British
Includes information for restaurants, pubs, shops and food service companies on how to take part in Food British Food Fortnight The Basics Index Details of the national promotion 3 A buyers’ guide How retailers can support British food 4 How pubs and restaurants can to quality British food support British food 4 Welcome to this guide to sourcing and promoting British food in the retail and How caterers and food service companies catering sectors. can support British food 5 This guide focuses on the ‘basics’: meat, dairy, fruit and vegetables. It provides advice on Food and drink in tourism 5 what to look for, information about seasonal and regional varieties and details on how to source. It explains the assurance schemes and quality marks that exist for the different food groups: what they mean, why they are important and how sourcing food that carries Advice on where to source British food 6 them will help you meet your customers’ growing demand for high quality food and drink with clear provenance, thereby increasing sales. Assurance schemes for British produce 7 It also gives you details on how to take part in the national promotion, British Food Fortnight, which is a time when your customers will be particularly receptive to buying Beef 8 British food.
We hope you will organise promotions and special menus in your shops and restaurants Lamb and mutton 9 so that you, like retailers and caterers who have participated in previous years, will benefit commercially from sourcing, serving and promoting British food. Pork, bacon and ham 10 “Today’s consumer wants value when they are shopping or eating out and Poultry and game 11 value is no longer just about price. Increasingly people want tasty, fresh, healthy, seasonal, local, regionally-distinct foods with visible traceability back to the Dairy 12 producer – all distinctive qualities of British food.” Fruit and vegetables 13 Alexia Robinson, Organiser, British Food Fortnight “70% of British Invitation to work with schools 14 shoppers would buy local food if they could.” The Guardian
“Campaigns like British Food Fortnight work and should be renamed British Food “The British regional Forever.” food industry is going from Tim Kershaw, MD, Libra Europe, strength to strength. British consultancy to the food supply chain shoppers increasingly recognise industry that British regional food and drink is top quality and tastes great.” Kirsty Grieve, Regional Foods Manager, Food from Britain
2 An invitation to take part in the national promotion British Food Fortnight was conceived in response to the fact that, though there are numerous food initiatives, projects and events taking place across Britain, there was no overall flagship event to bring them to the public’s attention. It was held for the first time in Autumn 2002 at the same time as the Harvest Festival, the traditional time for celebrating our food.
The event has established itself on the national calendar extremely quickly. Thousands of activities are thought to have taken place during the Fortnight and have included promotions, tastings and special menus in shops, pubs and restaurants – many of them based on stocking new British products in addition to their normal range.
Media coverage of the event is seen or heard over 300 million times every year. It has included coverage in every national newspaper; storylines on BBC Radio 4’s The Archers; a special edition of Blue Peter; daily BFF recipes on Teletext’s homepage and headlines on the BBC website. British Food Fortnight has a serious impact on sales Up to Sales of regional food and drink increase by up to
increase34% in sales per store as a 25%increase in footfall £2,000 direct result of the event in participating outlets per store ✝ (50% increase in sales of products offered for tastings) during the Fortnight during the Fortnight. ✝ Figures from promotions run by Budgens, Londis and independent stores during British Food Fortnight. Aims make the public – and in Capitalise on the promotional opportunities provided by particular young people – aware of the diverse and delicious food and drink that British Food Fortnight: Britain produces and the many food experiences available increase awareness of the pleasures of eating quality, ● Increase your stock of British food or put it onyour menu during the Fortnight.You fresh, seasonal and regional could even tryrunning special promotions,in-store tastings or a BritishFood Fortnight produce menu with all dishes sourced locally. increase the amount of food education in schools by encouraging teachers to hold ● Decorate your establishment with bunting and display the event’s A3 poster and Love special events for young people British Food POS material, downloadable from www.lovebritishfood.co.uk during the Fortnight in the hope that this will generate the ● enthusiasm & interest Monitor customer response. If well received, run similar activities long term. necessary to sustain similar activity year-round ● Tell the organisers of British Food Fortnight what you are organising. To have your shop, encourage producers, retailers, restaurant or pub listed on the website and included in information to the media, go to restaurants, pubs and tourism www.lovebritishfood.co.uk. outlets to all take a proactive role in educating the public – and in particular young people –about the food and drink that their region produces.
