Focusing on both high quality and alternative cuts of U.S. beef, USMEF conducted a seminar and tasting for Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional (HRI) professionals in Georgia, a fast-developing country that is part of Russia and Surrounding Region. Funded by the Beef Checkoff Program, the educational event attracted restaurateurs, chefs, meat buyers, bloggers and journalists to the Meat Loaf steakhouse in Gudauri, a ski resort city near the Georgian capital of Tbilisi. USMEF is a subcontractor of the Beef Checkoff.

“The hospitality industry in Georgia is growing rapidly due to the tourism industry really taking off and more people are including dining out as part of their vacations to the area,” said Galina Kochubeeva, USMEF representative in the region. “People from neighboring countries like Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, as well as from the United Kingdom and other part of Europe, are enjoying the mountains – and the food the resorts, restaurants and hotels have to offer.”

More than 30 HRI sector representatives attended the USMEF seminar to learn about U.S. beef.

Kochubeeva said the Redco Corporation, which owns restaurants in major tourist centers around Georgia, partnered with USMEF for seminar, with a goal of increasing consumer interest in U.S. beef.

She also noted that Georgii Kharazishvili, the top chef at Meat Loaf, formerly worked at Steakhouse Oval, a restaurant in Tbilisi well-known for serving U.S. beef steaks from Nebraska. Georgii presented at the USMEF seminar in Gudauri, introducing and explaining U.S. beef ribeye, New York strip, top sirloin butt cap, flank and short ribs.

The quality of American products is appreciated, Kochubeeva added, but pricing has kept imports at bay.

“U.S. beef is in demand in Georgia, but unfortunately the pricing terms for the U.S. meat are not equal with the terms for imports from the European Union and other local countries,” said Kochubeeva. “The final prime cost for U.S. beef after customs clearance is about 40% higher and can’t compete with imports from regional exporters and from South America – especially in a market like Georgia, which is price sensitive.”

The seminar in Gudauri received much attention in the media and on websites. The event was highlighted in OK Magazine, a publication popular with high-end consumers.

SOURCE: USMEF