Poland has the potential to become a major export market for Quality Standard Mark (QSM) lamb, according to AHDB Beef & Lamb.
Jean-Pierre Garnier, export manager for AHDB Beef & Lamb, said the UK was well placed to meet an anticipated increase in demand due to Poland’s growing and more affluent population, coupled with its limited domestic production.
AHDB Beef & Lamb recently supported Poland’s prestigious L’Art de la Cuisine Martell, which included a lamb cookery competition involving 16 teams of chefs, a food exhibition and lamb dinner.
The event was also attended by polish celebrity chef Karol Okrasa who visited Dorset last October to film a full 30-minute episode of ‘Okrasa łamie przepisy’ (Okrasa breaks the rules), dedicated to preparing and cooking QSM lamb.
A group of 16 finalists from the cookery competition are also due to visit England in June to learn more about lamb butchery techniques, preparation and cooking.
Jean-Pierre said: “Last year we identified Poland, among other non-traditional EU markets, as having huge potential for the export of QSM lamb.
“We believe that Poland has the potential, in time, to become a major market for us. It has a large population with fast-growing incomes, a burgeoning food service sector and very limited domestic lamb production.
“Our latest event gave us the opportunity to underline the quality of what we have to offer, with chefs being able to taste and appreciate our products. It also helped us build on the excellent work we have already been doing to help develop the Polish market.
“There is clearly an opportunity there for us to explore. Events like this, together with other planned activity this year and beyond, will lay the foundations for us to maximise Poland’s market potential.”
