Whilst many of the on-farm factors identified as enhancing pigmeat meat eating quality are already standard commercial practice, variability in quality is still a problem whose reasons are poorly understood. Particular uncertainty exists about the effect on eating quality of increasing slaughter weight, a current development which facilitates reduced cost of production by spreading carcass overhead costs between more kg of saleable meat. However, this strategy means that pigs will be older at slaughter, which carries uncertainties about the risk of increased toughness and boar taint. In targeting a market for branded pigmeat of high eating quality, there may also be beneficial strategies for adoption in carcass selection and post-slaughter management. These questions were addressed as part of a research project on the improvement of meat eating quality in the Scottish red meat sector.