Quality Meat Scotland’s (QMS) latest competition to create promotional artwork for this year’s ‘Porktober’ campaign, held in partnership with Scottish Craft Butchers to celebrate homegrown pork.
The contest, which attracted numerous entries from schoolchildren visiting the QMS stand at the recent Royal Highland Show, was won by seven-year-old Maisie Forbes.
Her design, which beautifully illustrates the journey of Specially Selected Pork from farm to fork, captivated the judges.
Maisie was thrilled to have her artwork selected, especially as she is a ‘big fan’ of pork in all its forms, from roasted chops to BBQ pulled and bacon!
Tracy Martin, QMS’s Health and Education Coordinator who featured on the judging panel made up of representatives from the red meat levy body, said: “We were excited to launch this new competition at the Show, and it was fantastic to see so much enthusiasm and creativity from the children who took part.
“They all took a considerable interest in learning about the qualities of Specially Selected Pork, translating this into vibrant, informative and eye-catching posters.
“With momentum building for ‘Porktober’ more broadly, it’s great to have the younger generations thinking and talking about the affordable, delicious and nutritionally-dense meat in a positive light.
“We would also like to thank Tarff and Dalscone Farms for providing a hamper of pig-related prizes that were all very well received by the participating children.”
While all entries were displayed around the stand during the Royal Highland Show, Maisie’s image will be used on social media and in butchers’ shops to promote the month-long campaign celebrating the quality, versatility, and affordability of pork.
Gordon King, Executive Manager at Scottish Craft Butchers, said: “We can all – industry and consumers – take inspiration from the children’s Porktober competition entries and get creative making meals with our delicious and versatile Specially Selected Pork.
“As well as supporting pork production in Scotland, cooking with Specially Selected Pork and the QMS recipes available on the Make it Scotch website is quick, affordable and exciting.
“With Specially Selected Pork you are getting produce of highest quality and welfare standards so why not put it on your fork this week?
“And if you do, don’t forget to share your creations on social media to raise the profile of our valuable pork sector!”
The campaign goes live on October 1, with more information available here.
For more information about Specially Selected Pork, visit gmscotland.co.uk.
