Lamb and Mutton

In the past, the meat of sheep was divided into categories according to the age of the animal, though these classifications are not always well defined today. Lamb was always young, eaten from a few weeks old. It was especially associated with Easter, though it was consumed throughout the year. Spring lamb, available in the spring and summer, was from young animals born and reared in the fields, while house lamb was bred in barns for the Christmas market. Meanwhile, hogget was a weaned lamb, and today the label is usually attached to meat from a sheep between one and two years old.