Award-Winning Chef Backs Scotch Lamb Campaign

Award-winning celebrity chef Jean-Christophe Novelli today (September 2 2016) urged consumers to make the most of the versatility and simplicity of cooking Scotch Lamb PGI.

Speaking in Dundee at the start of Love Lamb Week, a nationwide push to raise the profile of the speed and simplicity of lamb, Mr Novelli said lamb was one of his favourite ingredients to cook with.

Mr Novelli, who will be demonstrating  in the Scotch Lamb Cookery Theatre at the Dundee Flower and Food Festival tomorrow, has been voted Chef’s Chef of the Year and dubbed “The Nation’s Favourite French Chef”.

“Love Lamb Week is a fantastic opportunity for everyone to celebrate all that is special about lamb and spread the word about how simple it is to cook for a family meal any day of the week.

“It has been great to spend a day learning from the farmers who produce quality assured Scotch Lamb and also spending time with the butchers who take pride in serving a great product to their customers,” he said.

During a day spend with Quality Meat Scotland Mr Novelli learned about the care and commitment which goes into the production of Scotch Lamb, one of the finest ingredients in Scotland’s larder.

He visited Wester Coul farm, near Kirriemuir to spend time with sheep farmers Andrew Scott and Julie Hermitage who run 600 Scotch Mule and Blackface breeding ewes over 650 acres. Lambs from the farm are sold both prime and store, through the auction markets in Stirling and Forfar.

He also visited one of the butchers supporting Dundee Flower and Food Festival - Yorkes of Dundee butchers based in Strathmartine Road - Mr Novelli met owner Grant Yorke and members of their team of 30 staff.

The business, established in 1985, is a member of QMS’s Scotch Butchers Club. The family prides itself on combining a traditional quality service and seizing new opportunities including developing a range of innovative products.

During the visit the Yorkes team showcased how many really affordable cuts of lamb are available - like lamb top-side steaks which just take minutes to grill and serve. The team also offer customers advice on a range of suggestions for recipes.

Mr Novelli’s visit this week coincides with Scottish Food Fortnight and the timing of a high-impact advertising campaign behind Scotch Lamb PGI, targeting 3.7 million consumers. The 2016 Scotch Lamb PGI campaign - set to reach over 90% of Scottish adults – is building on last year’s very successful campaign which boosted retail sales of lamb in Scotland by 11%.

A key objective of the 2016 campaign is to encourage consumers to understand the versatility, simplicity and speed of cooking with lamb. The two month long campaign will harness a range of marketing activities to drive Scotch Lamb sales.

The marketing push will include billboard, press and radio advertising as well as on-line and in-store activity by Scotch “Lambassadors” in Tesco and Asda.

The target audience for the campaign is very much young professionals and busy working parents and the message is very much that lamb is not just for roasting at the weekend – it can also make a quick, nutritious mid-week meal for all ages to enjoy.