Prince Charles launches first Welsh branded beef

The Prince of Wales is to unveil the first branded beef from Wales, which is designed to guarantee high standards of animal welfare.

The newly branded “Welsh Beef” will be launched on Monday by the farmers’ co-operative, Welsh Lamb & Beef Promotions.

Farmers will be entitled to use the co-operative’s logo of a Welsh dragon and the “Welsh Beef” brand if they comply with a set of guidelines on the living conditions of their cattle. This protocol will be checked by an independent team of vets.

Don Thomas, company secretary for the co-operative, says: “The co-operative has run a successful branding campaign for Welsh Lamb. It also produces a lot of beef in similar natural grass-fed conditions, and it believes that consumers prefer naturally reared animals when they choose meat.”

He says the co-operative hopes to use the scheme when the export ban on British beef caused by the BSE disaster is lifted.

In-store promotions will also be run in multiples and independent butchers. They will include recipe cards and information leaflets.

The scheme is being funded by a combination of contributions from the co-operative’s 5,000 members and a proportion of the Meat & Livestock Commission’s levy on animals, which is ear-marked for promotional purposes and European funding.