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Masterclass At Lucknam Park Hotel

With exquisite mutton canapés and an impressive main course dish of ‘slow roast and braised Renaissance Mutton’ prepared by head chef Hywel Jones and his team, the last of this season’s Mutton Renaissance Club open events finished on a high.

And with over 70 chefs, butchers, farmers and ‘mutton enthusiasts’ in attendance, Lucknam Park Hotel in Chippenham proved to be an extremely popular choice of venue.

Prior to lunch, south west regional manager for EBLEX, Phil Hadley used a ‘virtual sheep’ presentation to stress the importance of having a tight specification for mutton to ensure consistency.

He explained that to meet the Mutton Renaissance standard, sheep must be over two years old and the animals must have a forage-based diet (for example, grass, heather and root crops). Sheep should have a given amount of fat cover, and be matured (for example by hanging) for at least two weeks. Mutton producers must be able to provide full traceability records showing where an animal is reared, its breed and its age at slaughter.

A seam butchery demonstration followed, courtesy of Lucknam Park meat suppliers Andy Cook and Darren Britton from local butchers Walter Rose and Son. The family business was established in 1847 and Andy says he still has a price list from his grandfather’s day when mutton was ‘top of the tree’. He feels that in the current climate in particular, it is set to make a come-back.

A free brochure, ‘A Taste for Marketing Mutton’, has been produced to provide producers, abattoirs, butchers and chefs further information on producing, processing and cooking Renaissance Mutton.

The Mutton Renaissance Club is co-ordinated by the National Sheep Association in conjunction with the Academy of Culinary Arts. Existing members of either organisation can join the Club for free while others pay just £45 per year.

To join the club, or for a copy of the brochure ‘A Taste for Marketing Mutton’ contact Mags Barrow on 01684 892661 or email mags@nationalsheep.org.uk

ENDS

 

Notes to editors:

The Mutton Renaissance campaign was launched in 2004 by the Prince of Wales to support British sheep farmers who were struggling to sell their older animals, and to get this delicious meat back on the nation’s plates.

The campaign is supported by EBLEX Limited and Hybu Cig Cymru Meat Promotion Wales (HCC).