National Lamb Day on Saturday 15 February honours a milestone in New Zealand’s history. It commemorates the departure of the ship Dunedin from Port Chalmers on 15 February 1882, carrying the first shipment of frozen lamb to London. The day is a celebration of New Zealand lamb, an opportunity to salute our farmers and recognise the significant economic contribution New Zealand's red meat sector generates for Kiwis.
This year, longtime supporters Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) and AgProud are thrilled to welcome FMG and Rabobank as principal partners. FMG and Rabobank will be running promotional campaigns to help raise awareness and encourage people to get involved.
Celebrations will kick off with a lamb BBQ at Parliament, hosted by Minister McClay, in the week leading up to National Lamb Day.” Following last year’s well-attended event, we’re expecting a strong turnout of MPs and key industry figures”, says Rowena Hume, GM Insight and Communication.
On National Lamb Day itself, Totara Estate will be holding a ‘show day’ to celebrate. Totara Estate exported New Zealand’s first shipment of frozen meat overseas, making it the birthplace of what is now a globally renowned billion-dollar frozen meat export industry.
Check out the National Lamb Day refreshed website: National Lamb Day — BEEF + LAMB NEW ZEALAND, keep an eye on social media and the competitions that will be running, and see some ideas below for how you can get involved.
Let's join together to celebrate National Lamb Day, making it an annual celebration of Kiwi lamb and the hard work of our dedicated farmers.
Get involved
National Lamb Day is a great opportunity to host a summer barbecue. Gather friends and family, throw some lamb on the grill and ‘raise a chop’ to celebrate our amazing food producers.
Help us raise awareness by sharing information within your networks. Post your own photos and videos on your social media channels proudly celebrating your national lamb day BBQ or other national lamb day event. Use hashtag #nationallambday when posting.
Stay tuned to B+LNZ’s Facebook Page for updates and posts to share.
Wear a National Lamb Day T-shirt to show your support. AgProud is selling T-shirts with $12 from each T-shirt going to the charity. Get yours here.
Dine out on lamb – to mark National Lamb Day, B+LNZ is calling on chefs and restauranteurs across the country to celebrate our grass-fed lamb for the month of February by showcasing a New Zealand lamb dish on their menu.
Learn more
Read more and watch a video about the history of New Zealand Lamb on the National Lamb Day website.