Falkirk area butcher on a roll after mighty tasty meatballs earn him another national title
A multi-award-winning Larbert butcher has lifted yet another national title after introducing a touch of Tangier to his range of ready meals.
Kinnaird Butcher Shop and Deli’s very own “Moroccan Lamb Meatballs with Yogurt Garlic Sauce” secured the coveted Diamond Award to secure the Scottish Craft Butchers’ 30-minute Ready Meal Championship.
Now the dish has been acknowledged as best in Scotland, Kinnaird Butcher Shop and Deli owner Gavin Colquhoun, 43, said the title is a testament to his team of young butchers at the popular McIntyre Avenue shop.
“Lamb is not our biggest seller,” said Gavin. “So I decided to come up with different ways of presenting it to our customers. Ready meals are a rapidly expanding
sector of the butchers business so we played around with Moroccan flavours and different combinations before hitting on the trophy winner.
“It’s a success for the whole team and our customers. We try out all our new products on our customers and if they come in asking for it again we know we have a winner.
“People kept asking for these Moroccan Lamb Meatballs after the initial tastings so we thought we would enter them for the ready meals competition. We’re absolutely thrilled to lift the award for the best ready meal in Scotland.
“It’s a terrific achievement and I’m delighted for the whole team.”
This is the fifth Scottish Craft Butchers Diamond Award captured by the Kinnaird team since Gavin launched the business in 2022.
“We never take winning for granted,” said Gavin. “The feeling of being judged the best in Scotland by industry experts and members of the public is always terrific.
You can have all the talent and clever ideas going, but unless you use quality ingredients you will never be the best.
"Every product we put onto our counters has come from the best prime cuts from locally sourced stock – with ready meals, they have to look fabulous, be easy to cook and then taste amazing.
"We vary from around 15 to 25 different ready meals available at any time and it looks like we’re going to have to up the production of Moroccan Lamb Meatballs when word gets out that they’re the best butchers ready meal in Scotland.”
Scottish Craft Butchers Executive Manager Gordon King knew the judges had hit on something special when they tasted Gavin’s winning product.
“Every one of them said ‘wow’ when they sampled the dish,” he said. “It’s rare to get a reaction like that from so many people and the marks were sky high. Gavin has the magic touch when it comes to creating new and exciting products that match the changing demands of the Scottish customer.
Ian McVicar, director of awards sponsors Scotweigh, added: “We feel consumers are showing a great demand for locally crafted butcher's ready meals. They want the convenience of a quick meal without having to settle for the often lower quality processed ready meals available from the supermarkets and other convenience stores.
“As people are leading busier lives and often want an easy dinner, their local butchers are coming to the rescue with easy to cook, fresh, high quality, delicious ready
meals and Gavin and his team at Kinnaird are leading the way.”