Embrace your inner data nerd! A recent study from Technomic found that lamb, once relegated exclusively to fine dining, and rack of lamb, are steadily moving towards the mainstream in consumers’ minds and on the menu. Inroads into heavily menued comfort foods like pot pies and pasta dishes, and popular ethnic cuisines from Mediterranean to Mexican, are where the evidence shows up most. The all-American burger is perhaps the brightest spot, where menu mentions for lamb burgers are up 800%, and consumer interest in lamb burgers is up 50% from just a year ago. The reasons for lamb’s growth in popularity with consumers are diverse. Consumers – especially younger consumers 18-34 – are seeking alternatives to familiar favorites like beef for a variety of reasons.
Sustainability:
Attributes like pasture-raised, no-added hormones, grass-fed, and all-natural are in high demand by consumers. Our Aussie lamb ranchers would say “Exactly! That’s how we do it, mate!
Health:
Perceived health benefits to lamb over other meats, especially when it’s pasture-raised, natural or organic. And it’s more than perception — Aussie lamb is naturally lean and nutrient-rich.
Exploration:
Younger consumers especially are looking for new food experiences and to try something new; new ethnic cuisines, new proteins and new flavors. While in Australia we don’t consider lamb “new”, it’s still a relatively exotic item here in the US.
Consider these factoids from the Technomic study:
- 1/3 of 18-34 year olds would pay more for
free-range foods - Half of consumers 18-34 feel “natural” and
“unprocessed” foods are tastier - “Sustainable” claims on US menus are up 45%
since 2012 - Grass-fed claims have nearly tripled since 2010