Barbecue season: Where to buy the best lamb

Summer is the perfect time for a barbecue, and the United Kingdom is home to some of the best lamb in the world. It’s a versatile meat that pairs effortlessly with very different styles of cuisine, from Turkish to Indian and French, and most of those countries have a penchant for cooking it over coal. Lamb also takes really well to strong flavours and there is an endless amount of sauces and marinades that can make even the simplest of barbecues a decadent affair, like yoghurt-based sauces or a summery pesto. The best cuts are the saddle, rump and ribs, but it’s possible to experiment with the fattier and tougher parts of the animal such as the shoulder, breast or neck, all of which are also great for mincing up and making into sausages, like a merguez, or burgers. Below we’ve selected three of the best people to buy lamb from this summer to guarantee a delicious barbecue.

The breeder: Sophie Arlott, Shepherdess at Lavinton from Lincolnshire

Winner of many Great Taste awards, supplier to Michelin-starred restaurants up and down the country, and a pioneer within her industry, shepherdess Sophie Arlott breeds and rears award-winning organic lamb on a farm in Lincolnshire. Having lived there since 1999 with her husband and two sons, Arlott is hands-on all the way through the process, from lambing to taking the animals to the abattoir; she ensures they have a low-stress, high quality of life. Careful stockmanship and the welfare of her flock (the pastures on which the lambs feed are sown with a selection of herbs and grasses, including chicory, red and white clover, cocksfoot and timothy) contribute to the tenderness and the flavour of Lavinton’s succulent meat. Around 80% of the meat on Arlott’s farm is produced for restaurants, so private buyers know they’re going to be serving up a restaurant-standard barbecue when ordering directly. One of the reasons her flock has become so well-regarded and is chosen by chefs such as Nathan Outlaw, Sat Bains, Merlin Labron-Johnson and Phil Howard, and featured on the menus of the likes of the Waterside Inn, Bubbledogs’ Kitchen Table and the Smokehouse, is the way in which Arlott has been able to incorporate the independence of a Hebridean breed with a Border Leicester for hardiness and Southdown for flavour. For the barbecue season, Lavinton have put together a Lavinton BBQ Box for £160 which includes a selection of cuts and marinades such as rump steaks and merguez sausages. We’ve tried Arlott’s meat first-hand and the tenderness of the produce, as well as the unique taste, made for a phenomenal barbecue.

For further information and to order visit the Lavinton website here.

The Welsh giant: Rhug Estate

The first documented record of the Rhug Estate dates back to 1080. Since then, the establishment has come to cover 12,500 acres extending from Gwyddelwern in the north, Carrog to the east, Cynwyd to the south and Maerdy to the west. Their 6,700 acre in-hand organic farm in Denbighshire is the geographical core of the estate, along with Rhug House, the main residence. Throughout its history, the lamb produced has consistently been considered one of the best of Welsh ancestry. This is part and parcel for the owner, Lord Newborough, who has championed the highest standards of organic and sustainable farming for many years, protecting and enhancing the environment for future generations. But it’s also down to the incredible landscape of the estate, which includes nearly 9km of riverside that runs alongside the estate’s fields, fenced-off to protect the water and encourage wildlife habitats. The best thing about Rhug Estate lamb is that it’s widely available and can be found in shops like Planet Organic and various local, neighbourhood organic stores across London, so it’s easy to either purchase online or nip into a local stockist and grab their Rhug Estate Lamb and Mint Koftas for the barbecue for those who love that classic flavour pairing. Another option is to try their distinctively flavoured Organic Salt Marsh Lamb, which is available from June to January and produced from their coastal farm near Caernarfon. Here, the flock are reared on pastures and marshes high in salinity, where an abundance of herbs, including thrift, sorrel, samphire and sea lavender grow. This beautiful unspoilt coastal environment gives the lamb its distinctive sweet and light flavour, sought after by many top chefs and great for summer.

For further information and to order visit the Rhug Estate website here.

The local provider: Meat London (NW5/N6/N16)

Imagine a favourite craft beer pub but in the guise of a butcher: cue Meat. The independent butcher and delicatessen has two locations in North London offering quality free-range meats sourced from UK farms, all with high standards of husbandry and welfare. There’s a shop in Tufnell Park and on Stoke Newington’s Church Street, which also deliver locally. But it’s always worth at least the one visit so the butchers can advise on the best cuts of meat depending on skill set, dining plans and budget. In fact, carnivores can even improve their skill set at Meat by signing up to one of their many courses and workshops – the Meat the Lamb and Meat in the Garden barbecue masterclass are both winners for the summer season. Plus, while in the shop, patrons can peruse the deli counter and stock up on some other essentials for the meal, like olives, cheese, charcuterie, Scotch eggs and wine. When it comes to lamb, Meat supply Colne Valley lambs that are predominantly Texel/Blue-Faced Leicester mules, which, when the two breeds are combined, offer a good shape with meaty cuts. Another breed they regularly supply is the Dorset Down sheep, which are often referred to as the “king of the prime lamb breeds”.

For further information and to order visit the Meat London website here.

The bonus entry: Hill & Szrok

Master butcher and cook shop, these guys are based on Broadway Market and double up as a butcher, restaurant and private dining space. Their mantra is “small herd, whole carcass” so visitors can expect meat from small, independent farmers who rear their livestock using traditional, low-intervention methods. It may sound very “East London”, however, Hill & Szrok are known for unique, special cuts of meat that embody the true expression of terroir and variety, much like the natural wine movement. So particular aficionados of lamb can begin to identify the various flavours of lamb meat produced all over the UK quite distinctly. Another bonus of heading to Hill & Szrok, is that one gets the chance to sample produce that there wouldn’t normally have access to without visiting the farms of these small herd farmers, who usually keep their produce for private consumption. And of course, there is also the restaurant, which is open Wednesday to Saturday in the evenings. They’ve recently opened a second butchery, Stella’s in Newington Green, both offering same-day delivery.

For further information and to order visit the Hill & Szrok website here.

The food desk
Photos: Filippo L’Astorina