Focus Wales: Welsh lamb
The issues that pubs face in sourcing regional produce came to the fore last July, when pub operator JD Wetherspoon confirmed it had removed five meat dishes from its Welsh menus after trading standards officers questioned the provenance of the pork, beef and lamb used.
Rumours suggested that trading standards had done a little simple maths, including dividing the total amount of Welsh black beef produced by the number of Wetherspoon pubs in Wales, and raised doubts as to whether all the meat in the meals could be guaranteed to be Welsh.
The pubco had acted in good faith and, with other operators such as SA Brain also making a focus of Welsh specialities on their menus, it's clear that being able to maintain absolute confidence in the supply chain is essential.
John Martin, product marketing manager for Prime Meats, part of food wholesaler Brakes, says: "With local sourcing and traceability becoming increasingly topical, it's important for publicans to consider the provenance of their food and relay this to customers."
The company works with regional suppliers throughout Britain. John says: "We selected Welsh lamb as our UK offering, as the natural grazing in the mountains and valleys of Wales produces lamb with outstanding succulence and flavour.
"Wales boasts the highest density of breeding ewes in the UK and is recognised as a centre of excellence for breeding and sheep development.
"Highly regarded by chefs, Welsh lamb is considered to be one of the best kinds available in the world."
The Welsh lamb sold by Brakes has Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), which guarantees that only meat from lambs born and reared in Wales is marketed as Welsh. The granting of the PGI status by the EU recognises Welsh lamb for its quality and special regional identity. In addition, all Brakes Welsh lamb carries the Red Tractor mark.
John says: "Meat carrying the Welsh Lamb mark is guaranteed to be born and reared in Wales, giving publicans and their customers peace of mind. Welsh lamb is assured, following a set of farm standards to ensure that lamb entering the food chain is reared with due consideration for welfare and husbandry."
The most popular Welsh lamb products from Prime Meats include boneless leg, lamb racks, lamb hindquarter shanks and lamb loins.
Brakes also offers a range of other Welsh products, including caerphilly cheese from South and West Wales. With a tangy fresh taste, the cheese is ideal served with salad and a vinaigrette dressing or as cheese on toast.
Alternatively, Brakes' Glamorgan Sausage is a classic vegetarian sausage made with a combination of leek, potato, caerphilly and cheddar cheese and given a light breadcrumb coating.
