Masterchef Gary bangs the dinner gong for Lamb

New research carried out by YouGov on behalf of Quality Meat Scotland is claimed to show nearly half (41 per cent) of Falkirk consumers consider themselves “stuck in a rut” when it comes to dinner.

Now Scotland’s national chef, Gary Maclean (pictured), is urging people to try Scotch Lamb.

Average consumption of lamb in Scotland is said to be only half that of the UK as a whole, while nearly half (45 per cent) of Falkirk folk never eat lamb for dinner midweek.

Gary McLean said: “We’re lucky enough as a nation to have access to such high quality, fresh ingredients, and it’s time we stepped up and introduced them to our mealtimes on a regular basis.

“While lamb may have historically been considered a Sunday dinner staple, it’s an incredibly versatile meat that’s nutritious and really simple to prepare for the whole family.

“I’m a strong advocate of dishes that inspire people to get out of mealtime ruts by introducing new ideas, techniques and flavours that can be mastered incredibly quickly, whatever the skill level.

“Quality Meat Scotland’s Scotch Kitchen website is full of resources that put Scotch Lamb centre stage, whatever day of the week.”

Carol McLaren, marketing and communications director at Quality Meat Scotland said: “The research has highlighted that people are missing a great opportunity to discover loads of simple, tasty dishes when it comes to their mealtime choices.

“This is largely down to simply not knowing what else to cook – which is where our new campaign comes in.

“We want to make Scotch Lamb the natural choice for midweek dinner plates, encouraging consumers to visit our online resource dedicated to fresh, delicious recipes created with convenience at the core.

“We have a great message to take to consumers.

“We have a delicious, nutritious quality assured food produced naturally right on our doorstep and there are endless tasty, midweek lamb meals which take 30 minutes or less to cook.”

The research was part of a YouGov survey of 1,000 Scottish adults commissioned by Quality Meat Scotland as part of its Lamb, Naturally campaign.

The campaign is claimed set to reach 4.2 million consumers during September and October.

Consumers are encouraged to visit www.scotchkitchen.com to discover a range of new recipes created using Scotch Lamb – from satay style to slow-cooked.