English Quality lamb
Autumn is a great time to make the most of English Quality lamb. Not only is it in plentiful supply - and therefore great value for money - but with its great taste and eating quality, it's the perfect ingredient for warming seasonal dishes.
With crisp autumn days, and darker evenings, publicans who are looking for inspiration for autumn and winter menus can turn to traditional lamb dishes, such as a leg of lamb served with roast potatoes, or try new twists on old favourites, such as Lamb Cutlets roasted with Pumpkin and served with an Autumn Fruit Relish. Quality lamb works well with a range of flavours and can be combined with other seasonal autumn produce such as fruit.
Foodservice project manager for the English Beef and Lamb Executive (EBLEX) Hugh Judd, comments:
"Succulent and flavoursome lamb is widely available at this time of year, and lamb is such a versatile ingredient that it's suited to a wide range of dishes and eating occasions. To appeal to customers both young and old, publicans should try to experiment with new ways to serve lamb as well as offering traditional roasts.
"Cost is always important to publicans, and putting Quality lamb on the menu in the autumn season, when high availability lowers the price, is a good way to boost profit margins. Caterers should also consider dishes featuring a range of cuts - why not put something on the specials board if your butcher has something different available?
"Pub caterers should also consider highlighting the origin of the meat on their menu, so customers will know whether the autumn lamb they're eating is local and in season, or imported and probably from older animals.
"With a recent survey from NOP World1 revealing that 61% of consumers felt it was important for them to know where meat eaten outside the home comes from,compared with 55% in the previous two years2 it's vital for publicans to respond to this trend."
