Lamb sales have tumbled 11.5% in the last year due to falling consumer demand, according to figures reveals by Kantar world panel. It appears that the change comes as British consumers move away from roasting cuts of all meats. Since roasts constitute a larger proportion of lamb, this has impacted lamb sales hard. In the UK, roasting cuts represent about 50% of all lamb retail – compared with just 18% of beef sold and 35% of pork.

The fall in consumption covers lamb from all countries, with consumers being turned away from New Zealand, British, Scottish or Welsh lamb in equal measure. Shoppers from rural and suburban areas appear to be decreasing their consumption of lamb quicker than those in urban locations.

In a YouGov poll, 47% of responses to suggested the meat was fatty, with 36% stating they felt it should be eaten in moderation.

It appears that price could also be a contributing factor to reducing lamb consumption, as households in lower-income brackets have been leaving the lamb category more than richer consumers.

Positively, younger consumers appear to be buying more lamb, particularly for grilling, frying and mince.

As you can see in table 1, the Farmers Journal asked retailers in Scotland to outline their commitment on the country of origin for the lamb they sell.

You can see that in a recent move from Aldi, Co-op, Morrisons and M&S, they are all backing 100% Scottish lamb all year round.

Much of this will have been made easier by the reduction in buying power of the pound since Brexit, making imports less attractive.

Meanwhile, figure 1 shows the profitability in lamb. A 21kg lamb carcase would typically yield about £179.32 of meat in a retailer or butcher shop. This may seem like a healthy margin, but compared with other meats which yield more and take less time to prepare, it can be a less attractive option. More can be taken from the lamb, such as neck fillets, which are popular for curries – but this requires a lot of deboning.

Looking across the globe, there are big opportunities for lamb consumption. From table 2, you can see Mongolia and Iceland topping the charts with over 46kg and 21kg respectively. You can see that Scotland consumes over the EU average, but some way off England.