We took a dive back in time and discovered the love of roast lamb hasn’t changed much over the years. As stated in Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management circa. 1861, it appears her recipe for roast leg of lamb clearly states two of the most important ingredients that we still use today to cook our lamb - “lamb and a little salt.”

In 2022, to celebrate the 140th anniversary of the first shipment of lamb arriving in the UK, three of the Beef + Lamb Ambassador Chefs stepped out of their kitchens and into Central Otago for National Lamb Day in May.

Ahead of National Lamb Day in 2022, we invited Platinum Ambassador Chef, Kate Fay into the Beef + Lamb kitchen to cook up a feast using lamb ribs.

In 2022, to commemorate the 140th anniversary of New Zealand lamb, we spoke to Platinum Ambassador Chef , Darren Wright, on his journey as a chef and cooking with New Zealand lamb.

To celebrate National Lamb Day in 2022, Cameron Davies shared the story of his braised lamb shoulder, local artisan Lumsden lamb bacon, pommes purée, parsnip purée, creamed local kale, and a green peppercorn sauce.

To celebrate National Lamb Day in 2022, MacLean Fraser shared the story of his grilled lamb loin, duck fat potato, baby carrots three ways (salt-baked whole, puréed, pickled) peas (in pods, sprouts, and foam), layered slices of potato, and crisp bacon.

To celebrate National Lamb Day in 2022, Andrew May shared the story of his Lumina lamb cutlets with pressed lamb neck terrine, topped with curried granola, courgette & basil purée, green tomato chutney, pickled baby beetroot, served with a split rosemary & lamb glaze.

To celebrate National Lamb Day in 2022, BJ Sebastian shared the story of his Hawkes Bay Lamb loin, lamb belly and potato roulade, piko piko, lamb sweetbread, elderberry, burnt zucchini, pickled green walnut, and lamb garum.

2021 Beef + Lamb Ambassador Chef, Norka Mella Munoz was head chef at Kinloch Manor & Villas when she shared one of her favourirte pairings of lamb with lentils to celebrate National Lamb Day.

2021 Beef + Lamb Young Ambassador Chef Sam Heaven, designed this lamb dish to tell the diner about where he grew up. He wanted to use the products from his environment to tell the story on the plate. He grew up on an olive grove with beehives and lambs in the paddocks and has included all of these ingredients.

Beef + Lamb newly crowned 2021 Young Ambassador Chef, Sam Heaven, took some time out from the big city lights of Auckland and journeyed to the deep south to learn a little bit more about growing lamb in New Zealand.

Our farmers do a wonderful job of feeding the nation and the world, especially when it comes to New Zealand lamb! They started it and luckily for us we have a wealth of talented chefs in New Zealand who know how to finish it - on the plate! So what do our chefs find so special about working with New Zealand lamb?

When a new opportunity appeared on Chef Norka’s radar she saw it as a step up in her career but added that it was difficult to leave Mangapapa as she had such an awesome team who she looked upon as family.

May 24th marks National Lamb Day and New Zealand lamb has come a long way since the first shipment left our shores back in 1882. It is widely used around the globe but how has it evolved on menus over the years?

Ever thought of cooking with sweetbreads but not sure how to start? Ambassador Chef Jack Crosti explains how to get the best out of this cut of offal and why it’s good to be using every part of the lamb.

We asked Amassador Chef, Phil Clark, what his favourite new menu dish is and he says without a doubt it’s his new lamb dish which is getting him the most excited. He loves it when the orders come through for this dish as it’s a lot of fun to plate up. The dish features a New Zealand lamb loin with glazed lamb neck, Jerusalem artichoke, crispy cabbage and red onion and berry jam

Darren Wright of Chilingworth Road in Christchurch has taken to his kitchen at home during lockdown. Here he demonstrates how to turn a leg of lamb into an amazing rich curry, cooked long and slow in his slow cooker.

Platinum Ambassador Chef, Shaun Clouston of Logan Brown had some little helpers in his kitchen during the lockdown. There is nothing better than getting kids to help in the kitchen, it not only keeps them busy but is teaching them a life long skill. Watch below as he cooks lamb koftas and beef and onion pies.

This visually stunning dish features a lamb loin wrapped in anchovy mousse with rosemary, marinated lamb belly, deep fried sweet bread with textures of broccoli and beetroot.  The dish has an interesting variation of textures and flavours with…

Black garlic leather and lamb belly crumb are just two components of this mouth-watering lamb dish created by Ambassador Chef Pablo Tacchini. Watch below as he shows us how he cooks the lamb short loin over his custom made…

Beef + Lamb Ambassador Chef, Pablo Tacchini loves to cook lamb using the traditional Argentinian method of slow cooking the whole carcass over an open fire.  He says it takes a bit of knowledge about how wood, fire and temperature work to cook…

There is nothing better than a meaty pot sticker and below our Platinum Ambassador Chef, Michael Coughlin shares his tried and true recipe for a lamb shank pot sticker with a delicious black bean sauce…

Amayjen is based in the heart of rural New Zealand and Andrew says his customers are always keen to experience the full ‘meaty’ experience when dining out.  He chooses to use prime cuts and secondary cuts together to give diners the whole nose to tail experience…

Beef + Lamb Ambassador Chef, Jarrod McGregor from Rothko in Matakana, likes to work with just a few flavours on the plate and says lamb is the perfect vehicle to take on the international flavours that inspire him.  His current…

Beef + Lamb Ambassador Chef, Scott Buckler recently showcased New Zealand lamb at the Amuri Show in the South Island. He demonstrated how to create an easy barbecue lamb dish which home cooks can use to impress their guests or use as a delicious…

There is nothing more quintessentially Kiwi than a summer BBQ! With the wide array of portable BBQ’s available now, the great Kiwi BBQ is not routed to the backyard anymore. I would be happy to take a bet that this Waitangi Day whether you are at home, the beach…

Platinum Ambassador Chef, Kate Fay of Cibo in Parnell is well known for her lamb bacon which she often uses as a garnish on her dishes.  She says it adds an intense flavour and interesting texture to her lamb dishes.  Kate uses lamb rib to create the bacon…

Ambassador Chef, Freddie Ponder from Tables Restaurant in New Plymouth loves cooking with New Zealand lamb.  Not only is it a versatile and flavoursome product to work with, Freddie uses is raised on the wholesome green pastures down…

What better way to celebrate National Lamb Day than with a lamb sausage roll!  Ambassador Chef Kate Fay originally created her version of this Kiwi classic dish for the 20th anniversary of Cibo Restaurant in Parnell, where she is executive chef…

Damon is head chef at the Emporium Eatery and Bar in Napier and on National Lamb Day he will be serving up twelve-hour braised lamb shoulder served on smoked potato, with sweet garlic and horseradish butter.  He says this dish is sublime…