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We hae meat…
If a handful of restaurants in the south of England had a health and hygiene problem in the kitchen, no one in Scotland would pay much attention. If the source of the problem was then identified and effectively contained, you would not expect it to have any impact on your business, 400 miles away. Sadly, this is not the case. In the case of Scottish sheep farmers, Foot & Mouth Disease (FMD) in Surrey has had a devastating effect north of the Border. Margaret Stewart highlights the plight of the Scottish lamb producers, and what caterers can do to help…
The FMD virus is both airborne and very virulent, two factors that make it far more serious than an average bout of mange. The UK covets its FMD-free status, but the cost of maintaining this has been high. To stop the spread of infection from the latest outbreak down south, stringent nationwide movement restrictions were put in place, and these could not have come at a worse time for Scotland; sheep were stranded on highland farms and could not move to lowland areas for fattening; breeding stock could not move at peak times for pedigree sales; and vital export markets were completely out of bounds.
To be hit once was bad enough but within the space of a few weeks, in the same place, from the same source, FMD struck again.
This double whammy has meant that Scotland now has much more lamb than is normal for this time of year. The reality for farmers is that some producers of smaller, lighter lambs have no option but to sell into a welfare-cull scheme which will not even cover basic production costs, while others have to rely on a market in which lamb consumption, historically, is not that significant.
Export markets have now reopened, however, and the flow of Scotch Lamb to France is almost back to normal. However, a huge share of the market, at the peak of the Scotch Lamb season, has been lost, and we are now looking towards Christmas when traditionally lamb sales slow down and beef is on the increase.
Tracking of retail sales show that lamb sales in Scotland have increased by 25% on last year. Could this be down to our promotional efforts? Is the buy local message hitting a chord? Or, more sinisterly, is the low retail price reflecting the even lower prices being paid to farmers?
Our findings show that this may now be the case and, as a consequence, Scotch Lamb has become a more attractive proposition for chefs and caterers. It also means that more consumers are eating lamb in the home, and this effect could be mirrored in the foodservice sector. Again, research is showing that the percentage of consumers who are "open to buying lamb" has risen to over 50 percent in the past 12 months.
Scotch Lamb is at its best throughout the autumn and this year there will be adequate supplies to see us through until February. Lamb is a rich source of protein, vitamins and iron, and is the most easily digested and least allergenic of the red meat family. Modern breeding and butchery techniques mean its reputation for fattiness is a thing of the past and its small muscle structure means that portion sizes can easily meet today's recommended allowances.
The Scottish lamb producers deserve the support of Scottish chefs and caterers, and while 2007 will go down as a particularly bad year, the outlook for 2008 is optimistic if this diversity can be the catalyst to measurably improve the prospects for those producers.
This article has been edited from its original version. For the complete feature, please see Catering in Scotland magazine November/December 2007.
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