As a week of dedicated lamb promotion, in support of British Lamb Week, draws to a close today (Monday 7th September), NSA is delighted to see how British lamb producers have come together to support and promote this positive ‘eat more lamb’ message.
Last Tuesday marked the start of the week long British Lamb Week initiative (Tuesday 1st – Monday 7th September), and various activities promoting the consumption of British lamb, have taken place up and down the country as a result.
This promotion has largely been based around social media, and NSA has seen a fantastic response on Facebook and Twitter over the course of the week. In excess of 7,000 people have engaged with the Facebook content alone. Consistent liking, sharing and re tweeting throughout the week has also gone some way to ensuring the fundamental message of the British Lamb Week campaign, to support British sheep farmers and buy British, has been heard across the country.
Phil Stocker, NSA Chief Executive says: “It has been great to see the lamb price just a little stronger during British Lamb Week. There are several other factors in play of course, including the slight improvement in exchange rate and forthcoming ethnic festivals. However we would hope and expect that some of the good promotional work being done, as well as the good quality products on offer, is starting to have an effect.
“For a fledgling initiative, the feedback NSA has had suggests British Lamb Week has been a big success and I hope it will have given us something constructive to build on in future years. It shows what can be done with an injection of enthusiasm and energy amongst the sheep farming community, and I think the entire industry should give a huge thank you to Rachel Lumley who got the whole thing off the ground.”
These were thoughts have been echoed by Rachel, who having never been involved in any promotional activity before, says she has been overwhelmed to see that marketing works and doesn’t have to cost the earth, if producers are able to club together as they have done over the past week.
NSA is delighted to have seen activities for British Lamb Week at various stages across the lamb supply chain, from agricultural shows and farmers markets to children’s nurseries and local pubs, all have hopefully played their part in increasing a positive interest in sheep farming and consumption of UK lamb. One example, organised by NSA Marches Region, has been lamb tastings at the Alma Inn, Linton, Herefordshire, where several racks of lamb went down a treat with the local, as well as lamb promotions by nearby butcher Andy Creese, who is based in Newent, Gloucestershire.
Phil continues: “At a national level it has allowed us to connect with and promote existing large scale promotional work, such as that undertaken annually by our levy bodies. And on a local scale it has resulted in a remarkable number of individuals doing things that they certainly wouldn’t have done otherwise. Such activities include lamb tastings in pubs and local shopping centres, with some farmers setting these things up individually and at their own expense. It can only raise awareness, get people to try lamb cooked in a number of ways, and help underpin our home market.”
