UK industry unites to Make it Lamb for Love Lamb Week 2026

The UK’s red meat industry is once again joining forces for Love Lamb Week, taking place from 1–7 September 2026, to celebrate the farmers, landscapes and food at the heart of lamb production.

Now in its eleventh year, Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) is leading this year’s campaign, working alongside AHDB, Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) and the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC).

The campaign will also be supported by the National Sheep Association (NSA), the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), NFU Scotland, the Ulster Farmers’ Union and Red Tractor – as well as a wide array of industry supporters and stakeholders.

Using the established Make it Lamb campaign, Love Lamb Week 2026 will focus on two central themes:

• The people and process behind lamb production across the UK
• The wide variety of tasty and versatile meals that can be made using lamb

Content shared throughout the campaign will highlight the farmers and production methods at the heart of the industry, while also providing consumers with practical and inspiring ideas for enjoying lamb at home.

Emma Heath, Director of Marketing at Quality Meat Scotland, said:

“Love Lamb Week is always a fantastic opportunity to work alongside our fellow UK levy boards and organisations across Scotland’s red meat supply chain to celebrate the quality and versatility of lamb.

“Lamb from the UK has been known to be at its best in late summer and autumn, so we hope the campaign inspires more people to Make it Lamb and try some of our latest Scotch Lamb recipes for everyone to enjoy, which can be found on makeitscotch.com.

“When you spot the blue Scotch Lamb logo, you know it's lamb you can trust.”

A campaign toolkit will be made available to levy bodies, farming organisations, retailers, processors and other industry stakeholders to help them take part in Love Lamb Week.

The toolkit will include updated campaign messages, Make it Lamb logos and social media assets featuring farmers, landscapes and recipe inspiration.

Participating organisations will be encouraged to share the materials through their own channels and networks in the lead-up to and throughout the week.

Love Lamb Week was established by Cumbrian sheep farmer Rachel Lumley in 2015 to encourage consumers to enjoy lamb during its peak season and to improve understanding of the people and work involved in its production.

Since its inception, the National Sheep Association has been a real driving force behind the Love Lamb Week campaign – with their social media accounts being used extensively to spread the campaign’s messages.

Farmers and others working throughout the sheep sector will be encouraged to get involved by sharing their own experiences, images and stories on social media.

The campaign aims to help consumers better understand where lamb comes from while building recognition of the contribution sheep farming makes to food production, rural communities and the UK’s landscapes.

Carrie McDermid, AHDB Head of Domestic Marketing, said:

"Love Lamb Week is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the naturally delicious taste and versatility of UK lamb, while recognising the dedication and hard work of the farmers who produce it. AHDB is proud to support this united campaign.

"We're also delighted to be working alongside The Farmer's Dog, whose commitment to showcasing quality British produce and supporting UK farming aligns perfectly with the aims of Love Lamb Week. Together, we're helping to shine a spotlight on what makes UK lamb so special."

Each levy body will also deliver activity tailored to consumers and industry audiences in its respective nation.

AHDB will mark the week with activity across its Simply Beef & Lamb social media channels, including videos featuring Charlotte Kingham, Head Butcher at Jeremy Clarkson’s pub The Farmer's Dog, and The Great British Bake Off contestant and farmer Mike Wilkins, sharing lamb cut and recipe inspiration.

We are also working with major retailers to provide on-pack stickers and social media content to raise awareness.

Farmers, independent butchers and retailers can access free promotional resources, including farmgate banners, stickers and children’s activity sheets.

Lamb-focused educational resources will also be available through the Food – a fact of life website to support learning in classrooms and at home.

QMS will place a Scotch Lamb focus across its Make it Scotch website and social media channels in the lead-up to and during Love Lamb Week.

The Make it Scotch social channels will be rebranded as Make it Lamb for the campaign period, with content showcasing farmers, production and demonstrating different ways to prepare and enjoy Scotch Lamb.

HCC will support Love Lamb Week through television, video-on-demand and digital advertising.

Activity will run across social media and press channels, featuring farmer stories and recipe content promoting the versatility of Welsh Lamb.

HCC will also communicate with more than 30,000 subscribers through its consumer newsletter and is developing potential influencer, retail and on-pack promotional activity.

LMC will promote Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assured lamb through its Beef and Lamb Northern Ireland website and social media channels.

A dedicated lamb landing page will feature recipe inspiration, while influencer activity will highlight the versatility and nutritional attributes of Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assured lamb.

LMC will also showcase Northern Ireland sheep farmers and work collaboratively with ABP, the Ulster Farmers’ Union and the Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster.

Activity will include a consumer sampling event at Belfast City Hall, supported by LMC representatives at the Ulster Farmers’ Union trailer, alongside a launch event featuring a Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assured lamb farmer.