Add savory lamb to your restaurant menu to enhance value and selection. Tender, lean lamb is available in America year round. American farmers have cultivated the art of raising lamb naturally on open pastures. Most of the animals feed on grass, corn and alfalfa. This unique grazing is what American farmers believe produces the delicate taste favored by American consumers.

Some people have long considered lamb a more extravagant meat and consumers are willing to pay steep prices for lamb dishes. More flavorful and tender than beef or chicken, lamb requires less advance preparation and lends itself to a variety of presentations. Whether you plan to serve it grilled over field greens or roasted alongside oven-browned potatoes, you'll be sure to choose the right lamb when you keep certain points in mind:

1. Save time and money when you find reputable sources of lamb meat wholesale.

2. Contact lamb processors directly to ensure a premium product.

3. Make sure your chefs and cooks know the proper techniques for handling and cooking lamb.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get lamb meat wholesale from reliable purveyors

Buying lamb from a wholesaler you trust means you can always count on getting the cuts you need at the most competitive prices.

I recommend: D'Artagnan operates its wholesale meat business out of Newark, New Jersey. Its name has become synonymous with quality retail and wholesale game and foiegras. D'Artagnan deals directly with small livestock buyers and supports the small lamb farmer who raises hothouse lambs naturally. Its extensive product line for lamb meat includes the popular leg of lamb and French cut racks of lamb. Another veteran of the wholesale meat industry, Whittingham and Sons Meat Company, operates out of Alsip, Illinois. Since the 1940s, this wholesaler has provided top quality lamb meat to the restaurant and food service industry.

Establish accounts with a lamb grower to get the freshest meat possible

If you're the kind of business owner who needs to be certain who and what you're dealing with, buying lamb direct from the farm is your best bet.

I recommend: Sweet Meadow Farms raises its animals without the help of hormones and other chemicals. The animals graze freely under the supervision of trained shepherds. Check out the company's price list and then place your order online. Royer Farm Fresh Beef, Lamb & Pork has been raising livestock since the nineteenth century. Run by the Royer family, the company provides exceptionally tender lamb that has been dry-aged for maximum flavor.

Educate your cooking staff with lamb information from dependable sources

It's essential that your kitchen staff understand the ingredients they work with. Knowing the different lamb cuts and their location makes it easier to choose the proper cooking and holding methods.

I recommend: The American Lamb Board comprehensive website provides kitchen tested recipes for cooking lamb and information on inspection and grading, how to buy lamb meat, storing lamb and import comparison data. Victoria Packing Corporation, a family owned business for more than seven decades, helps educate lamb processors and purveyors about the primal and subprimal lamb meat cuts.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Market research studies conducted in the United States show that Americans prefer lamb raised in America because it tastes fresher and milder than imported lamb.