A restaurant promotion featuring Quality Standard beef from England was launched in Hong Kong this week with the help of Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton.
Nearly 30 journalists from print, broadcast and online media attended the event at the Watermark Restaurant on Wednesday and had the opportunity to sample innovative dishes using quality, grass-fed beef, which is on the menu in four restaurants in Hong Kong until the middle of April.
Jason Atherton, who is soon to open his third restaurant in Hong Kong, spoke to the assembled audience about his passion for grass-fed beef and his strong support of British food. The journalists also heard from EBLEX chairman John Cross, who gave an overview of beef production in England, talking in particular about the breeds used and the importance of the grass-based diet. Head of exports Jean-Pierre Garnier then spoke about the significance of the Hong Kong market for UK beef.
The launch was timed to coincide with GREAT Week Hong Kong and Macau, organised by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), which finished yesterday and saw a delegation representing a range of food and drink companies take part in a programme of briefings, visits and meetings, helping them get to know the market and giving them access to key players.
“Hong Kong is the UK’s most important hub in Asia and represents a very exciting opportunity for UK beef,” said EBLEX chairman John Cross.
“The rate of growth of the economy, both here and in neighbouring Macau, is really impressive, as is the appetite for luxury items, a category into which our quality, grass-fed product can easily fit.
“Establishing a strong market for UK beef in Hong Kong and Macau would also mean we would be better placed to take advantage of the enormous opportunities on mainland China when we eventually succeed in opening that market to our products.
“Our priority at the moment is to get as many people as possible to sample our beef, giving them an appreciation of the grass-fed product and demonstrating how it differs from grain-fed beef, which is currently far more common in this market.”
