Mountain lamb drive
Mountain lamb drive
WELSH Lamb and Beef Promotion has persuaded Safeway Stores to retail five cuts of branded Welsh Mountain lamb in 250 stores.
This follows a successful pilot scheme in which carcasses weighing 11-15kg, which are considered to be too small by major retailers, were sold as boxed half lambs by Safeways serve-over butchery counters.
Now branded cuts from lightweight lambs will be placed in normal chill cabinets and promoted using point of sale material emphasising that it is naturally produced using the "green, green grass of Wales". The initiative follows extensive talks between WLBP, Safeway, the Welsh Mountain Sheep Society and a processor.
Organisers hope that success will spark the interest of other supermarkets and stimulate demand for typical small mountain lambs produced on severely disadvantaged farms, which has been in the doldrums following a slump in export to southern European countries.
A good uptake will bring another benefit to the mountainous areas of Wales; Safeway have agreed to make a donation to Welsh Mountain Rescue Teams based on the number of packs sold.