A campaign to rekindle our love of lamb

In order to help younger consumers see it as a tasty, easy and versatile red meat, the sheep industry needs to get behind lamb and help change its image.

That’s where local sheep farmer Toby Lawton, from Newport, comes in.

Toby, along with 11 other young sheep farmers and shepherds, is championing Love Lamb Week which takes place September 1 – 7. Now in its third year, the week-long campaign, which is organised by AHDB together with the National Sheep Association and is supported by the National Farmers’ Union, aims to inspire consumers and demonstrate how tasty, healthy and easy the meat is to cook with.

Along with many of the young farmers who are supporting Love Lamb Week, Toby is an active member of the NSA and his local Young Farmers’ Club in Shropshire. As he is passionate about the sheep industry, Love Lamb Week gives him the perfect opportunity to spread the messages of how versatile lamb is and get the younger generation involved.

In order to help families gain the confidence to cook lamb, this year we have formed a partnership with parenting advice website, Mumsnet. Throughout Love Lamb Week, the website will be sharing recipes, as well as working with young families to introduce them to cooking lamb leg steaks. The low fat and relatively inexpensive recipe can be cooked in less than 15 minutes, so families can feed their flock with an easy and nutritious meal.

Alongside the Mumsnet partnership, the Simply Beef and Lamb Facebook and Instagram social media channels will be sharing the love for lamb, highlighting simple and delicious recipes, including: the Lamb Leg Steak with Herb and Paprika Rub and a spin on a well-known classic, the ‘Lamb Caesar Salad’.

So during the campaign from September 1 to 7, get behind Love Lamb Week on social media or try adding one of the lamb recipes to your weekly menu – it definitely won’t disappoint and there’s something for the whole family to enjoy!

Clive Brown is AHDB Beef and Lamb Head of Regional Development