Visitors get flavour of new Welsh Lamb consumer taste-test project
Visitors to the recent Royal Welsh Winter Fair turned sampling volunteers in a promotional tasting session for a new, 2,000-strong Hybu Cig Cymru-Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) led consumer research initiative; the Welsh Lamb Meat Quality Project.
Members of the public taste samples of PGI Welsh Lamb at the Winter Fair. L-R: Huw Potter, Sharon Simpson, Sandra Evans, Dr. Eleri Thomas and Rhian Dillon.
“I don’t think you can beat it”; “I really rate it” and “Very tender, lovely texture- and it’s good to know its sustainable and natural” were a few of the flood of favourable comments from the audience volunteers to the project’s meat quality executive, Dr. Eleri Thomas.
The plan will look to assess, develop and enhance the meat-eating quality of Welsh Lamb and secure its international reputation to help Welsh farming prepare for a post-Brexit world. It will engage with all aspects of the supply chain, aiming to boost farm productivity while ensuring that future red meat production meets the demand of an ever-changing and increasingly discerning consumer, at home and abroad.
It is supported by the Welsh Government Rural Communities – Rural Development Programme 2014 – 2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.
The formal, carefully controlled project taste testing sessions will take place in January and February in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and a wide and diverse group of samplers are being recruited to ensure the broadest possible range of consumer interests.
“HCC’s stand at Winter Fair had a brilliant response from the public walk-ups who loved the great taste of sustainable Welsh Lamb and we are looking forward to the first of the consumer taste panel results in the New Year,” said Dr. Thomas.
“However, this project is about securing Welsh Lamb’s position at the top of consumer shopping lists and so we’ll learn from them all and seek to inform the Welsh red meat supply chain about how we can make it even tastier in the future.”
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