IN MARKET GROWING DEMAND Getting creative with mar It takes more than a global The series takes the Australian pandemic to slow MLA’s barbecuing tradition to the next level Domestic Marketing team down. to show foodservice providers and consumers how to cook red meat over When they were faced with the an open fire. The 11 videos in the series challenges of COVID‑19 this year, the feature a range of beef, lamb and team thought outside the box and goat dishes. delivered ground‑breaking marketing campaigns to keep red meat on plates I embraced the new ‘working from across Australia. home’ lifestyle and filmed the videos in my own backyard with a full outdoor Take a behind‑the‑scenes look at how commercial kitchen in just 10 days. MLA is developing innovative activities to increase red meat sales throughout It’s great to share my passion with the pandemic. the rest of the industry. I really enjoy cooking over fire – it’s a pure form of Rib eye with salsa verde at 10 William St Stepping up the cooking which connects us with the in Sydney featured in MLA’s Rare Medium ancient world. The meat has a unique e‑magazine. Aussie barbecue smoky flavour profile and I love smelling Sam Burke the aromas of the meat as the juices The new normal MLA Product and Business drip through onto the coals. for restaurants Development Manager and To help foodservice providers use Corporate Chef Mary‑Jane Morse these dishes in our new COVID‑safe Editor of Rare Medium We had to be creative to ensure red world, I provided inspiration on how e‑magazine and MLA Foodservice meat stayed on menus during COVID‑19, each dish could be presented in a Communications Manager and for MLA’s foodservice team, this takeaway format and as a traditional involved adapting our programs to: plated dish for those eating at home. MLA’s quarterly foodservice • provide the foodservice industry with Feedback has been really positive among e‑magazine, Rare Medium, works with inspiration on how to serve innovative chefs and consumers, with the videos the country’s best chefs to raise the red meat dishes which are suitable being viewed more than 44,000 times. profile of Australian red meat on menus for takeaway and educate the foodservice sector Sam Burke about Australian beef and lamb from • help consumers feel confident and paddock‑to‑plate. excited about cooking red meat E: sburke@mla.com.au at home. Watch Sam Burke’s ‘Red meat over We’ve maintained close contact flames’ videos at: youtube.com/ with the industry to gain insights on This year we launched a new video AustralianLamb and youtube.com/ how venues are adapting to social series, ‘Red meat over flames: an australianbeefthegreatest distancing restrictions and the role Aussie tradition’. of red meat on the menu during and beyond COVID‑19. It’s unlikely foodservice venues will be returning to normal any time soon. So, what does the ‘new normal’ look like for foodservice in the next 12 months? As 22,000 Australian restaurant operators rethink their business models in response to the COVID‑19 crisis, we’ll see a strategic rethink of menus and a move towards more casual food offerings. COVID‑19 emphasised the role restaurants play in nourishing their local communities. The adaption strategies of many restaurants – such as takeaway, delivery or finish‑at‑home set menus – One of the recipes featured in the ‘Red meat over flames: an Aussie tradition’ video series: ensured diners could still access butterflied lamb leg with roasted cauliflower and zesty salad. restaurant‑quality food at home. 40