With St David’s Day having given a perfect opportunity to highlight the growing Welsh food sector, the nation’s most iconic product – PGI Welsh Lamb – has received a boost from the findings of a survey into how target consumers perceive the brand.

As lambs are mostly born in spring, the peak season for lamb is from the summer through to Christmas; however Welsh Lamb is still available at this time of year, and featured prominently on the menus of St David’s Day events from London to Dubai which acted as showcases for Welsh food.

Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) sought to sample the views of meat-eaters across the UK, and found that 86 per cent perceived Welsh Lamb to be a quality product. In total 74 per cent believed it had a superior taste, and 70 per cent appreciated the traditional low-intensity farming methods behind its production.

The survey results are particularly encouraging as over two thirds of the people surveyed live in England – a key market for branded Welsh Lamb.

91 per cent of the total sample reported that they would seek out Welsh Lamb while shopping in the future.

“Our aim in undertaking this survey was to see what an important group of target consumers – discerning foodies who are aware of the Welsh Lamb brand – think of its quality and provenance,” said HCC brand marketing executive Pip Gill.

“In Britain and other parts of the developed world, meat consumption is static, and consumers are increasingly aware of health and ethical considerations,” said Pip. “Some consumers are buying meat less frequently, but are anxious to choose quality and provenance when they do.”

“Premium products such as PGI Welsh Lamb are in a strong position to take advantage of current trends,” she added. “These results show that the more people hear about the story behind Welsh Lamb, the more likely they are to buy, and to make sure that if they’re choosing lamb they’re choosing Welsh.”

HCC is undertaking a number of social media promotions to target likely Welsh Lamb consumers across the UK. An online ‘recipe selector’ helps consumers on the move to get mealtime inspiration and choose the right cuts; chefs and food bloggers have been recruited to develop recipes; new videos have been produced for the ‘Meat Me in the Kitchen’ channel on YouTube; and consumers can now sign up for exclusive offers and prizes through the new ‘Welsh Lamb Family’. More information can be found at www.eatwelshlamb.com