Sainsbury’s makes British lamb commitment

Sainsbury’s makes British lamb commitment

06 May 2016

Sainsbury’s has committed to source 100% British lamb this season by 1st July.Despite the wet and cold spring, the retailer is working with its farmers to increase the availability of quality new season lamb on its shelves through May and June until it is all British.

Lamb from our 400+ meat counters is 100% British all year around, as well as our chilled Taste the Difference and organic ranges. Adding to this, we focus on maintaining 100% British sourced lamb during the main season across our chilled range which includes chops, joints and mince. The lamb season can vary from year to year, however by having a strong relationship with our sheep farmers we can work with them to make the most of the British lamb season to the quality that our customers expect.

This announcement follows Sainsbury’s move last year to extend the end of the British lamb season until the New Year, making it five weeks longer than the previous year (2014/15). This helped make the most of the increased availability of stock from that season while reassuring farmers that were affected by low prices.

Philip Hambling, Agriculture Manager at Sainsbury’s said: “The Weather can have a big impact on our sheep farmers so the cool, wet spring we have had means many of these farms have had a difficult start to the year. We never stop buying British lamb and we’re pleased to confirm 100% of the lamb we source will be British by the beginning of July, if not sooner. We feel it’s important to make this commitment to our farmers in advance so they can plan for the season ahead.”

Henry Dunn, a Sainsbury’s sheep farmer from Newent, Gloucestershire adds: “I’ve worked closely with Sainsbury’s for over 10 years, I think they really understand the impact the weather has had on us and the importance of switching at the right time. By making this commitment up front means we have confidence in the coming months.”

Our British lamb comes from all areas of the country which means we can give customers a fantastic regional offer from our meat counters and our Taste the Difference range.