LAMB from the county’s farms has been served up in the schools, residential homes and day centres in Dwyfor and Meirionnydd in a campaign to support the Welsh meat.

Whilst Gwynedd Council procures local produce throughout the year, its staff has been working with Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) and local meat providers to ensure that lamb from Gwynedd will be served to more than 5,000 pupils and over 300 care home residents and day centres across the county.

Gwynedd Council Cabinet member for care, Cllr Gareth Roberts said: “Welsh Lamb is the best in the world, and it’s great to be able to support this vital industry by providing lamb in our residential homes, day centres and schools.

"As a council we serve Welsh Lamb throughout the year, but we are particularly pleased to be able to offer lamb specifically from Gwynedd in this campaign.

“Of course, by using lamb from Gwynedd, we are highlighting our commitment as a council to supporting the local economy, our rural communities as well as ensuring that we are serving food of a high standard.

“Roast meat and the traditional Sunday lunch is very popular amongst our residents in our homes and day centres, and I’m sure that the residents will enjoy this special during the week.”

Cllr Mandy Williams-Davies, Gwynedd Council’s Cabinet member for economy, added: “As a council, we are committed to offering a healthy school lunch to the children of Gwynedd which includes a variety of wonderful local produce.

“We support local businesses to provide produce, and it’s therefore very pleasing that we are able to highlight this by offering Gwynedd lamb on the menu for the county’s pupils.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to promote local produce, and we hope that it will be a way to encourage more residents to support Gwynedd producers.

“There is a lot of talk these days about the traceability of produce. It is therefore very important that we, as a council, ensure that the produce we serve school pupils and care home residents is of the highest standard. We are proud that this campaign ensures that lamb from Gwynedd farms will be served.”

Dafydd Jarrett, of the Meirionnydd branch of NFU Cymru, said: “’Charity beings at home’ is a very relevant old saying. NFU Cymru congratulates Gwynedd Council for this initiative which not only bring benefit to the county’s residents but also to its sheep farmers and the local economy.

“Why should not both the young and older population of Gwynedd benefit on the best lamb meat in the world right here on their doorstep. It fits in well with NFU Cymru’s own campaign – back Welsh Farming. Well done to all involved.”