Noreen Lanigan, Manager, Bord Bia Paris

According to a survey of 200 restaurants in Belgium undertaken for Bord Bia by Synovate Belgium, 83% of Belgian chefs are familiar with Irish beef, with 41% having discovered the product via a wholesaler. Irish beef has similar awareness levels to Argentinean, but is considerably ahead of Scottish, French, Brazilian and US beef in this channel.  Some 28% of restaurants surveyed serve Irish beef on a regular basis, while 10% serve Argentinean, 8% serve French beef and 4% serve Scottish.

Beef is a permanent fixture on menus for 89% of restaurants, with a further 9% choosing beef on a seasonal or occasional basis, making it by far the preferred meat offer on Belgian menus. Entrecote and fillet are the two most widely used cuts with an average of three beef cuts on a menu.
 
As in most markets the domestically produced product is the preferred choice for the majority of Belgian chefs at 59%, with Irish beef coming in second at 17%. The products intrinsic qualities, including both the raw appearance (red colour & marbling) and eating quality are cited as the primary reasons for purchase.

Around 50% of chefs surveyed  perceive Irish beef to be of superior quality to other beef origins, with 60% endorsing its premium price positioning saying “it’s more expensive but it’s worth it”.

The field research was conducted by Synovate Belgium via telephone interviews in August-September 2009 on a representative sample of 200 Belgian chefs. The survey confirms significant loyalty for Irish beef and identifies potential for future growth with current and non-users. As part of our market development programme, Bord Bia will exhibit at the premium foodservice fair Tavola on 14-16th March 2010.