Welsh bleating at New Zealand lamb snub

Availability gave New Zealand lamb the edge. Picture / Christine McKay

Britain's big Somerfield supermarket chain has come under fire for favouring New Zealand lamb over its Welsh rival.

A customer complained to the company after Welsh lamb was unavailable at its Llangefni store over Easter, the Daily Post at Conwy, in North Wales, reported.

A Bristol-based customer service adviser replied that the eating quality and availability of New Zealand lamb outweighed British lamb.

This drew criticism from Farmers' Union of Wales deputy president Emyr Jones: "This is outrageous. Are Somerfield seriously telling us no supplies of fresh, locally-sourced Welsh lamb were available and frozen lamb transported thousands of miles across the world is better?"

The supermarket chain said it relied on imports from New Zealand.

"The simple fact of the matter is that we would have struggled to get the required volume and quality had we not adopted this strategy," it said. "The quantity of lamb was not out there and that is why we stocked New Zealand lamb.

"We maintain our belief that the consistent eating quality and availability of New Zealand lamb outweighs anything the British farmer offers us as retailers."

Two years ago, the Farmers' Union protested outside the Somerfield chain's new Bala store when it staged a Brazilian beef promotion without stocking Welsh beef or lamb. Somerfield later promised farmers it would introduce more Welsh beef and lamb in its 50 Welsh stores.

- NZPA