Rising consumption of lamb inspires Bord Bia drive to maximise sales

SHOPPERS have increased their consumption of lamb in the first three months of the year, inspiring Bord Bia to launch a new TV campaign featuring chef Neven Maguire.

Consumers have increased both the amount and the frequency of purchasing lamb in the 12-week period to April 2011, compared with the same period last year. Volume sales were up by over 1% and purchase frequency by 3%, according to data from Kantar Worldpanel.

While the annualised sales jump is relatively small, Bord Bia is reading the quarterly jump positively as it comes on the back of encouraging sales of lamb over the Christmas period.

Around €96m has been spent on lamb in Irish retail outlets in the last year, with volumes exceeding 9,000 tonnes. Within this, 38% consisted of lamb joints with a further 37% being lamb chops.

Encouraged by the trend, Bord Bia is launching a campaign to promote further lamb sales.

Bord Bia market manager for Ireland, Teresa Brophy, said: “To coincide with the peak availability of new season lamb, Bord Bia is launch- ing a nationwide campaign from June 22nd to increase the frequency of purchasing lamb with the Bord Bia Quality Mark.

“Key activities include a new 30-second television advert which will encourage target consumers to buy lamb with the Quality Mark. Media activities will include a photo launch of the campaign with chef Neven Maguire, circulating new recipes to food writers in national and local media and promoting lamb consumption at occasions such as bank holidays and for barbecues.”

The campaign will target both light and medium consumers of lamb (i.e. higher income grocery shoppers aged 35–55 years old). The focus will be on lamb joints and chops.