Irish hill lamb
The beauty of Ireland’s western seaboard has inspired generations of visitors, artists and writers. The hills and mountains of Connemara and Mayo, Donegal and Kerry are the kind of landscapes that by their nature can’t be intensively farmed. In these landscapes, a centuries-old relationship between local communities and the land continues, providing a role model for sustainable farming and environmental stewardship, as well as delivering a bona fide culinary treasure. Grazing open hillsides, hill, mountain or ‘light’ sheep perform an important environmental function, ensuring these landscapes can continue to support the widest base of flora and fauna. Roaming this vast and varied landscape, their diet is essentially an organic one of wild grasses, sedges, heathers and mountain flowers, with proximity to the sea bringing light salt washings on the wind that introduce a delicate flavouring of their own. The result is a flavourful meat that is distinctly leaner and sweeter than lowland lamb.
