Why early lambs command a very healthy premium
Why early lambs command a very healthy premium
THIS year will see a high proportion of the 3000 lambs produced at Warborough Farm, sold as a branded product – Berkshire Down Early Lamb (BDEL) – providing a much needed premium from the market.
Mr Good has collaborated with Mutchmeats abattoir in Witney, Oxon, to supply local independent butchers.
The abattoir sets the price and is responsible for the distribution and marketing of the product, while Mr Good provides a consistent supply of early lamb and receives market value plus half of the price premium.
Andrew Mutch believes collaboration is the way forward. "The stock are local, reducing the stress of transport and hence improving meat quality.
"BDEL also offers our customers – local independent butchers – an early product which is not yet available in the supermarket and they will pay a premium for this," explains Mr Mutch.
BDEL is being marketed as scrapie resistant, bred from top quality sires, healthy lambs which are not vaccinated or drenched during their short lives and are fed on GM-free diets.
Each carcass is multi-stamped at the abattoir to identify it as BDEL, making it fully traceable and advertising posters and leaflets have been produced for display in butchers shops.
Only the best lambs become BDEL-branded, Mr Good explains. Out of the last consignment of 185 lambs sent to the abattoir, 163 met the specifications of E,U,R and 3L/H, between 16-21kg deadweight with the majority U3L. *