Fresh lamb

Kidd is the supreme winner of Auckland's first-ever Ballance Farm Environment Awards.

He was approached Countdown with his proposal to bring back the celebration of new season lamb in New Zealand, merchandise manager meat and seafood, Alton Gullery, told Rural News.

"Traditionally the first spring lamb of the season is shipped to the UK so consumers in the northern hemisphere can enjoy Kiwi lamb in time for Christmas," he says.

"As part of the Kaipara Lamb cooperative, Kidd and seven other family farms have been able to provide new season spring lamb, exclusively for Countdown.

"New season lambs are born around June/July in the Kaipara region north of Auckland before making their way to shelves in selected Countdown stores by late October. New season lamb is very special, with only around 200 lambs being supplied to select Countdown supermarkets per week," Gullery adds.

"While the first season of Kaipara Lamb was relatively small, Countdown sold over 9000 packs of the lamb in 14 weeks -- great for customers who love lamb."

Kidd says they will start the season earlier this year and Countdown will increase the advertising including the point of sale at selected supermarkets across the north.

The lambs leave very early in the morning and go straight to processing.

"They are prime lambs straight off their mums with no drench pretty much," he says. "People say it tastes different because I think it has not been stressed sitting around for hours waiting to be processed. We have had good feedback."