Chef Adrian delivers tasty message from Europe

Younger Irish consumers are being called to action as part of a campaign asking them to add more lamb to their shopping lists. The campaign is supported by a number of passionate ambassadors such as celebrity chef Adrian Martin from Bawnboy, food entrepreneur Fiona Uyema and food writers Patrick Hanlon and Russell Alford, aka the Gastro Gays. It's also being endoresed by sheep farmers Sarah Woodmartin based in Sligo and Tom Staunton who farms in Tourmakeady, Co Mayo.

The EU funded Try Lamb campaign is being rolled out in Ireland in association with Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board, and has the key objective of encouraging consumers to consider lamb in their repertoire with the campaign headline ‘Try it, Love it’.

Chef Adrian Martin shares the importance of his role as a lamb ambassador and food influencer: “Chefs have an important role to play to inspire eating habits of consumers whether we are making home cooked dishes on TV or delicious menu options in a restaurant. We are so lucky to have such high-quality meat available to us. Lamb is a favourite meat choice for chefs because of its versatility as it can feature in stews and casseroles for specials or an elegant rack of lamb for fine dining, nothing is wasted.”

Sheep farming plays a vital role in rural communities in Ireland and across Europe, contributing to the social, environmental and economic sustainability in many regions. Among the unique aspects of sheep farming is the ability to put ‘difficult to farm’ land to good use, bringing economic opportunity to areas unsuitable for other farming systems like dairy or beef.

A key influence on keeping this industry alive is the impact of restaurants and the hospitality industry. Try Lamb agricultural ambassador Tom Staunton shares his views on enhancing a partnership between sheep farming and the catering and hospitality industry: “The restaurant industry influences the supply and demand for lamb depending on food trends and popularity. By working as an ambassador alongside chefs such as Adrian, we are encouraging hospitality to consider selecting local European lamb regularly.”

Although lamb is more popular amongst Irish consumers compared with their European counterparts, lamb is primarily eaten by older consumers and the ‘Try It, Love It’ campaign aims to change this going forward by educating younger consumers on the versatility and unique taste of lamb. A key focus of the campaign will be inspiring consumers with recipes that showcase a range of uses for lamb, from a special occasion dinner hero, to a quick and easy midweek crowd-pleasing meal. Recipes featured in this year’s campaign range from classics like herb crusted rack of lamb to the more adventurous, like a Moroccan style butterfly harissa coated leg of lamb.

Speaking about the campaign, Declan Fennell from Bord Bia commented: “We are very proud of our lamb and the farmers who produce it across Europe. Lamb plays a vital role not only in the Irish market but is also widely exported and enjoyed throughout Europe. Through this campaign we are working to protect lamb’s unique heritage within Europe and continue to support the future ancestral livelihood of sheep farming.”

Try Lamb campaign recipes, and outdoor and digital advertising is featuring across the country from July for more information visit www.trylamb.ie