A Dumfriesshire farmer has joined Quality Meat Scotland’s Scotch Lamb ambassadors in a Dumfries supermarket to encourage shoppers to re-discover the delicious versatility of Scotch Lamb PGI.

Tom Neill of Upper Tinwald, Tortherward near Dumfries was in Tesco to tempt consumers with tasty samples as part of a Scotland-wide Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) sampling campaign.

QMS is delivering more than 110 days of sampling activities, covering the length and breadth of Scotland, as part of its on-going marketing campaign behind Scotch Lamb.  The samplings aim to show the public how simple it is to cook succulent, tender Scotch Lamb and hand out recipe leaflets packed with simple dish ideas to take home.

Mr Neill said that the sampling events are a valuable opportunity for farmers to engage with consumers about what goes in to putting fresh, tasty Scotch Lamb on their plates.

“We are extremely proud of the Scotch Lamb we produce which is reared, in Scotland, to very high standards of animal husbandry and welfare.

“By giving shoppers a taste of this fantastic product, we hope to remind those who don’t regularly buy lamb what a great meat it is. These events are also the perfect opportunity to encourage a new generation to try Scotch Lamb.”

Suzie Carlaw, Marketing Controller from Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) said: “This initiative is a great way to show people that Scotch Lamb isn’t just for a Sunday roast – but can be eaten any day of the week. Its versatility and ease of cooking means that even a busy working mum can still cook a Scotch Lamb dinner mid-week with no fuss.

“There may be some shoppers who have never tried Scotch Lamb before or have never considered it as an option when cooking. We want to get them to give it a go and see for themselves just how delicious it tastes and how easily it can be incorporated into family meals.”

A key objective of the 2015 campaign is to encourage consumers to understand the versatility, simplicity and speed of cooking with lamb. The two month long campaign is harnessing a range of marketing activities to drive Scotch Lamb sales.

The marketing push includes billboard, press and radio advertising as well as the in-store activity.

Recipe leaflets and other point of sale materials will also be distributed via the members of the Scotch Butchers Club, run by QMS.

A range of new videos for on-line and social media use, featuring Edinburgh-based chef Daniella Forbes and Glasgow-based chef Justin Maule demonstrating simple, delicious dishes, has also been produced.

This year’s “Love Scotch Lamb Weekend” was held on September 5th and 6th, when a range of activities took place around the country to celebrate all that is wonderful about Scotch Lamb PGI.

Historically, Scotland has consumed less lamb than other parts of GB. Around 4,000 tonnes of lamb (worth around £34 million) is eaten each year in Scotland with about 44% of the population purchasing lamb at least once in the last year (versus 57.8% in Great Britain).

The target audience for the campaign is very much young professionals and busy working parents and the message is very much that lamb is not just for roasting at the weekend – it can also make a quick, nutritious mid-week meal for all ages to enjoy.