The Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC) has thrown its weight behind a new campaign which wants pubs to tell customers where food on the menu comes from.
The Country Land & Business Association's (CLA) launced its Just Ask campaign with Government backing earlier this week. The campaign encourages consumers to ask where the food on their plate comes from when eating out.
MLC foodservice trade manager, Tony Goodger, said: "We welcome the CLA's Just Ask Campaign and it is pleasing to see that the Government is continuing to support the consumer's right to know the origin of the food they are eating out of the home.
"Public demand for clearer labelling on menus has been growing for many years, particularly when ordering red meat. That is why the MLC has long been calling for foodservice establishments to take a proactive approach and provide customers with the reassurances on the origin and quality of meat they serve, as a matter of course."
The MLC launched best practice guidelines for labelling the origin of meat on menus in 2003, following research that revealed the majority of consumers believed the meat they were eating in pubs and restaurants was British, when the reality was quite different.
Tony said: "We are delighted that, for example, that Chef & Brewer now state the origin of the lamb, gammon and beef served - we need to encourage the remainder to follow suit. After all, being upfront with your sourcing policy is a good way to ensure that you meet customer demand, increase loyalty and ultimately profitability."
The MLC's dedicated website www.meatorigin.co.uk provides information and advice for caterers on how to easily adopt a policy of menu transparency.