There is no doubting higher levels of intramuscular fat are associated with the superior eating quality characteristics of Aberdeen-Angus and indeed Wagyu beef, and the same appears to hold true in the sheep world, with new taste test trials showing grass-fed Suffolk lamb not only coming out on top for succulence and flavour, but also taste.

Figures from Ulster University show that Suffolk cross lamb was the preferred choice of 70% in a taste testing challenge between Suffolk cross, Texel cross and Charollais cross carcases. In the trial, which took place over three days at the end of May, and was based on 2kg lamb joints from the three cross breeds each cooked for 2.5 hours and left to rest for 15 minutes, Suffolk cross lamb scored highest for taste, texture, aroma, appearance and overall flavour.

The results are also on a par with the last big national lamb taste test some 20 years ago, when no fewer than 30 sheep breed crosses were up against one another and saw grass-fed Suffolk cross lamb produce the second highest score for eating quality to Hebridean lamb.

Marketed correctly, the Suffolk sheep breed now has the potential to reverse decades of ever declining consumption of sheepmeat in this country, firstly by convincing the processors of the superior eating quality of Suffolk cross lamb, which potentially could then be sold at a premium.

However, to do that, they also have to concentrate more on breeding for improved eating quality, which according to industry leaders in all sectors of the trade, means producing sheep with more intramuscular fat levels within the meat, instead of focusing purely on lean meat yield.

“The sheep industry has to change phenomenally in the next three years if we are to survive the potential risk of a hard Brexit, the continual decline in lamb consumption and our reliance on exports,” Scott Brown told The Scottish Farmer.

“Producers need to produce more easy fleshing lambs that can finish off grass, and with Suffolk cross lambs able to produce meat with more intramuscular fat, thereby improving the overall taste and flavour of lamb, we will hopefully be able to reduce the decline in consumption and build a household name for grass-fed Suffolk cross lamb.

“Suffolk cross lamb has the potential to be the Wagyu of the sheep world,” said Scott, who farms some 30 acres with his wife Jane just outside Dalkeith and is also a sales representative for Murray Farmcare veterinary pharmacy.

Chairman of the Suffolk Sheep Society’s newly formed commercial committee, Scott who owns the 30-ewe Capielaw flock in partnership with his brother Gavin, is also encouraging breeders not only to record and ultrasound scan their tup lambs, but also CT scan them to show intramuscular fat levels. This, in turn, will ensure commercial producers have the tups boasting good intramuscular fat figures to buy; enabling more Suffolk cross lambs with that all important marbling to be born; increasing the credibility of a potential Suffolk lamb marketing scheme.

There is a long way to go yet though as with 59 flocks in the society Signet recording, only eight are CT scanning, but then it does cost a hefty £60 per lamb, of which half is paid by the AHDB.

“Signet recording and ultra sound scanning has not been the most successful as too many people don’t understand how to use the information generated and others have been so pre occupied with chasing the highest indecies that they have forgotten about the quality of the sheep. CT scanning is different in that it measures real time data, intramuscular fat or marbling and can be used to push eating quality,” said Scott.

It’s tups with the highest marbling figures that are attracting a premium over the lambs that have not been scanned, too. Last year, Scott and Gavin sold 18 tup lambs at Kelso, of which 10 had been CT scanned which at the end of the day sold for an average £210 per head more than those that had not been CT.

This year’s lambs have already been scanned too, and again the lambs with the highest indecies produced the lead CT scanning figures, proving that you can get the meat quantity and quality. And, contrary to popular believe, you can get performance recorded sheep that are appealing to the eye, as the Browns also breed regular show winners at Dalkeith, Kelso and Peebles shows, and have twice bred a Highland Show champion.

The Capielaw flock also boasts a lamb with an intramuscular fat score of 3.46% ¬- the seventh highest recorded this year. “If he hadn’t been CT scanned, you would have said he was too fat, but he was also the longest and heaviest lamb we scanned and is heaviest scanned in the UK this year, at 81kg on May 30.”

An AI son of Flodden Magician, the lamb later christened Capielaw Mr Marbleous has since been sold privately to the Duncans buying for their Aberdeenshire-based Pennan flock, with the Browns retaining a half share.

“We have used semen from Flodden Magician, a tup originally bought by David Reid at Edinburgh, for a number of years now, purely because he has improved the marbling figures of our lambs. He along with Pennan Finale and his son, Capielaw Debonair, and the 6000gns Forkins Firestarter, have been our best performing tups in recent years,” said Scott who pointed out the brothers will be celebrating 20 years selling at the Kelso Ram Sales this year.

“We have always focussed on breeding sheep for the Kelso market as 90% of our lambs are bought by unregistered Suffolk breeders who have got their feet on the ground and are making money from producing Suffolk cross females. Buyers there are looking for Suffolk tups with good hair and coats and not too much bone. You can sell Suffolk tups with good coats and silky hair all day at Kelso, but we also have to start pushing producers to buy tups with intramuscular fat or marbling figures as that is what improves the eating quality of lamb,” said Scott.

“Ideally, we need to produce lambs with a reasonable amount of fat cover, a big eye muscle and hopefully a bit of marbling to get the ultimate eating quality experience and we can find out which tups will breed these characteristics with ultrasound and CT scanning. Two tups can look exactly the same to the untrained eye, but have a 4% difference in meat yield, which producing 100 lambs per year at prices of £4/dwkg can result in an extra 80kg of lamb or £320 per year. Over three years, that can mean an extra £960 difference in output.”

It was a point echoed by Alex Moir of the Broadland flock who was one of the first breeders to record, but was also a real critic of the system. Having dispersed his flock some years ago he now helps Scott out at busy times, and has nevertheless, completely changed his tune.

“Being able to measure intramuscular fat has made such a difference because that is what produces eating quality,” said Alex. “In the past, too many breeders focused purely on indecies with the result that the breed was getting too lean and lost some of it’s ease of fleshing characteristics and ultimately flavour. We have to get people back to recording to ensure the breed gets the credibility for having the best marbling, if we are to take this forward.”

Scott is more confident for the future of the breed now than ever too given the fact that more producers understand the need to bolus Suffolk cross lambs for selenium and copper, to maintain carcase development and reduce the number dirty tailed lambs caused by feed companies reducing copper inclusions to accommodate the influx of the continental breeds which have a low copper intolerance. Boluses are also needed due to the genetic improvement of grass seed mixtures containing high sugar grasses which have undoubtedly improved live performance but also comprised availability of trace elements to the stock grazing them.

You only have to look at increase in sale averages of Suffolk shearling rams at the Kelso Ram Sales, coupled with the growing number of producers looking to produce easier fleshing lamb to see that the breed is on to a winner. Just make sure you ask for their ultramuscular fat scanning figures when looking to buy a Suffolk stock ram this year …