Marks and Spencer commits to supplying 100 per cent Scotch lamb this year

Marks and Spencer are on hunt for 12,000 more Scottish lambs
Marks and Spencer are on hunt for 12,000 more Scottish lambs

Retailer Marks & Spencer has committed to supply 100 per cent Scotch lamb throughout the year.

A new market has opened up for as many as 12,000 extra lambs to allow Marks and Spencer to meet its promise to sell only Scotch lamb in its stores north of the border.

Steve McLean, Head of Agriculture at M&S announced the move to 100 per cent Scotch lamb in their Scottish stores at the Farm Stock (Scotland) Ltd supply chain conference back in October 2016.

“We know that our customers really like to buy regionally-sourced meat, so we have been working hard with our suppliers to find a way to bring them a year-round supply of delicious fresh lamb from Scottish farms.”

Farm Stock operations manager David Marshall said the additional home demand was particularly good news as the country moved towards Brexit.

Marshall said that lambs for the supermarket had to come from M&S Select Farms, required full Scottish provenance.

'100% Scotch lamb'

Mr McLean said the company had sourced UK lamb for 42 weeks of the year in 2016.

“For 2017, we have not made the switch to New Zealand lamb in our Scottish stores, and instead will supply 100% Scotch lamb throughout the entire year,” he said.

“We know that our customers really like to buy regionally-sourced meat, so we have been working hard with our suppliers to find a way to bring them a year-round supply of delicious fresh lamb from Scottish farms.”

Supermarket Morrisons has recently announced it is aiming to recruit more than 200 British suppliers after it called on the UK to be more self-sufficient.