SAN FRANCISCO — American lamb continues to move up in the standings at AT&T Park, home of the 2010 and 2012 World Series Champion San Francisco Giants. This season, three different American Lamb menu items appear in a total of five venues in the Park by the Bay.
A new Irish-style Lamb Burger topped with white Cheddar has been added to the menu at Murphy’s Irish Pub on the Club Level in 2013, a direct result of ticket holders' requests for a lamb item to appear on this VIP level. This new offering complements an Italian-style Lamb Sausage featured at three venues in the Ballpark by the Bay since 2010 and a Greek style lamb burger introduced in 2011.
"The All-American Lamb Sausage Sandwich exceeded our expectations in 2011 and proved to be a fan favorite,” stated Bill Greathouse, Senior Vice President, Centerplate, the San Francisco Giants concession partner. “We are excited to bring back the Lamb Sausage and add the Gourmet Lamb Burgers to our concession offerings.”
American lamb, once reserved for holidays and mint jelly, is quickly becoming an everyday dining choice, especially in the San Francisco Bay Area with its culinary-focused populace. Lamb Sausage and Lamb Burgers are just a few new products appearing on restaurant menus and in grocery stores which are eventually making it on home dinner tables.
The strategic marketing program that brought American Lamb to AT&T Park is a joint venture spearheaded by the California Sheep Commission with support from the American Lamb Board and Superior Farms based in Dixon, CA. The program’s impact reaches well beyond the ballpark and includes multiple elements designed to increase lamb sales at Northern California retailers committed to featuring American lamb.
An aggressive 6-month radio advertising program, airing April through September, will be heard by more than 4.2 million consumers in Northern and Central California and into Nevada. The spots, which feature 3rd generation California lamb producer, John Cubiburu, educate consumers on the benefits of local lamb and support retail promotions by highlighting different lamb cuts featured in best food day supermarket ads. To further support retail sales, the participating groups are hosting special tastings to expose consumers to new and value added cuts and preparations. Additionally, coupons are being distributed to consumers through special events, contests, social media and on-line efforts.
“It just makes sense to utilize this media partnership to its fullest by involving retail,” said Angela Gentry, Superior Farms Marketing Director. “Our customers have been excited. It’s a very positive move for our category and everyone has been excited so far to be affiliated with the program and see it succeed. We look forward to expanding our lineup at AT&T Park and scoring more home runs in other stadiums, convention centers and other high volume venues. As exciting as that is, the real value of this program is the potential is has in support retail marketing efforts,” continued Gentry.
Tying lamb with baseball, America’s pastime, helps reinforce lamb as an everyday protein. Offering lamb menu items at AT&T Park demonstrates new uses for lamb lovers and creates trials among new customers. Locally produced American lamb is a perfect fit for Northern California with its strong focus on local, sustainable, flavorful fare. The San Francisco Bay area is surrounded by major lamb producing areas including the Delta, the San Joaquin Valley and Sonoma County and is dominated by small farming families, many who trace their roots back to the Basque regions in France and Spain. All these points resonate very well with the California
Source: California Sheep Commission