Prince gives boost to mutton market

A campaign to get mutton back on the nation's dinner plates received a boost this week when the Prince of Wales visited a North Yorkshire sheep farm.

The Prince joined guests at Grange Farm, near Pickering, for a day of discussions on the best ways to strengthen the livestock sector.

The event was part of the Mutton Renaissance Campaign, an initiative launched by Prince Charles to support British farmers and protect rural landscapes.

More than 400 businesses have signed up to the campaign since it began in 2004, including upmarket restaurants as well as small farms that sell mutton direct.

Owner of Grange Farm, Tim Wilson, who also runs a chain of butcher shops, said the scheme which encourages farmers to focus on quality, had boosted the market for mutton.

He said: "By finding a niche market for these ewes, the Mutton Renaissance campaign has increased the value of older stock to farms such as this."

Yorkshire chef Brian Turner, who is president of the Academy of Culinary Arts, said mutton had been "almost forgotten" until the Prince took up the cause.

Praising the meat, Turner said: "Its subtle gamey flavour is an ideal partner for winter root vegetables, long slow cooking and an equal match for spiced dishes from North Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean. It's also great in curries.

"I hope to see it more frequently on seasonal menus and also in butchers shops as demand increases from home cooks."

A report out this month suggested the market for mutton had increase by 21per cent since the beginning of 2007.