Lamb & mutton labelled 'British' must come from animals born, reared and slaughtered within the UK. If you are not buying direct from a farmer you might find it helpful to look for a quality mark. These mean that all stages of the food chain have been independently checked to ensure that they meet the required standards.

We tend to equate 'eating quality' with tenderness and succulence. It is therefore important to use the correct cut of meat for a particular dish: for example, chop for pan-frying, shoulder for Sunday joints and neck for stewing.

To download a diagram of where different cuts of meat come from on the carcass and a guide to which cuts are the best ones to use for different regional dishes click here .

Although available all year round, British lamb & mutton are seasonal products.

Sheep spend most of their lives grazing outside and their flavour will be dictated by their diet and the environment in which they are reared. For example:

It is important that we protect our great native livestock industry buy buying the real thing, not an imported substitute. For example:

If you are a consumer and would like to find out where you can buy British lamb & mutton...

To find British lamb and mutton in supermarkets, please click on the Want to buy British logo on the top right hand corner of this page.

If you are a retailer and would like to find out about stocking British lamb & mutton in your shop...

If you are a caterer and would like to find out about sourcing British lamb & mutton for your menu .....

For recipes that feature British lamb & mutton see this link.