A sheep sector scheme is encouraging the public to enjoy the qualities of native breed sheep meat as Love Lamb Week soon gets underway.
British Heritage Sheep is a scheme that celebrates the tastes and provenance of British native sheep breeds, as well as the wider benefits they bring to the countryside.
And with this year's Love Lamb Week looming, the scheme wants consumers to try some of the UK’s native and lesser-known breeds.
Bob Kennard, one of the directors of British Heritage Sheep, explains that not all sheep meat tastes the same.
"The main factors affecting the flavour are the age of the animal, its breed and to some extent what the animal eats," he said.
"These factors give the meat of different breeds distinctive eating experiences, highly prized in past generations.
"The difference in flavour is evident between some breeds such as the iconic Herdwick that grazes the Lake District fells and the Ryeland of Herefordshire, one of the oldest of the established native breeds."
Despite more than 80 native and other sheep breeds being recognised in the UK the varied flavours that these can deliver to consumers are rarely acknowledged.
Mr Kennard said that sheep meat was one of the last undifferentiated foods, adding: "We all know about the many types of cheese, apples, breeds of beef and so on.
"But retailers rarely inform consumers about the breed of sheep meat, nor do they explain where and how it was reared, nor offer meat of differing ages.”
The British Heritage Sheep initiative aims to change this by working to increase the awareness and promotion of the ABC of sheep meat – A for the age of sheep, B for the breed, and C for the countryside/region it has been farmed.
The National Sheep Association (NSA), which backs British Heritage Sheep, said it would like to see the UK’s native breeds identified and celebrated.
The body's chief executive, Phil Stocker said: “Love Lamb Week is a great opportunity to champion the UK sheep sector and that includes promoting the delicious product of some of the UK’s native and lesser-known breeds.
“This Love Lamb week NSA and the British Heritage Sheep scheme would like to see the UK’s native breeds identified and celebrated."
