LAMB is emerging as a popular burger pattie protein alternative in the highly competitive and constantly evolving US burger chain food service segment.

“They’re everywhere on this month’s list of 60-plus specials, and they look great,” commented US burger industry website, BurgerBusiness.com recently.

US chain, Burger Lounge’s Mexican-inspired lamb burger.

The northern hemisphere spring tends to be a time of year for new burger releases in the US, and lamb is an ‘on-trend’ theme in what is an incredibly competitive US food service sector this year.

Burgerbusiness.com recently featured some of the lamb-based burger offers appearing in the US quick-service restaurant market this spring. There are dozens, if not hundreds of multi-site burger restaurant chains in the US food service industry, all looking for a point of difference in their menu offers, making lamb a popular target for something different.

Here’s some examples:

Burger Lounge: Instead of bowing to tradition and going Greek, the Burger Lounge chain (25 locations, mostly in California and Nevada) is topping its grassfed lamb patty with Mexican Asadero cheese, jalapeňo relish,roasted tomato and tomato aïoli.

The Counter: Another West Coast chain, The Counter, has a Big & Bold Lamburger with a third-pound ground lamb patty, herbed goat cheese, grilled red onion, spinach, tomato and spicy tomato jam on a ciabatta bun.

Burger Revolution: Ontario-based chain Burger Revolution calls its lamb burger The Liberator. Toppings include Brie cheese, pickled red onion, grilled asparagus and sweet-pea mayo.

Burger, Tap & Shake outlets in Washington has My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 for April. The char-grilled lamb patty is topped with cucumber, tomato, kalamata olive relish, feta cheese and rosemary aïoli.

Flip Burger: With outlets in Georgia, Alabama and Tennesee, Flip Burger Boutique tops its Spring Lamb Burger with garlic-pickled carrots, shaved onion and fennel; herb mayonaisse; red-wine vinaigrette and goat cheese.

“It’s not just an American trend,” BurgerBusiness.com noted. “The Burgermeester chain in The Netherlands, is menuing a ground lamb, pickled red onion, fig jam and French goat cheese burger this spring.”

Australia’s frozen boneless lamb exports to the US last year (mostly trim, used for grinding meat and burger pattie production) reached 11,092 tonnes, a 20 percent rise on trade in 2014.

In Australia, McDonald’s recently re-introduced a lamb item to its menu, called a lamb and feta McWrap.

Source: BurgerBusiness.com