British Food Fortnight - How to tell if the lamb & mutton is British

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Buying British - Lamb & Mutton

British lamb & mutton is produced to some of the highest welfare standards in the world.

No growth-promoting hormones are fed to sheep in the UK and any antibiotics are administered only under veterinary direction.

Britain’s sheep industry is the envy of the world: breeding from livestock and genetics from our native breeds are much sought after by farmers in other countries.

British lamb & mutton travels less far from farm to shop so regardless of how carbon footprints are calculated it self-evidently has a lower carbon footprint.

Choosing British lamb & mutton means supporting British farmers whose work helps to keep the British countryside the way we want it to look: no sheep – no countryside!

How to tell if the lamb & mutton is British

Lamb & mutton labelled ‘British’ must come from animals born, reared and slaughtered within the UK. If you are not buying direct from a farmer you might find it helpful to look for a quality mark. These mean that all stages of the food chain have been independently checked to ensure that they meet the required standards.

	Quality Standard Lamb has been produced and processed through a fully assured independently audited supply chain. The quality standard mark for lamb is the only one to have standards relating to eating quality such as age, sex and, at certain times of the year, maturation. A St George’s flag on the mark indicates that the meat has come from an animal born, raised and slaughtered in England. A union flag indicates it is born, raised and processed to the same standards but of UK origin.
	The Scotch Lamb mark confirms that the animals have been born and reared for all of their lives on assured Scottish farms and that they have been slaughtered in an approved abattoir in Scotland. The standards are set by Quality Mark Scotland’s assurance schemes. Scotch Lamb has been awarded the European PGI mark that recognises special regional significance and so the marks will often be accompanied by the PGI logo.
	Welsh Lamb mark can only appear on lamb that has been born and raised in Wales and that has been slaughtered in an approved abattoir. Welsh Lamb has been awarded the European PGI mark that recognises special regional significance and so the marks will often be accompanied by the PGI logo.
	Where the Mutton Renaissance logo is used, the meat will have met the standards of the Mutton Renaissance campaign. One such standard is that maturing of the meat to ensure a full flavour.
	Red Tractor – for details of what this means please use this link.
	Freedom Food – for details of what this means cplease use this link.

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