Pilgrim聮s UK and Waitrose have both reported a surge in demand for British lamb ahead of Easter with roasting joints popular ahead of the long weekend
British spring lamb is still the 聭go-to聮 centrepiece for the dinner table this Easter, with Pilgrim聮s UK expecting to boost production of lamb products by over a third in the run up to Easter to keep up with a surge in consumer demand.
After a dip in lamb consumption last year 聳 due to 70-year record high temperatures, which saw consumers turn towards outdoor barbecues 聳 typical April UK weather is expected to return, and with it, the traditional roast.
Lamb
Demand for lamb joints is expected to rocket over Easter. Joints typically account for more than two thirds of spend on meat over the four-week period around Easter.
Steaks and chops will also play a role, usually accounting for over 10 per cent and 7 per cent respectively of fresh lamb purchased over the Easter period.
Lamb
Kelly Eastwood, insight director at Pilgrim聮s UK, said: 聯With colder weather returning for the Easter weekend this year, we know that consumers will be sitting down with family and friends for a warming roast, with lamb taking centre stage.
聯So, it is important retailers have a range of sizes across leg and shoulder joints, and a spread of lamb cuts to provide shoppers with a breadth of choice and cater for different sizes of celebrations.
British
聯We are proud that 100 per cent of our lamb products are from UK farmers, producing high-quality products and giving consumers the chance to support local farmers by buying British lamb this Easter.
聯Our dedicated teams work all-year-round to meet spikes in demand around key occasions, this year we are producing over 140 tonnes of high-quality lamb products to ensure our retail customers are well stocked ahead of the long weekend.聰
Waitrose has reported soaring demand for lamb the week before Easter weekend, with sales up by a third compared to last year.
Among the most in demand products are lamb liver, joints, chops and cutlets as the public prepares for a celebratory feast this Easter weekend.听
Jake Tilling, Waitrose lamb buyer, said: 聯We have seen a huge spike in demand for lamb this Easter, so much so that we聮ve had to rely on our farmers to provide us with more stock to ensure we get the products our customers want for Easter.听
聯We are only able to do this because we back British farmers we know and trust and have done for decades.
聯The public not only expects supermarkets to deliver good value and high standards, they also expect supermarkets to back British farmers during difficult times. That is exactly what we do and a big reason why we get a lot of support from customers at this time of the year.聰
