Accreditations

The flag in the Red Tractor logo tells you where the food has been farmed, processed and packed. To follow this traceability trail, all users have to keep comprehensive records of their livestock and crops. We know it is important to you that farmers protect the health and welfare of animals. Our standards make sure that our farmers are competent to look after animals, understand their needs and that the animal’s health and welfare is regularly checked.

The Red Tractor logo means that animals have adequate space, and safe and comfortable housing or shelter. Just like you, our animals need a nutritious diet to stay healthy. Our standards require that all animals have unlimited access to fresh, clean drinking water and are provided with well balanced meals. All farmers who keep livestock must keep a written health plan and medicine records so that they can monitor the health of their animals and prevent them from becoming unwell. It also helps the farmer to know when he needs to call the vet.

All organic food comes from trusted sources and meets strict standards laid down in European law which give consumers confidence in the food they buy. Organic food with the Soil Association’s symbol has been certified to higher standards where our expert standards committees have concluded this is necessary. For example, no system of farming requires higher levels of animal welfare than organic farms working to Soil Association standards.

Soil Association Certification has been certifying organic food since 1973, and now works with over 4,500 farms and businesses worldwide. We’ve led the way in setting organic standards and have gone further than any other organic standards setter to make sure the standards we publish are clear. Nevertheless, they have evolved over decades and now run to hundreds of pages. So they could be even clearer, simpler and have greater impact.

The Scotch Butchers Club is run by QMS and has over 300 members across GB, who are independent butchers and are approved stockists of Scotch Beef PGI, Scotch Lamb PGI and Specially Selected Pork.

Members pay a small annual membership and receive a range of marketing tools to enhance their displays including attractive consumer friendly point of sale material. These activities are enhanced with PR support.

Our strategy is developed in consultation with the industry via the Butchers Think Tank. This group meets quarterly and represents the independent retailer sector within Scotland.

We promote best practice and product development within the sector through competitions and in collaboration with The Scottish Federation of Meat Traders, The Q Guild and The National Federation of Food and Meat Traders.

The Quality Standard Mark for beef and lamb is a scheme that provides you with high levels of assurance about the meat you buy.

The Quality Standard for beef and lamb is the only scheme in the to cover eating quality. All beef and lamb carrying the Mark is chosen according to a strict selection process to ensure it is succulent and tender. Quality Standard beef and lamb is produced to higher standards than required by law with a supply chain which is fully assured and independently inspected at every stage from farm to meat counter.

The Quality Standard Mark also tells you where your beef and lamb is from. For example meat from an animal born, raised and slaughtered in will carry the Quality Standard beef or Quality Standard lamb Mark indicating English origin with the St George’s flag. If an animal cannot meet all the criteria, for example it is born in Scotland or Wales, it will be able to carry the Quality Standard Mark but indicate British origin with the Union flag.

Assured Food Standards – Red Tractor

Organic Soil Association

The Scotch Butchers Club

Quality Standard British Beef and Lamb

CONTACT US TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO FOR YOUR RESTAURANT