Clun Forest Lamb Wins Joint First Place at 2024 Royal Welsh Winter Fair Taste Awards

RWAS 2024 Taste Test Winners Arthur Davies (South Wales Mountain) and Brian Davies (Clun Forest) with the Judges

Clun Forest Sheep Breeders Society celebrates outstanding achievement in Welsh lamb competition

The Clun Forest Sheep Breeders Society is proud to announce that Clun Forest Lamb, entered by I.T. Davies & Son of Honddu Daw flock was named a joint winner at the prestigious Royal Welsh Winter Fair Taste Awards held in November 2024. The competition, which celebrates the finest Welsh lamb, saw the Clun Forest entry share top honours with a South Wales Mountain entry, a testament to the exceptional quality and flavour of both breeds.

The Royal Welsh Winter Fair Taste Awards, held in collaboration with Cambria Training, The Culinary Association of Wales, and the Wales Culinary Team, aim to highlight the superior quality of Welsh lamb to a wider audience, encouraging chefs, businesses, and consumers to appreciate Welsh lamb as a premium product.

A total of seven native Welsh lamb breeds were presented by skilled chefs, each expertly cooked and served to a distinguished panel of judges made up of experts from across the industry. The judging panel, which comprised of Dilwyn Evans, Steven Owen, Neil Finn, Rhian Goodfellow and Alwyn Watkins, evaluated the lamb entries based on tenderness, flavour, and overall culinary excellence.

Despite fierce competition, Clun Forest Lamb stood out for its remarkable tenderness and rich, distinctive flavour, which impressed the judges and earned it joint first place. The decision was made following an incredibly close contest, with South Wales Mountain Lamb also earning high praise for its own superior qualities.

The recognition of Clun Forest Lamb underscores the breed’s reputation for producing high-quality, delicious meat that is both tender and full of flavor, a true reflection of the care and attention to detail that our farmers invest in their flocks.

“We are thrilled that Clun Forest Lamb has been recognized at such a prestigious event,” said Chairman Del Knowles from the Clun Forest Sheep Breeders Society. “This award highlights the dedication of our breeders, such as I.T. Davies & Son, who continue to produce some of the finest lamb in Wales. We are proud to showcase the Clun Forest breed as a premium product that can compete on the world stage.”

The Royal Welsh Winter Fair Taste Awards are a key platform for promoting Welsh lamb, and this year’s awards have once again reinforced the global reputation of Welsh lamb as a premium, high-quality product that deserves a place in kitchens around the world.
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For more information about the Clun Forest Sheep Breeders Society or the Clun Forest breed, please visit www.clunforestsheep.org.uk

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