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Hearts, liver and kidneys are back on the menu as sales soar 91%, 33% and 25% compared to this time last year
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Waitrose.com has seen a 200% surge in lamb liver recipe views in the last year alone
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Driven by social media, restaurant menus and a push for zero-waste, these ‘forgotten cuts’ have moved to viral foodie status
Waitrose has revealed that ‘forgotten cuts’ are firmly back in favour, with sales of lamb’s liver, kidneys, and heart steaks soaring. It's a revival fuelled by the rise of nose-to-tail eating, a craving for the comfort of ‘grandma-style’ recipes, and a much more mindful approach to food waste.
Libby Nicolls, Meat Counter Buyer at Waitrose, says: “Forgotten cuts’ are officially back on the menu! We’re seeing a shift as food lovers move beyond the basics to experiment with nose-to-tail cooking. This is driven by a mix of factors: social media has made mastering ‘Grandma-style’ techniques much easier, and there’s a more mindful approach to food waste. Since these aren’t as pricey as the ‘usual’ cuts, they’re also incredibly accessible. By embracing ‘nose-to-tail’ eating, people are rediscovering that foods from lamb kidney to ox tail are actually the secret to getting that incredible, deep, restaurant-quality flavour at home.”
Compared to this time last year, sales for:
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Lamb liver +33%
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Lamb kidneys +25%
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Lamb hearts +91%
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Beef rump heart steak +88%
Compared to this time last year, searches on Waitrose.com for:
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‘Lamb liver’ +54%
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‘Ox tail’ +76%
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‘Lamb neck’ +28%
Compared to this time last year, recipe searches on Waitrose.com for:
Emer Lowry, Nutritionist at Waitrose, comments: “Lamb heart, liver, and kidneys are great natural sources of Vitamin B12, iron, and various other micronutrients, which provide energy and support immune systems. They also provide a rich source of protein for those wanting to add more high quality, nutrient dense foods into their diets.”
This revival is being led by some of the UK's most iconic kitchens. We’re seeing these 'forgotten cuts' take center stage on menus - from the legendary crispy pig’s head at St. JOHN, to Mangal in Dalston who continue to set the bar with their signature lamb liver skewers. This trend has also been seen across socials with content creators including @kate_keogh rustling up a nostalgic neck of lamb stew.
Paul Gamble, Senior Innovation Chef at Waitrose, says: “When you're tackling something as lean as lamb hearts, the marinade is your best friend - not just for the punch of flavour, but for the texture. I always recommend at least two hours, though overnight is where the magic happens. A simple base of olive oil, lemon juice, and woody herbs like rosemary or thyme works wonders; the acid gently breaks down those hard-working muscle fibers long before they even hit the pan.”
Notes to Editors
About Waitrose & Partners
Run by over 45,000 passionate Partners, Waitrose has been serving customers for 120 years and offers extraordinary products in our 320 shops and on Waitrose.com. Inspiring food discovery, our expert Partners run almost 800 specialist food service counters in store, where customers can shop a variety of the best quality meat, fresh fish, dry aged beef, sushi, as well as cheese. Our Beer, Wine and Spirits team features the largest number of Masters of Wine of any UK supermarket and we sell nearly 3,000 different wines, beers, ciders, spirits as well as no and low drinks in our shops, on Waitrose.com and Waitrose Cellar. We are committed to selling products which have been responsibly sourced, grown using the very best sustainable farming methods, some of which are grown or trialled on our very own farm, the Leckford Estate. In 2024, Waitrose was granted the Royal Warrant of Appointment to be Grocers and Wine & Spirits Merchant to His Majesty King Charles III.
