Waitrose has announced that their stores are to begin selling lamb hearts as Brits embrace more traditional cuts of meat.
For centuries dishes such as humble pie and brawn, both of which use animal innards as key ingredients, were staples of the British diet.
However, in recent decades eating offal has declined in Britain significantly to the point where the consumption of animal organs appeared to have become a thing of the past.
But due to growing popularity of the cuts of meat in restaurants, supermarkets are reintroducing offal to their shelves.
Waitrose is one such supermarket which after removing lamb hearts from its stores in 2016 has announced the delicacy will be returning to them.
Waitrose has announced that their stores are to begin selling lamb hearts again eight years after the organ was taking off their shelves
Lamb heart is an excellent source of nutrition and at £3.50 per kilo it is more wallet-friendly than other cuts of meat
Brawn also known as head cheese is a cold cut dish that consists of meat from the head of a pig. For centuries dishes such as humble pie and brawn, both of which use animal innards as key ingredients, were staples of the British diet
With other lamb products in the store such as lamb chops cost as much as £8 per kilo, priced at £3.50 per kilo lamb hearts are more price friendly to consumers.
Lamb heart is also an excellent source of nutrition.
Kate Overy, a nutritionist at Waitrose told MailOnline: ‘Cooked lamb’s heart is high in protein, phosphorus, iron, copper, riboflavin, niacin and vitamin B12 and a source of Vitamin B6, thiamin and zinc.’
Other retailers have also noticed a surprise increase in the demand for offal. Ocado has reported a 37 per cent increase in the sales of bone marrow.
The online delivery company also said the sales of ox tongue had more than doubled between October 2022 and 2023.
Nick Allen, the chief executive of the British Meat Processors Association, said the rise in popularity of offal is due to Brits becoming more adventurous in their culinary habits and the increase in videos online showing foodies how to cook the meats.
He told the Telegraph: ‘We are hearing a lot more interest in offal on the home market. They [Britons] travel further afield, they come across offal, they see it on the menus and they have a bit of a go at it and think: ‘Oh, this is quite nice.’
Bone marrow and parsley salad meal served at St John restaurant in London. Restaurants have seen an increase in the popularity of offal as Brits become more adventurous in their culinary habits
Scandinavia is one area of Europe where offal is still a staple of the diet. In Iceland svið (pictured) is a dish that consists of boiled sheep’s head, with the brain removed, served with mash and swede
‘The challenge has always been, well, people don’t know how to cook it. It’s dead easy these days to find out what to do with it.’
Waitrose is also offering a range of recipes to inspire shoppers to cook with lamb hearts.
Paul Gamble, Senior Brand Development Chef at Waitrose, said: ‘Traditionally you can stuff lamb hearts and do a slow braise, delicious served with mash and green. Alternatively try making your own faggots, you could add liver too for extra nutrition and minced lamb for texture.
‘If you’re looking for a more ‘summery’ dish, prepare into strips and marinate with our Cook’s ingredient Lebanese 7 spice skewer and grill on a hot barbecue, drizzle with pomegranate molasses and serve with harissa roasted chickpeas.
‘They’re also delicious sliced thinly, marinated in olive oil, garlic, rosemary and lemon then grilled and served with a super seasonal pea, broadbean and chargrilled baby gem salad with a mint ricotta.
Previously much of the offal sold in the UK was exported to other countries where the consumption of the meats did not fall out of fashion.
Scandinavia is one area of Europe where offal is still a staple of the diet. In Iceland s svið is a dish that consists of boiled sheep’s head, with the brain removed, served with mash and swede.
In Norway boiled salt-cured pig trotters are often served as a Christmas delicacy known as syltelabb.