A Magical Celebration of U.S. Beef as USMEF Marks 50 Years in Manchester

Something magical unfolded at Food Sorcery in Manchester’s vibrant Deansgate district on Tuesday 27th October, as the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) celebrated its 50th anniversary with an inaugural U.S. Beef Masterclass, bringing together the entire meat supply chain for an afternoon of culinary excellence, education and international networking.

The Chefs’ Forum was delighted to attend and support this landmark event, which brought together exporters, importers, wholesalers, procurement specialists, butchers and professional chefs in a single purpose-built culinary space, creating valuable opportunities for new connections and commercial collaboration.

Celebrating five decades of promoting American meat internationally, USMEF now operates in more than 80 global markets. The event also highlighted exciting opportunities for U.S. beef in Britain, following the introduction of a zero-duty annual import quota of 13,000 tonnes for qualifying American beef.

Mohamad Wasli, USMEF Representative for the UK, EU and North Africa, said:

“As we celebrate 50 years of USMEF, it was fantastic to bring together so many influential leaders from across the global meat and hospitality sectors. Our mission is to build relationships, share knowledge and showcase the exceptional quality and versatility of U.S. beef. Manchester provided the perfect platform to do exactly that.”

Chef Olly Works His Magic!

The culinary highlight was an outstanding presentation and tasting experience, led by Chef Olly Bird and supported by the talented Food Sorcery Culinary Events Team.

Olly delivered a fascinating insight into the provenance, nutrition, animal welfare, processing and quality standards of U.S. beef, explaining the USDA grading system and how marbling contributes to tenderness, juiciness and flavour.

Then came the real magic, a beautifully executed menu that showcased premium American beef at its very best.

Guests were welcomed with delicious, smashed USDA beef sliders, followed by delicate beef tartare on toasted sourdough.

The main event was a spectacular U.S. Beef Sharing Platter, featuring meltingly tender BBQ slow-cooked short ribs, succulent USDA Prime ribeye, Prime striploin and beautifully cooked Prime chateaubriand.

Accompaniments included indulgent beef-fat mashed potatoes, garlic mushrooms, creamed spinach, chopped salad, and vibrant chimichurri – a wonderful feast that showcased the flavour, versatility, and exceptional eating quality of the different cuts.

From a foodservice perspective, Nicola Harrison, National Account Manager Fresh Meat and Strategic Customer Growth, Bidfood, commented:

“It was fantastic to see such a strong representation from across the meat supply chain, all coming together to explore the opportunities for U.S. beef in the UK foodservice market. At Bidfood, we are always looking at ways to bring exciting, high-quality products to our customers, and the masterclass provided a brilliant opportunity to experience the different cuts, understand their provenance and explore their potential for chefs and hospitality operators.”

Through a procurement lens, Andrew Scott, Category Manager at EF-Group, added:

“This was an excellent opportunity to connect U.S. beef exporters with UK importers, wholesalers and procurement professionals. There is real potential to develop new routes to market, and we would be delighted to help introduce exporters to established wholesalers with a ready customer base for premium U.S. beef. Bringing the right suppliers and buyers together is key to turning these opportunities into successful, long-term trading relationships.”

JBS (Global), one of the world’s largest food companies and a global leader in meat production and processing, supplies premium beef to international retail, wholesale and foodservice markets. Richard Sanders, Foodservice and Marketing Director at JBS, commented:

“Bringing the supply chain together around such an exceptional product is immensely valuable. Chef Olly and the Food Sorcery team demonstrated the quality and versatility of U.S. beef with brilliance, while creating a fantastic environment for meaningful commercial conversations.”

Giraudi Group, a leading international importer and distributor of premium meats, specialises in sourcing and supplying exceptional-quality beef from some of the world’s most renowned producers for the hospitality, wholesale and foodservice sectors.

Gorgia Ghisolfi, Business Development and Sales Manager at the Monaco-based Giraudi Group, added:

“It was wonderful to meet so many UK importers, wholesalers and chefs in one place. The opportunity to taste different U.S. beef cuts on such a delicious menu really brought the product’s quality to life. A fantastic event for making connections and exploring future opportunities.”

Connecting the Industry, Creating Opportunities

Beyond the impressive menu, the event showcased USMEF’s extensive support for UK businesses, including chef training, product education, promotional activity, menu development and introductions throughout the international supply chain.

Catherine Farinha, Founder of The Chefs’ Forum, concluded:

“What a fantastic way to celebrate USMEF’s Golden Anniversary! Having exporters, importers, wholesalers, butchers, procurement professionals and chefs together in one room was incredibly powerful and led to some excellent introductions and conversations. Chef Olly and the Food Sorcery team delivered a superb culinary experience, and we were delighted to support an event that combined excellent food with genuine opportunities for business development.”

The Chefs’ Forum congratulates USMEF on 50 years of international success and looks forward to supporting future collaborations across the UK hospitality and foodservice sectors.