“If you are plann ing a barbeque, there is nothing nicer to put on it than tasty West Country beef or lamb,” said Dorset farmer Andy Foot, chairman of the NFU’s South West livestock board.
“Choosing Red Tractor assured British lamb or beef means you are supporting British farmers, and now we have the West Country PGI (Protected Geographical Indicator). If you buy meat with the PGI label on it, you know it comes from animals which were mainly grass-fed and were born, raised and finished in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Gloucestershire, Dorset or Wiltshire.”
Mr Foot praised retailers who are doing their bit to stock British produce, in particular Morrison’s and Aldi which have committed themselves to sourcing 100 per cent British lamb.
In response to questions from the NFU, food service company Brakes has also pledged to use 100 per cent British lamb and the Co-operative is bringing forward the season for its ‘truly irresistible’ British lamb supply, but Mr Foot believes there is more work to be done.
“We need to see all retailers getting behind their local suppliers and doing the same thing,” he said.
“I always encourage people to ask for British meat if they don’t see it on the shelf, but the problem is that some retailers are just not stocking it and we need to ask why that is.”
• There are plenty of barbeque tips and tricks, including some easy and delicious recipes, on the Red Tractor website at bbq.redtractor.org.uk.
• More information about the PGI for West Country beef and lamb can be found at www.westcountrybeefandlamb.org.uk