Shouting out the benefits of great-tasting lamb
Love Lamb Week, held earlier this month, is an annual event which forms part of AHDB activity to encourage consumers to eat more great tasting lamb.
Now in its fifth year, Love Lamb Week has grown to become an industry-wide initiative with support from the National Sheep Association, AHDB, the NFU, Red Tractor, the Ulster Farmers’ Union and meat promotion bodies, HCC in Wales, LMC in Northern Ireland and Quality Meat Scotland.
September is a time when British lamb is in peak supply, so we're urging producers to shout about the sheep industry, so as to encourage consumers to purchase more lamb when doing their weekly shop.
The campaign is part of a wider lamb campaign initiative to halt the decline in lamb sales and boost consumer attitudes towards this great tasting meat.
For the week we produced a range of merchandise, including shopping lists and trolley tokens, available for farmers to order and share with their customers and consumers, so that when food shopping, lamb is at the forefront of their mind.
We are targeting a wider range of media channels, including video content, radio and print as well as the out-of-home locations to maximise exposure to a number of consumers, so you may spot farm gate banners out on the roadside or recipe cards in your local supermarket.
We worked with top chef Stephanie Moon to create a ‘lamb feast’ dish in celebration of the week, encouraging people to use cuts or parts of the lamb that aren’t usually eaten. You can watch the recipe video by visiting our consumer website: simplybeefandlamb.co.uk/off-the-block.
The face of this year’s Love Lamb Week was 24-year-old Coventry-based sheep farmer, Charlie Beaty who has grown up on a sheep farm.
Charlie farms her sheep on permanent pasture, which helps to absorb carbon from the atmosphere and produces quality feed to give our lamb its delicious flavour.
Supporting the week and kicking off a major marketing campaign in the autumn is a strategic decision to benefit the industry. AHDB is calling on the farming industry and consumers to share the positive message about lamb, and to reignite people’s love of its flavour. To download a range of material to share across your social channels visit: www.ahdb.org./lovelambweek
If you would like more information on the week about the wider lamb campaign, or any of AHDB Beef & Lamb’s marketing activities visit www.ahdb.org.uk/marketing
Clive Brown is AHDB Beef & Lamb head of knowledge exchange
