Paired with mint sauce and a selection of seasonal vegetables, it’s a traditional meat served up for Easter that millions of families in Britain enjoy each year.
But many could be forced to seek an alternative to lamb this month after the price in supermarkets has soared by nearly 50 per cent in some cases over the past year.
Heightened consumer demand and a supply crunch are contributing to significant inflation for lamb after UK sheep meat production declined by 7 per cent last year.
The cost of lamb joints is up by an average of 15 per cent across Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Lidl, Aldi and Waitrose, according to data from Assosia.
Prices recorded on March 31 this year have been compared to the corresponding period last year of March 11, 2024 when Easter fell earlier, reported The Grocer.
A Tesco Finest Boneless Lamb Leg with Cornish Sea Salt & Black Pepper (720g) has soared from £12.60 in the run-up to Easter 2024 to £18.61 this year, a rise of 48 per cent
Waitrose No.1 Lamb Boneless Half Shoulder with Garlic and Herbs rose by 36 per cent from £19.50 per kilogram last year to £26.50 now
Ewes and newborn lambs in the Warwickshire village of Bishop’s Itchington last month
Some 74 per cent of lamb joint stock-keeping units (SKUs) are now more expensive year on year – with notable price rises particularly at Tesco and Waitrose.
The biggest increase was for a Tesco Finest Boneless Lamb Leg with Cornish Sea Salt & Black Pepper (720g) which soared from £12.60 in the run-up to Easter 2024 to £18.61 this year, a rise of 48 per cent. The 1,367g version went up by 34 per cent.
Meanwhile Waitrose No.1 Lamb Boneless Half Shoulder with Garlic and Herbs rose by 36 per cent from £19.50 per kilogram to £26.50.
At Sainsbury’s, its British or New Zealand Half Lamb Shoulder (approx 925g) and its British or New Zealand Lamb Breast (approx 775g) both rose by over 30 per cent.
Harvir Dhillon, economist at the British Retail Consortium, told The Grocer: ‘Lamb prices are under pressure from ongoing supply challenges and continued consumer demand.
‘While domestic production is expected to increase slightly in 2025, it comes after a year of strong demand and significant supply issues, which pushed prices up.’
It comes after UK sheep meat production fell by 7 per cent in 2024 according to data from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra).
Figures from research firm NIQ also revealed lamb sales volumes increased by 4 per cent last year. Value sales were up by £37million or 18 per cent to £242million.
Other lamb products have also seen price increases over the past year, with Tesco Finest Lamb Steak, Sage & Rosemary Butter (200g) going up by 60 per cent from £3.75 to £6.
Tesco Finest Moroccan Inspired Lamb Kebabs (460g) rose by 68 per cent from £5.40 to £9; while Tesco British Lamb Mince 10% Fat (250g) went up by 45 per cent from £3.80 to £5.50.
It comes after a separate investigation from consumer group Which? found Easter eggs had gone up in price by as much as 50 per cent on last year while shrinking in size.
The price of chocolate has risen by 16.5 per cent in a year – compared to a 4.4 per cent increase for supermarket food and drink overall – according to inflation tracking by Which?.
That follows a steep fall in global cocoa production, driven by higher temperatures hindering the quality and quantity of beans, which started driving wholesale costs to record highs.
An 80g pouch of Terry’s chocolate orange mini eggs at Lidl cost 99p in the run up to Easter in 2024 but has gone up to £1.35 while shrinking to 70g – meaning a price rise of 56 per cent per 100g.
Separately, supermarket industry figures published by data firm Kantar on Tuesday showed grocery price inflation climbed to 3.5 per cent for the four weeks ending March 23.
This was up from 3.3 per cent a month earlier.
Kantar said prices were rising fastest for goods such as chocolate, butters and spreads, and chilled smoothies and juices.
A Waitrose spokeswoman told MailOnline today: ‘We support British, sourcing British lamb all year round and always ensure that we pay our farmers fairly, offering the best value and quality across all of our products.’
MailOnline has also approached Tesco and Sainsbury’s for comment.
At Sainsbury’s, its Whole Leg Of Lamb is available to Nectar cardholders for £7.85p/kg – compared to £15.70/kg without.
