Lamb is back on the menu for consumers

After a sustained period of gloom, lamb is bouncing back with £131m being spent on the meat.

The latest figures from Eblex revealed that in the 12-week period to September 2, volume sales of lamb rose by 14 per cent to 15,656 tonnes year-on-year, up six per cent.

In the four-week period to September 2 alone, volume sales were up two per cent at 4,753 tonnes.

The 12-week year-on-year increase has come amid a fall in the average retail price of lamb for the same period of seven per cent to £8.35 p/kg.

Mike Whittemore, EBLEX head of trade marketing, said: “Volume lamb sales have been doing well since April, driven largely by greater supply. While we have seen a fall in the retail price, the popularity of the product when widely available demonstrates that consumers do see lamb as a versatile meat which represents value for money.”

The increase follows a sustained effort by Eblex to improve the way the meat is marketed, recently conducting its ‘Five Star Lamb Tour’, aimed at getting it back on the menu in food service establishments.

The executive also ran a three-year Discover Lamb campaign, promoting new lamb cuts to highlight the product’s versatility.

EBLEX food service project manager Hugh Judd said: “Lamb remains a popular choice with consumers, especially when eating out, so we need to work with the supply chain to get it back on to menus.

“The lamb tour will provide an excellent opportunity to bring the supply chain together – to educate and inspire – and create discussion among our guests to help them better understand the needs of each sector.”

Reduced supply, leading to higher prices, has seen lamb become somewhat of a premium meat of late but, with good numbers of lambs now flowing through the supply chain, EBLEX believes this is an ideal time for the catering industry to put lamb – a popular protein with consumers – back on the menu.

The peak sheep selling season is currently underway and Masham, Mule and Swaledale gimmer lambs all had their day in the show and sale rings at Skipton Auction Mart.

The 5,000-plus turnout met with one of the best trades of the season to date, with lots of quality pens selling at three figures to a packed ringside, among them many repeat buyers. Running Mule lambs proved popular throughout the day, with others ready for the tup also slightly dearer.

Averages showed an across-the-board increase on the corresponding 2011 fixture, with the predominant entry of 3,779 Mules averaging £100.86 per head, £18 up on last year. The 897 Swaledales averaged £79.08 (+£13.84), 344 Mashams £93.24 (+0.15) and 48 Continentals £90.31 (+£19.95).

Chris Akrigg, of Manor Farm, Cray, made a successful return to the Swaledale show arena when exhibiting the first prize pen of 10 lambs.