UK lamb will have plenty of commercial opportunities within the US once shipments commence, according to an American meat importer.
Fernando Munoz from G&C Foods in New York believes the great taste of lamb from the UK and the passion of our sheep farmers will help open doors for exporters in this new and potentially lucrative market.
Munoz was one of five American visitors who joined the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) last week to explore what opportunities exist for the lamb sector.
His business has grown to be one of the most respected redistributors in the eastern half of the US – delivering to 27 states.
On UK farming, he said:
“We’ve had a great visit to the UK and spending time with farmers, we’ve seen they have a delicate touch to what they do – it’s not just ‘produce and go’.
“There is a story behind everything and a lot of love and passion for the job which you don’t typically see in other countries.
“It has been great also to taste the lamb; I thought it was tender and mild and had a great flavour to it – it was fantastic. I think opportunities exist within foodservice, but also in retail and I’m really looking forward to UK lamb coming to the US.”
The visit was organised by AHDB’s senior export manager for the Americas Susana Morris, who has branded the event a ‘huge success’.
She said: “The purpose of this visit was to connect key importers in the US with our lamb exporters in the hope that once commercial shipments begin, the UK is on the front foot and ready to export our lamb to this valuable market.”