And ultimately to nurture a renaissance in the pleasures of preparing and eating British food. For further information on how to take part see www.lovebritishfood.co.uk 3 How retailers How pubs & restaurants can support British food can support British food Why it is in your commercial interest to do so Why it is in your commercial interest to do so ● You will attract new customers. ● You will attract new customers. ● You will increase sales from ● The demand for quality, fresh, seasonal and regional produce is increasing – existing customers who will “I would and customers are prepared to pay more for it. use more of their weekly ● If you are a pub, the opportunities to use regional foods to complement spend in your shop. recommend any retailer to beer and wine sales, and to drive menu sales, are increasing. ● You will establish a point of get involved with British Food difference between your Fortnight. It creates so much shop and those that stock We would like to suggest you undertake some or only mainstream brands. awareness for the store.” ● The demand for British food Malcolm Bodell, all of the following to help promote British food in is increasing. Londis Bridge Stores, Bow ● Buying British is affordable and your restaurant or pub adds real value to your profits. ● Put British food on your menu. Either adapt your existing menu or create a special board focusing on regional produce. Sample regional menus are provided on our website www.lovebritishfood.co.uk Use the advice on We would like to suggest you undertake some page 6 to help you source regional produce. ● Display the origin of food on your menu. For example, Braised Lamb from or all of the following to help promote British xyz farm in abc county. And display the name and contact details of producers so that customers can order direct where appropriate. food within your store ● Include a seasonal section on your menu or your special board with changing ● Increase your stock of British food - see www.lovebritishfood.co.uk > dishes according to what is in season. See advice on ‘What’s in Season’ on Buying British for advice on what to stock. the event’s website or go to www.eattheseasons.co.uk ● Offer regular tastings and promotions to highlight new products. ● Remember regional cheeses for your cheese board. Britain produces over 700 named cheeses made from cow, goat, sheep and even buffalo milk. For ● Encourage producers to come into your store to conduct tastings and to some ideas for your regional cheese board see page 12. meet your customers. ● Team up regional foods with beers, ciders and wines. Contact the Campaign ● Position a board either in your window or outside the store telling for Real Ale or English Wine Producers. customers which products are being tasted today. ● Hold a special event – themed menus… ● Consider installing a chill-counter so you can sell fresh, delicatessen-type food. ● Produce ‘X% off’ vouchers to distribute in local shops and markets. ● Speak to your local pub, restaurant and hotel about them putting regional food on their menus. ● Tell your regional tourism information centres so that your restaurant or pub may be promoted as part of your region’s tourism food & drink experience. See tourism advice on opposite page. ● Reconsider your children’s menu – think beyond the chicken nugget!
This advice has been provided by the British Hospitality & Restaurant Association and Punch Taverns. Eynsham store holders proudly displaying British produce Photo: Helen Peacocke “We had lots of interest from customers and the press. Sales doubled on the products being offered for tastings Menu The Mermaid Inn each day and sales of other products Cambridgeshire increased by 10% as a result!” “British Food Colin Broomfield, Starter Broomfields Farm Shop, Fortnight has given Oven Roasted Autumn Vegetable Soup with Garlic Croutons Nr Worcester us the opportunity to Terrine of English Smoked Bacon, Lincolnshire Pork Fillet, Roasted Red capitalise on our Onion and Orange Mustard Sauce unique approach to Salad of William Pears, Stilton, Garden Herbs and Dressing providing fantastic, Main Grilled Breast of Suffolk Chicken, Crushed New Potatoes, freshly produced food Savoy Cabbage and Bacon and Grain Mustard Cream by helping us build Fillet of Loch Duart Salmon with Black Pudding Champ relationships with local and Red Wine Shallot Sauce suppliers new to Roast Breast of Gressingham Duck, Bubble and Squeak, The Mermaid Inn.” Spinach and Plum Jus Dessert Raymond Smikel, Mermaid Sherry Trifle The Mermaid Inn, Bramley Apple Crumble and Custard Ellington, Nr Huntingdon Burnt Trinity Cream with Shortbread Biscuit 4 How caterers & aËFËaÁ food service companies ËÍÖÁÄ can support British food British food and drink is an important part of Britain’s tourism offering.With 20% of overseas visitor spend attributed to food and drink, and with Why it is in your commercial interest to do so 76% of consumers believing that it is important to ● Healthy eating, local sourcing and food safety are hot topics at the moment and your customers expect have the opportunity to sample local food and you to respond to this. drink whilst on holiday, the diversity and richness of Britain’s regional food and drink has the potential ● You will differentiate your company from the competition. to be a tourist attraction in its own RIght. See ● Buying British can still be affordable and add real value to your profits. wwwvisitbritain.com We would like to suggest you undertake some or all of the jÁjË?