Why Is Lamb So Dear

[gollob]

Cattle and pigs has to be fed by farmers but lambs are put out to graze so why is lamb at least twice the price. Going back 50 years ago lamb was the cheapest meat

[Jackdaw33]

Probably because there is a lot less meat on a little baa-lamb than a big fat porker or ox.

[Buenchico]

Some valid points here:
https://www.quora.com/Why-is-lamb-so-expensive-in-the-UK

'Going back 50 years ago' though, prices were certainly different. I can remember, as a child, regretting that my parents could only afford my favourite meat on Christmas Day, as it was much too expensive for our family to afford at any other time of the year. Which meat was that? Chicken!

[vetuste_ennemi]

Local high quality Welsh lamb has always been expensive. The reason we enjoyed cheap lamb was because we imported most of it from highly efficient producers in New Zealand and Australia. The price we paid for joing the "free market" in the 70's was that a massive tariff was slapped on our traditional imports. (NJ and others may say exactly how much). So overnight joining the Common Market cost NZ much of its UK market (which accounted at the time for 70% of all its exports). Similar harm was wrought on other Commonwealth farmers whose principal market was the UK, and were producing high-quality low-price goods. Jamaica (sugar etc.) for one.

One of the reasons a young VE voted against the Tories in ther election which returned Heath, and voted "out" in the Wilson referendum.

[Jackdaw33]

How true. Chicken and turkey were luxuries. Those unfortunates who couldn't afford a turkey for Xmas had to settle for goose. Have you seen the price of goose these days?

[Old_Geezer]

If there's so little meat on a baa-lamb, it's surprising one doesn't see more mutton for sell instead.

[hc4361]

Mutton is plentiful where I live, OG.

[ToraToraTora]

yeah chico, I too remember that chicken was a luxury! Often on Sundays mum'd make a pie out of a llb of mince for dinner! Yes we had dinner at lunch time, only posh people had lunch at lunch!

[spathiphyllum]

I think it is because organic and free range things are more expensive. Lamb is seen as a quality meat, is it not? I would prefer a lamb Donna over a chicken one.

[naomi24]

//it's surprising one doesn't see more mutton for sell instead. //

Halal butchers sell mutton.

[choux]

Anyone remember the tinned chickens? The tin was the largest you could buy but the bird was quite miniscule.

[teacake44]

Well for one , you don't have to sheer a pig or cow ( time and money) and in the winter months they have to buy in dry food, as with pigs, and cows, cows go out to graze as well. Welsh lamp is much more tender and succulent due to the rich grazing grass. I don't ever remember lamb being cheap 50 years ago, may be mutton. There also tends to be more waste on a lamb, the breast is not that popular now a days, or the chump end.

[Old_Geezer]

I rarely see mutton advertised and don't frequent halal butchers. Rarely seen in restaurants/pubs. Don't much see hogget either.

[woofgang]

mutton might have been cheap 50 years ago but lamb wasn't!

[TonyV]

Re the goose on Christmas Day. Had one once from local butcher cut in half, saved the other half for Easter.

[david small]

I remember tinned chicken. Lots of jelly surrounding it.
Threw away the jelly and the remaining chicken fell apart. Disgusting. Mutton was nice. No Hal butchers where I am.

[Jackdaw33]

Certainly, when I was young, the main meal of the day was called dinner, even though it was eaten at lunch time. The term survives; children take dinner money to school, not lunch money, and are served by dinner ladies, not lunch ladies.

[douglas9401]

Now meybe i dont got me no book lurnin but you cant get lam from a dear.

[woofgang]

tinned chicken made lovely sandwiches

[Muntin]

Welsh lamb is in big demand in the Middle East.

[Old_Geezer]

Your main meal is dinner, whatever time you have it. One either has lunch in the middle of the day, or tea in the evening, as appropriate. (Breakfast and supper is nice too. Brunch is a meal for those too disorganised to sort breakfast and lunch, or up too late to fit in 2 meals.)