The list of butchers and restaurants in which you can find Amatik lamb is available on the following website: www.asso-amatik.fr/lagneau/.
The free-range Amatik suckling lamb comes from the Lacaune dairy breed. The lamb is fed solely with milk suckled at the teat (hence the name ‘Amatik’ which means ‘mother’) for 15 to 35 days and with no preventive health treatment (e.g. antibiotics). Its meat has a strong, pronounced taste, it is smooth, tender and juicy with a light pink colour whether raw or cooked.
Respect for the animal and its well-being is paramount for breeders. The ewes have grassy areas as needed and according to the season and, whether in pastures or in stables, they are given a balanced grain diet suited to their needs.
A few farms (around 10%) still move their flocks from July to September to the high mountains in the Soule and Béarn. Other farms have settled in valleys or on hillsides.
The lambs are born from September to April, with a peak in the month of November. From the time of their birth to their slaughter, they remain in the sheepfold with their mother.
Respect for the ewe’s environment is also a sign of their well-being. As such, the pasture land and grasslands are regularly maintained and manured: switching between mowing and grazing helps protect the grass and the agrobiological balance of the soil.
The industry has no less than 96 breeders for 56 farms (including parents and partners) across the Lower Navarre, Soule and Béarn regions. Some 26,500 sheep are reared in accordance with the Label Rouge specifications.