ÁjËÄjËÖÄjwÖËͬÄËË following to help promote British food in your catering units ÝÁ~ËÝÍËÍjËÍÖÁÄË ● Enjoy cooking and putting British food on your menus. Either enhance your existing menus or offer your aÖÄÍÁßËÍˬÁÍjË ÁÍÄË clients a special regional or seasonal food promotion. Sample regional menus are provided on our website to give you some ideas. See www.lovebritishfood.co.uk waË?aËaÁ± ● Display clearly the origin of food on your menu or on special cards and blackboards. If you have sourced it, ● Britain has over 850 tourist information name it – celebrating provenance makes a big difference. For example, carrots from abc county or meat from centres around the country. Many domestic xyz farm. Display the name and contact details of producers so that customers can order direct where and international visitors use these centres to appropriate as this helps to build up trust with your supplier. find out what is happening locally, regionally ● Invest in building long term relationships and trust with suppliers. If you are having problems with a and at a national level. If you are planning special supplier’s ability to deliver on quantity and consistency, for example, take the time to explain your regional food promotions make sure that your requirements to them and also try and understand the process from their point of view. Seek an affordable nearest TIC has information that it can use to compromise for both parties. If fragmented supply is the problem you may wish to consider encouraging help promote you. The earlier you do this the producers to form a co-operative that better meets your needs. better. It could be as simple as giving them a flyer or poster. Also ask about ‘Literature Exchange ● For those catering in the public sector, a new, simplified food and drink buying standard, The Plan for Public Days’, often organised by the regional tourism Procurement comes into place in 2017. The plan sets what standards the public sector and suppliers are organisations. These are great opportunities to encouraged to follow when buying food and catering services. It proposes a new but voluntary approach, meet TIC contacts face-to-face, talk about your involving use of a balanced scorecard and an e-marketplace, to improve food procurement in the public event/attraction and discuss what literature could sector. For more information visit www.lovebritishfood.co.uk be distributed through their network of offices. For a list of tourist information centres in Britain ● Consider setting up a customer group involving the catering team, suppliers go to: WWWVISITENGLANDCOM and your clients so they all know why you wish to adapt your menus for WWWVISITSCOTLANDORG AND WWWVISITWALESCOM British Food Fortnight. Explain to them about costs and think of ways in which you can educate your customers through the campaign. This may “In the three years ● Local, county, regional/area and make it easier for you should you have to change some of your prices. since we first made a national tourism organisations have ● If you are working for a company with lots of employees propose higher press officers who are active with quality food as a means of improving productivity – internal commitment to using fresh, locally consumer and trade media at a communication is improved if employees eat together in the staff sourced ingredients, the spend on food local, regional and national level. restaurant rather than snacking at their desks. Some customers may and drink per stay with YHA grew by Contact them to see if they can be prepared to subsidise a promotion to achieve these benefits. obtain some coverage for you over 50%, and the margins grew by through their media programme. ● Do not focus solely on local. This is about good food from across the 4% too.” When writing your news release, country, not just on your doorstep. think about ‘the tourism angle’ and Colin Rich, what will make you stand out from ● If buying from smaller producers, remember that they still must conform Food & Beverage Manager, others. Remember, to create a good within HACCP and other Food Safety Regulations – Youth Hostel Association story your release has to say more than just ask the supplier for details. However, do not expect a simple time, date and location. See them all to conform to British Retail Consortium advice on maximising your media coverage on Standards – these are not essential. www.lovebritishfood.co.uk > how retailers & “ARAMARK caterers can take part. ● In an ideal world we would suggest that your whole encourages its clients, organisation embraces British food. If this is difficult, customers and chefs to ● Today, local, regional and national tourism perhaps target a percentage of your kitchens across the organisations are using the internet as an country with a view to adding more in the future. make the most of the variety important promotional vehicle in addition to print. Talk to your local tourism officers about This advice had been provided by ARAMARK, Brakes and Compass Group. and quality of British produce having your event or establishment featured on available.” their tourism sites. Also let VisitBritain know about your event or attraction (well in advance) Frazer Rendell, as it could be helpful for visiting journalists. Retailer Promotions Director, ARAMARK This advice has been provided by VisitBritain www.visitbritain.com/ukindustry
