Australia has retained its position as the largest lamb supplier to the Gulf with a record 55,000 tonnes delivered in 2012, said a top official ahead of an upcoming cuisine festival in Abu Dhabi.

“We are dedicating the next 12 months to keenly focus on becoming a key influencer in the Abu Dhabi market,” said Jamie Ferguson, regional manager Mena for Meat & Livestock (MLA) Australia (MLA), the international promotion board for Australia’s cattle, sheep and goat producers.

“With more and more new hotels and restaurants opening in the UAE capital, competition is set to only increase. We believe we’re in a position to assist local chefs in choosing the best product to exceed their customers’ expectations without blowing the budget.

“From our perspective the ultimate goal is to see delicious Australian beef and lamb proudly branded on menus throughout the region, every Australian brand has its own quality story to tell,” he added.

MLA has partnered Gourmet Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s annual haute cuisine festival which runs across 20 fine dining venues in the UAE capital from February 5 to 20.

At Gourmet Abu Dhabi, where MLA hopes to introduce its wide variety of high-quality produce and cost-saving meat cuts to the local trade, its executive chef and Mena Business Development manager Tarek Ibrahim will conduct a butchery demonstration.

“We have recognised the increasing number of great executive chefs and new hotels in the UAE capital and our main aim at Gourmet Abu Dhabi will be to demonstrate the varied cuts of meat available through our Australian brands – beyond the usual tenderloin and rib eye you normally see on menus,” explained Chef Tarek.

“We’re trying to assist local chefs to push the boundaries with more affordable options, what we call ‘the hidden gold,’ such as lamb leg, beef rump and flatiron steak – which eat just as well as more expensive cuts of meat if they are matched with the right cooking methods.”

Chef Tarek’s demonstration will be part of Gourmet Abu Dhabi’s inaugural ‘Industry Spotlight: Trade Industry Forum’ taking place at the five-star Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort & Spa on February 10.

“Gourmet Abu Dhabi represents an incredible opportunity for us to tap into the potential of this rapidly expanding market to promote Australian meat as safe, delicious and halal – and it is essential for us to be involved in such a high profile event to reach and establish working relationships with the UAE capital’s industry decision-makers,” added Ferguson.

“We will also be promoting the benefit of including the provenance of Australian beef, lamb and goat products on UAE menus.

“What sets the brands we represent apart from other competitors is the guaranteed traceability of our products. We’re noticing an increasing global trend for consumers wanting to know exactly what brand of meat they are consuming and where exactly it was sourced from – from the country, which region of that country, to the breed of the animal and right down to almost literally knowing the farmer’s name,” Ferguson concluded. – TradeArabia News Service