Rising importance of Muslim market for lamb

With convenience increasingly important to consumers and modern lifestyles focused on dish-based cuisines rather than cooking with cuts of meat, lamb consumption is under pressure. Forty three per cent of lamb consumers are over 55, with younger people lacking the confidence and knowledge to buy and cook with lamb, and trends such as flexitarianism and meat-free meals are gaining traction.

It is for those reasons that promoting lamb consumption is a key element of what we do at AHDB Beef & Lamb, with a range of activities and campaigns aimed at different demographics and particularly those younger age groups. An example of this is our online Lamb Society campaign, which aims to inspire younger consumers aged 18 to 25 to cook with lamb through videos and engaging content on social media.

However, it is important that we do not overlook the significant opportunities that exist for lamb within non-traditional markets. The halal market, which is growing both at home and overseas, is already important to our sheep industry.

Sheep meat accounts for an estimated 40 per cent of the meat consumed by the Muslim community, which equates to around 20 per cent of all the sheep meat sold in England, with consumption peaking around the Ramadan and Eid festivals. Given that the Muslim population is growing faster than the population in general, both in the UK and in other European countries, the relative significance of this market is only going to increase.

With Brexit looming and the industry facing so much uncertainty, maximising the potential of the halal market is a key priority in our new strategy. We recently held a Halal Seminar to bring together interested parties and discuss the challenges and opportunities for the sector. We have also just appointed a halal sector manager to lead our work in this area and help us engage with the supply chain.

There are currently gaps in our knowledge about the market and what Muslim consumers want, therefore a key priority for us is to carry out a research project to find out more about the sector. Improving our understanding of this market will help us identify opportunities to make English lamb even more appealing to Muslim consumers and how we can best promote it to continue the consumption growth in this sector.

With challenges on the sheep sector set to increase post Brexit we must look to every opportunity to help improve returns, therefore this is a market we can’t afford to ignore.

Clive Brown, AHDB Beef and Lamb Head of Regional Development