5 Assurance schemes for British produce Many regional food and drink products are part of assurance schemes that specify the standards to which they are produced. Increasingly consumers want to know how their food and drink is produced and where it comes from. Sourcing Local Food products that are part of these assurance schemes is a powerful way of demonstrating that you are selling or serving quality produce and that it is fully traceable to the producer. “70% of shoppers would The main ‘umbrella’ assurance schemes are explained below. Additional schemes and quality marks that appear on specific food types are explained throughout the guide. like to buy local food if Red Tractor they could.” The Guardian ● The Red Tractor logo can be found on chicken, pork, lamb, beef, fruit, vegetables, salad, flour, sugar But what does the term ‘local food’ and dairy products. mean? There is no legal definition of ● The mark guarantees that the food and drink has been produced to strict standards covering food ‘local food’ although the Food Standards safety and animal welfare from the farm to the retailer and caterer. Agency is considering one. The National ● The Union Jack in the Red Tractor logo indicates that the product has been farmed and packed in the UK, with farmers Farmers’ Retail & Markets Association regularly inspected to ensure that standards are maintained. suggests the radius for ‘local food’ is up To find out about more about Red Tractor VISIT www.redtractor.org.uk to thirty miles but this is not prescriptive. -.+ ËÄÄÖÁja Sourcing locally tells your customers that the food and drink you are selling is fully ● The mark can be found on meat, poultry, salmon, dairy and egg products from farm animals. traceable back to the producer and that ● The mark indicates that the food has been produced according to the RSPCA’s welfare standards. you are supporting your local economy. These are based on the Farm Animal Welfare Council’s ‘Five Freedoms’ and are applied to each stage of an animal’s life, and the RSPCA maintains that their standards are more comprehensive than the welfare However, rather than just use the term requirements of current UK and EU legislation. ‘local’ on your point of sale material and ● Regular traceability checks are carried out on the whole production process from farm to shop shelf to ensure that menus, we strongly suggest that you everyone involved in the production of Freedom Food labelled products has been approved by the scheme. name the producers and farms. If you ● Whilst the majority (if not all) of the foods carrying this mark are produced in the UK, this is not actually part of the are unable to specify producers or farms criteria. In theory foods from abroad could come under the scheme but any application would have to be looked at on by name then think about using generic a case-by-case basis. phrases such as ‘All the meat served For information about RSPCA Aussured VISIT WWWRSPCAASSUREDORGUK comes from farms within 30 miles of this shop/restaurant’. Being as specific as LEAF Marque – Linking Environment And Farming possible demonstrates to your customers ● The LEAF Marque is found on fresh, seasonal produce – fruit, vegetable, meat and even flower products. your commitment to sourcing quality ● The Marque confirms that the food has been produced in an environmentally responsible and ingredients and ultimately helps you build sustainable way, based on the holistic principles of Integrated Farm Management. a competitive advantage. ● The Marque represents produce that is certified to a standard. It does not represent country of origin; this is displayed ‘Artisanal’ and ‘artisan produce’ are independently of the Marque. LEAF is a member of a European organisation called EISA (European Initiative for terms used to describe products for Sustainable development in Agriculture) that represents five similar organisations to LEAF in Europe. which special knowledge and skills are ● LEAF provides buyers and industry professionals with a directory of all its producers, packers, processors and wholesalers. required to make them properly. To access the LEAF Marque directory VISIT www.leafmarque.com Production is generally small- Over scale and the recipes and 78,000 farmers and techniques used tend Organic to be based on ● There are a number of organic certification bodies approved by Defra; growers in the UK are traditional foods and each has a unique UK organic certification code. The main body is the Soil Association, Organic Certification UK5. farm assured, accounting skills. Local farmers’ markets are a good ● Legally a certification logo does not have to appear on packaging but it must have a certification code. for between 65% and 90% starting point for ● Organic products from EU countries will carry their own certification code. of output in the main finding artisan ● Organic products from outside Europe may not have a country specific code in which case the commodity sectors. producers in