Lavinton Lamb, the highly-acclaimed lamb produced by Lincolnshire shepherdess Sophie Arlott, has picked up another prestigious award.

Shoulder of lamb from Sophie's native breed sheep - farmed in the village of Lenton, between Bourne and Grantham - was named winner of the Fresh Meat Producer category in the Great British Food Awards 2019.

The category was judged by two star Michelin chef Nathan Outlaw, who described Lavinton Lamb as "amazing quality meat," adding: "This lamb had an excellent sweet flavour…an excellent piece of meat – faultless."

The Great British Food Awards celebrate the very finest British producers and retailers. Awards are voted for by world-renowned chefs, food experts, journalists and the public.

Sophie Arlott farms her flock on the lush ancient pastureland that surrounds her farmhouse in the village of Lenton, which used to be called Lavinton. She has spent the last five years creating her own unique breed of sheep from three native breeds and this has been specifically developed for flavour.

On receiving the award, Sophie said: "I'm delighted to have been recognised in the Great British Food Awards. Our Lavinton Lamb is unique to us and has been produced through careful, selected breeding to create flavour and quality, so to have this recognised is a real vindication of our work and effort.

"Our goal is to offer the highest quality and best flavour meat, produced with care and sensitivity, and to come out on top in these awards is a wonderful endorsement of Lavinton Lamb as a product and how we produce it.

"We are proud to supply some of the best chefs in the country. "These chefs really appreciate flavour and this latest award is further proof that we are producing some of the best-tasting lamb in the world." Animal welfare is a top priority for this artisan producer. Her sheep enjoy the finest quality of life and she is closely involved with every stage of their lives - from lambing them herself, keeping a constant watch on the new-borns, driving them to the local abattoir personally, and delivering orders to restaurants in her van. She works in partnership with The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust as her sheep selectively graze on the trust's wildlife-rich meadows, choosing which plants to eat – including invasive species - protecting the habitats whilst producing exquisite tasting lamb. Lavinton Lamb is available to buy direct from Sophie's farm. Customers can see the flock in the field, meet Sophie, and purchase anything from delicious lamb burgers and sausages, handmade by the shepherdess herself, to a joint, or a collection of cuts and chops for the oven or BBQ. Meat can be bought fresh from www.lavinton.com and is delivered in temperature controlled packaging that keeps it chilled for 48 hours. Lavinton Lamb supplies many top chefs, including more than a dozen Michelin star restaurants. Natasha Lovell-Smith, editor of Great British Food magazine, said: "This year's winners were easily some of the most exciting and delicious products we've seen yet. I'm proud to say that all of our winners represent the very best of modern, British food." For trade enquiries, Lavinton Lamb can be contacted on 01476 855055.