Welsh lamb is a product held in high regard around the globe for its premium quality, superior taste and renowned heritage. Over 10 years ago, in a dynamic and forward-thinking partnership, Wales YFC, Sainsbury’s and Dunbia founded the Lamb Initiative to support Welsh lamb and young farmer producers. The initiative, which sees a financial benefit for the producers and Wales Young Farmers for each lamb produced as part of the scheme, held a competition at the Royal Welsh Show to celebrate the ongoing success.
The Inspiration Competition, which invited individuals aged between the ages of 16-40 who actively participate in Wales YFC, to design an added value lamb product. The options limitless, individuals and teams set off to design a product, which they could demonstrate had potential to sell to the Welsh Sainsbury’s shopper.
Entrants were asked to outline the key specifications for their product including; the background to their idea, cost per diner, cooking time, meal occasion, accompaniments and the packaging. An additional challenge to this, requested participants to consider the environmental impact of their decisions. Classically, the leg of lamb is considered superior and as such tends to be the most popular cut and contestants were asked to consider the challenge of better utilising alternative cuts in their final ideas.
Our winner, Cadi Mars Jones scooped the top spot with her product; “Lamb shoulder marinated in Moroccan spices”. Her lamb dish was ready to grill and was accompanied with a choice of two yoghurts, mint and garlic in addition to beetroot and apple.
Speaking on her win, which sees her have the opportunity to ‘pitch’ her winning idea to the Sainsbury’s team as well as spend some time at a food innovation centre to see how the product could be developed, Cadi commented;
“I am currently studying Food Science and Technology at Cardiff Metropolitan University with high hopes to pursue a career in new product development. The competition allowed me to gain a full appreciation for the process involved in creating a product fit for the market. I look forward to spending time at a food innovation centre to further my knowledge in this area. Welsh lamb is a high-quality meat, but in my opinion, is not utilised to its full potential. Creating a partnership between the Young Farmers movement and Dunbia is the perfect way to incorporate the next generation farmers into the food chain, from field to fork and is certainly a promising partnership.”