your importer can apply for certification from one of the approved bodies. Therefore, a UK code does not necessarily mean that the food and drink has been produced in the UK. Defra website area as are the Regional Food Groups. For a directory of organic producers VISIT WWWSOILASSOCIATIONORGFARMERS GROWERSMARKET INFORMATIONORGANIC MARKETPLACE PDO, PGI and TSG Under the EU, the three marks that highlight regional and traditional foods whose authenticity is guaranteed are: PDO (Protected Designation of Origin), PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) and TSG (Traditional Speciality Guaranteed). ● The marks can only be used on products for which a successful application to the EU has been made. For general enquiries about assurance ● From May 2009, every product that has a protected food name will be required to show the appropriate logo and/or wording. schemes and quality marks VISIT the Food Standards Agency AT For more information about EU protected foods VISIT WWWGOVUKGOVERNMENTCOLLECTIONSPROTECTED WWWfood.gov.uk FOOD NAME SCHEME UK REGISTERED PRODUCTS 6 Beef: things to consider
There are many factors that affect the eating quality of beef such as breed, feed The breed: the quality of beef varies from breed to breed. Meat from and welfare however the most significant factors relate to pre-slaughter care, cattle bred for milking, dairy cattle, can be eaten but the quality of the meat the slaughter process, storage and ageing. Eating quality is very subjective and from beef cattle is generally of a higher standard. Beef cattle tend to have the majority of consumers equate it to tenderness and succulence. The flavour bigger carcasses than dairy cattle. Some breeds, such as the traditional breeds, of beef is affected by the factors above but more significantly by how the beef are more prone than others to have flecks of unsaturated fat running through is cooked and what flavours are added. the meat. This is known as ‘marbling’ and gives the meat greater flavour when Beef produced from grasslands will be higher in cooked and stops it from drying out. natural sugars than beef from cattle raised on marshlands. No synthetic The cut: as lifestyles have changed in the last few decades, so have the ‘Suckler beef’ is the product of a farming hormones or growth dishes that we eat and the cooking techniques used. As a result some cuts of method whereby the mother and calf are meat have become ‘fashionable’ and this is reflected in their price. Including kept together for longer with the calf promoters are fed cheaper cuts of meat in the range you sell will attract new customers and may suckling for up to six months. The to beef cattle in encourage existing customers to spend more in your shop. Similarly, using less- increased milk in the calf’s diet affects the fashionable cuts of meat is a simple way of increasing the profit from a dish. eventual flavour of the meat. Suckler herds the UK. are widespread. Making the most of all cuts How long, or if, the meat is allowed to age: letting the Tim Neal, proprietor and chef of Chequers Inn, near Horsham,West Sussex meat age gives the enzymes an opportunity to dissolve the connective tissues often buys half a Sussex Long Horn from his neighbouring farmer. He is in the meat and this results in more tender meat. For this process to take able to use nearly all of it on his pub menu: fillet, sirloin and rump in steaks; place, the carcass is either hung in a cool, well-ventilated place or the silverside and topside are marinated and served as braesola (air-dried beef); butchered meat is left in a vacuum pack. bones are used to make stock and jus; rib-eye for Sunday roasts; and Do not rely solely on the number of days that meat has been aged as a sign everything that can be minced is made into fresh minced burgers. of quality as other factors such as temperature and humidity will have an impact on the optimum ageing time. Regional varieties to look out for: Aberdeen Angus: a native British breed dating back to the 1800s and arguably the best known and most numerous beef cattle breed in the world. To guarantee that the beef you are buying really is Aberdeen Angus, look out for the Certified Angus Beef mark. Gloucester: Gloucester-type cattle were numerous in the Cotswold Hills and the Severn Valley as early as the 13th century. The meat is sometimes branded as ‘Old Gloucester Beef’. Hereford: one of the oldest and most important cattle breeds in British livestock history. Lincoln Red: originally developed to thrive on the cold marshes of Lincolnshire. Devon: the breed comes from all corners of the county. Some 61% herds are referred to as ‘Red Devon’ or ‘Red Rubies’ because of of consumers want the breed’s red colouring. Shorthorn: evolved over the last two centuries from to know the origin Teeswater and Durham cattle found originally in the North of the meat that they eat East of England. and 80% want to see origin Sussex: one of the oldest and purest breeds of British cattle. on menus. The Normans found Sussex cattle in the South of England at the time of the conquest in 1066. Research by the Meat & Livestock Commission and NOP In recent years, foreign breeds of beef cattle have become popular in Britain. They include Simmental, Belgian Blue and the French breed, Charolais.
