Scots marts seek St Andrew’s Day lamb donations for schools

Scottish sheep farmers are being urged to donate lambs to auction marts as part of a new initiative to get more schoolchildren cooking and eating the meat on and around St Andrew’s Day (30 November).

The Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers in Scotland (IAAS) has launched a “Lamb bank” to supply free lamb to as many Scottish schools as possible during St Andrew’s week.

The scheme will allow farmers selling sheep through IAAS marts to donate lambs for the initiative – and is part of the wider drive within the red meat sector to encourage more people across Scotland to eat lamb for St Andrew’s Day.

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Between now and 30 November, farmers selling lambs through Scotland’s marts can opt to donate sheep for the Lamb Bank. All they need to do is let auctioneers know when they book stock in for sale.

“We’d like to get lamb into at least one school in every town and every rural school in Scotland, but preferably more than that, if the industry is behind us,” said John Thomson of C & D Marts.

Over the past decade there has been a drive from the red meat sector, led by livestock auctioneers, red meat levy body Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and butchers, to make lamb synonymous with St Andrew’s Day, just as turkey is for Christmas.

The original Lamb for St Andrew’s Day idea came from George Purves and Willie Mitchell as part of the Scottish Enterprise Rural Leadership Programme.

However, the idea of donating lambs for schools was started by IAAS last year, when Scottish marts donated more than 50 lambs to promote the Lamb for St Andrew’s Day campaign. Last year, 11,600 home economics pupils from 115 Scottish schools signed up to participate in cooking lamb for St Andrew’s Day.

‘Iconic Scottish meat’

Neil Wilson, IAAS executive director, said: “For more than 1,000 years the Scots have celebrated by feasting and it seems fitting that our modern-day feasts should be celebrating not only our patron saint, but also this iconic Scottish meat.”

QMS has been a big driver of the Lamb for St Andrew’s Day push by promoting the home cooking of lamb through retailers and the butchery trade – including with a “twist” such as in curry – as well as the serving of lamb in restaurants.

Their activity to complement the work in schools will feature collaborations with chefs and social media influencers, as well as a media partnership which will generate wide exposure of Lamb for St Andrew’s Day online and in print.