Most people associate British-reared lamb with springtime, but autumn lamb, which has just come into season, may change those perceptions.
Claimed by some pundits to be considerably fuller and richer in flavour than its spring counterpart, autumn lamb is available in the shops between September and November.
Its flavour – somewhere between mutton and spring lamb – could be attributed to diet. The ewes that produce spring lambs will have been fed a dry diet through the winter, whereas autumn lamb-producing ewes have been out on the summer pastures, eating mainly grass and other plants.
Producers believe there is an opportunity to educate consumers who have been conditioned to buy spring lamb to try British lamb in autumn. Quality Meat Scotland runs an annual Festival of Lamb that encourages consumers to buy Scotch lamb during the autumn. This year, its campaign budget is £200,000.
Last year, GB sales of Scottish origin autumn lamb reached £3.3m [TNS 12w/e 4 November 2007], although this may have been boosted by the foot and mouth-induced export ban.
Its flavour – somewhere between mutton and spring lamb – could be attributed to diet. The ewes that produce spring lambs will have been fed a dry diet through the winter, whereas autumn lamb-producing ewes have been out on the summer pastures, eating mainly grass and other plants.
Producers believe there is an opportunity to educate consumers who have been conditioned to buy spring lamb to try British lamb in autumn. Quality Meat Scotland runs an annual Festival of Lamb that encourages consumers to buy Scotch lamb during the autumn. This year, its campaign budget is £200,000.
Last year, GB sales of Scottish origin autumn lamb reached £3.3m [TNS 12w/e 4 November 2007], although this may have been boosted by the foot and mouth-induced export ban.
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