ADDITIONAL MARKS TO LOOK OUT FOR: The blue Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb Welsh Beef and Lamb marks can only appear Quality Standard Beef and Lamb marks confirm that the animals have on beef and lamb that has been born and has been produced and processed been born and reared for all of their raised in Wales and that has been slaughtered through a fully assured lives on assured Scottish farms and that in an approved abattoir. Both have been independently audited supply chain. they have been slaughtered in an approved abattoir in Scotland. The awarded the European PGI mark that recognises special regional significance The quality standard mark for beef and lamb is the only quality mark to have standards are set by Quality Meat Scotland’s assurance schemes. Both and as a result the marks will always be accompanied by the PGI logo. For standards relating to eating quality such as age, sex and, at certain times of Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb have been awarded the European PGI mark more information about Welsh Beef and Lamb VISIT the year, maturation. A St George’s flag on the mark indicates that the meat that recognises special regional significance and so the marks will often be WWWEATWELSHLAMBANDWELSHBEEFCOM has come from an animal born, raised and slaughtered in England. A union accompanied by the PGI logo. For more information about flag indicates it is born, raised and processed to the same standards but of Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb VISIT www.qmscotland.co.uk UK origin. For more information on English beef and Lamb VISIT WWWeblex.org.uk
7 Lamb & mutton: things to consider
Seasonality: although available all year round, British lamb and mutton are Regional varieties to look out for: seasonal products. Blackface: the most numerous breed in Britain and one of the hardiest, the Spring lamb is very tender but does not have as much flavour as lamb later in the vast majority are found in Scotland. year as it has not had as much time to graze. Dorset Horn & Poll Dorset: significant numbers of both are found in the Autumn lamb has had more time to graze and grow and therefore has stronger South West of England. They are unique in their ability to lamb naturally at flavours. any time of year. Lamb from Christmas until the following Spring is called ‘hogget’, though few The Downland breeds: include the Southdown, Dorset Down, Oxford Down retailers and caterers use this term. Hogget has a pronounced flavour that works and Hampshire Down. well with seasonal root vegetables. Herdwick: the native breed of the central and western Lake District, they are Mutton is at least two years old. It is available year-round but is best, and most a hardy British breed that grazes on the highest of England’s mountains. Look readily available, from October until March. It has a much stronger, gamier flavour out in particular for Herdwick Macon Ham: whole, smoked, cured hams made than lamb. from the hind leg of Herdwick sheep. It has a pronounced gamy lamb flavour with herb undertones and a mild smokiness. Environment: sheep spend most of their lives grazing outside and their Portland: the breed is native to the South West of England. flavour will be dictated by their diet and the environment in which they are Roughfell: one of the country’s largest mountain sheep. It is exceptionally reared. For example: hardy and found in parts of South Mountain lamb spends all its life on the hills and mountains of Britain where Cumbria,West Riding of plants, such as heather, influence its flavour. Hill or upland breeds are used and the Yo r k s h i r e a n d N o r t h lambs are smaller due to their environment. Lancashire. Downland lamb graze on a range of plants supported by the chalk-rich soil of Welsh Mountain and “The word about the Downs. Lowland breeds are used and they have bigger carcases. Welsh Speckleface: mutton is starting to get Salt-marsh lamb graze pastures that are regularly washed by the tide, which the sheep are means the lambs eat the unique plant species supported in those pastures, for smaller than normal around. Smart chefs are already example sea lavender and samphire. breeds and, as a result, the various putting it on their menus, and joints of meat may enlightened butchers are beginning Mutton be up to 30% to market it as something For hundreds of years, mutton was the staple meat of the British smaller. household, considered superior in texture and flavour to lamb. Changes in rather special.” farming and cooking lead to mutton’s sudden decline and for the last fifty Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall years mutton has almost disappeared from our shops and restaurants. The Mutton Renaissance campaign was launched in 2004 by HRH The Prince of Wales to support British sheep farmers who were struggling to sell their older animals, and to get this delicious meat back on the nation’s plates. Nearly 200 family farms, restaurants and butchers across Britain now rear, sell and serve mutton. Mutton appears on the menus of top restaurants around the country, including The Ivy,The Ritz, Ransome's Dock, Quartier Vert (Bristol), Heathcotes (North West) and many more. "We work in partnership with a sheep farmer in Northumberland to source excellent organic mutton for our restaurants. He supplies us with the legs of Scottish Blackface sheep and he dices the rest and sells it on through other channels. The Devonshire intense flavour of mutton gives us lots of ways to use it Squab Pie is an but balancing the flavours is key to creating a successful dish. We use flavours such as thyme, orange and eighteenth century recipe juniper berries to keep diners coming back for more." for lamb pie cooked with Terry Laybourne, Café 21, Newcastle & Durham apples, onions, spices and chopped prunes served hot with clotted
ADDITIONAL MARK TO LOOK OUT FOR: cream!
Where the Mutton OTHER USEFUL RESOURCES: Renaissance logo is used, the &OR