Let’s Help Make Scotch Lamb a Weekly Shopping Staple

Farmers have an important role to play in encouraging consumers to view Scotch Lamb PGI as a shopping essential and to help promote it as a versatile, quick and easy ingredient to cook with midweek, says Fife sheep farmer and QMS Board Member, George Milne.   Mr Milne, who is a passionate advocate of farm visits and the need for children to be exposed to agriculture before they leave school, said he wants to help inspire consumers to include home-produced Scotch Lamb in their regular diet.    “Lamb is an unsung hero of Scottish produce and, by being at the forefront of showcasing its versatility and fantastic taste, we can promote to the public the time and dedication we, as farmers, put in to rearing an animal to some of the highest welfare and environmental standards in the world,” said Mr Milne.    “Consumers should be proud of Scottish agriculture and the farmers that produce their food. We undoubtably have an opportunity to try and connect closer to the consumer by making the most of the opportunities that QMS provide through social media, in particular.   “Although the ordinary face-to-face methods of interaction – such as farm visits - are not available to us right now, we can use this opportunity to take a step back, to take a few steps forward when it comes to educating and building trust with consumers,” he added.   With the recent launch of the joint GB-wide ‘Make it’ with Lamb campaign, George highlights that the combination of summer months and an increase in home cooking are ideal catalysts for farmers to get involved and encourage consumers to give Scotch Lamb a try.     “During the summer months, many of us are turning to the BBQ for our evening meals and traditionally that meant reaching for sausages or burgers – but what we need to be promoting is that higher quality cuts of meat are just as suited to the BBQ,” said Mr Milne.    “Take, for instance, a leg of lamb. It’s an incredibly flavoursome and nutrient rich meat and, while some might be intimidated to try cooking it on the BBQ, with the current summer weather it’s so easy - just heat the BBQ up, remove the bone and butterfly the meat (or ask your butcher to do this), place it on the BBQ on high heat to seal the meat and then turn to a low temperature and cook for about 40 mins turning a few times. Remove from the BBQ and rest the joint for 10 mins and then carve. This will taste delicious and comfortably feed 8 people.    "We are producing a high-quality product and there are a number of ways that we can help drive a positive relationship built on mutual trust and respect. It can be as simple as submitting your favourite lamb recipe to your local newspaper, sharing information about how it is reared on social media, or simply sharing and supporting content from the Scotch Kitchen or QMS social channels,” he added.