Love Lamb Week 2021
As we ease into the first full week of September and cling onto hopes of an Indian Summer, despite the autumnal nip in the air, there is one date on the calendar for farmers, butchers, and consumers alike to celebrate – Love Lamb Week.
Running until September 7 and organised by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), the aim of the week-long event is to unite lamb champions around the UK. Now in its sixth year, the campaign is a chance to focus on all things lamb, from the latest innovations in farming to sharing delicious recipes for fans to enjoy. It is a message everyone here at Lakings is keen to support.
Andrew Wright, the man at the head of our business, manages his own herd of sheep, just a few miles up the road from our Louth-based shop in fact. The Lakings flock is a mix of Beltex, Badger Face Texel, Rouge and Blue Du Maine.
All quality breeds, they have been chosen to bring lamb-lovers the best in flavour, succulence and eating quality. And while the family farm isn’t big enough to fill Lakings butchery, two local farmers – Paul Tuplin and Martin Clough at Beverley Pastures – take up the slack.
Situated in the Spilsby area, both farmers have adopted a traditional approach to farming, which ensures a happy animal, ultimately resulting in delicious-tasting produce. Both farmers buy their tups from Andrew’s family farm too, so the lineage and quality can be traced from flock to flock. This means Lakings’ customers can buy their lamb with confidence, knowing the provenance of all products available from both our shop and online ordering service.
And there are many options available to try. Great value for money when it comes to a roast joint that will feed the whole family, our boned and rolled legs are skilfully tunnel-boned to ensure you get as much meat as possible in your cut.
Alternatively, the foodies’ choice of lamb roast, a boned and rolled shoulder has so much to offer. Put it in the oven and forget about it for hours. We love roasting ours with lemon and thyme for a spectacularly tasty family dinner.
And if your favourite recipe includes a hotpot, casserole or pie, Lakings’ top quality diced lamb is what you’ll need – cut into bite-sized pieces, ready for cooking. Or, for the thrifty cook – a much-underrated alternative to mince beef or pork, minced lamb is a frugal lamb option packed full of flavour – turning the most basic mid-week meal into a tasty feast.
Lamb is such a versatile meat to cook with – if you are seeking inspiration, our guest chef Rosie Dicker has whipped up some phenomenal recipes for you, from Butterflied Leg of Lamb and Spiced Lamb Patties to Parmesan Crusted Lamb Chops. You can find them all right here.
Aside from its adaptability in cooking, Love Lamb Week also highlights several reasons why this product is one worth championing.
- Did you know 70 per cent of sheep live on land we can’t grow food crops on, like hills and mountains?
- 97 per cent of the water needed to produce lamb in the UK falls from the sky.
- Over the last 40 years, farmers in the UK have increased woodland areas equivalent to four times the size of Greater London.
- Our weather and landscape make the UK one of the most suitable places to produce lamb.
- English sheep farming provides 19,000 hectares of wildflowers, aiding the recovery of our bee population.
So, armed with all the facts, we are sure you can agree there are plenty of reasons to support Love Lamb Week. Pop along to our Louth shop where our team of skilled butchers can offer advice about cooking with lamb. Alternatively, click into the lamb section of our website for online delivery options.
For more information about the AHDB’s Love Lamb campaign, visit ahdb.org.uk/lovelambweek.
