Lamb is stepping out of special-occasion territory. Consumption has seen an uptick in the U.S., and one of the clearest signs of that shift is where lamb is now showing up: behind the deli counter. And because of that, charcuterie boards—and deli cases—are getting a much-needed makeover. Meats like salami, prosciutto, and bresaola are now making room for slices like lamb pastrami, introducing lamb as an everyday option rather than a once-a-year indulgence.
At places like Wegmans on Broadway in New York City, lamb charcuterie has quietly entered daily food routines—available by the slice, ready for sandwiches, boards, and casual snacking moments. Their deli fridges are now stocked with Aussie Select, made from lamb from Australia and produced here in the United States, marking the emergence of lamb charcuterie as a distinct category, one that offers consumers a new point of access to lamb.
“Standing at the deli one day at my local grocery store, I wondered, ‘Why is every other protein behind the glass and not lamb?’” says Jaclyn Oyola, CEO of Aussie Select (pictured top left). “We know Americans love lamb. But we tend to save it for special occasions like Easter and Christmas. Placing lamb in the deli reframes it entirely. Making lamb more approachable through the brand’s four offerings (Lamb Prime Rib, Tikka Masala, Agave Rosemary, and Lamb Pastrami) invites consumers to try lamb in familiar formats, right alongside the proteins they already reach for.”
This shift hasn’t happened in a vacuum. The evolution of lamb charcuterie has been helped along by broader changes in how Americans eat. From fine-dining chefs embracing whole-animal butchery to the mainstreaming of gyro and shawarma stands, diners have grown more comfortable with lamb as a flavorful, everyday choice. At the same time, fatigue with the chicken–beef–pork trifecta has opened the door for proteins that feel both exciting and accessible—allowing lamb to move out of its “holiday-only” box and into regular rotation.
“Australian farmers consider themselves grass farmers first and foremost,” explains Oyola, whose work has focused on translating lamb’s agricultural strengths into modern, everyday formats like charcuterie. “It is truly a ‘you are what you eat’ mentality there,” she says. “It’s cultivating the land for the betterment of the animals, and the great result of what they’re producing, from an animal protein perspective, starts with the grass.”
“Over in Australia, you’ve got a lot of grass from soil that cannot grow other vegetation. And animals can turn that grass into protein for humans,” Oyola says. “It’s a beautiful thing.”
That connection—from pasture to deli counter—is now visible in American food culture. These pure, pasture-raised products are ending up in American refrigerators, sandwiches, and on charcuterie platters thanks to Oyola and purveyors like Wegmans, which has been offering Aussie Select lamb pastrami and lamb prime rib at its deli counters since October.
With this clean, delicious flavor profile come additional benefits. Lamb is one of the more sustainable proteins, and the Australian lamb industry is climate neutral. “It will be carbon neutral soon,” says Oyola. On top of this, lamb is healthy. “It’s lean and clean,” she continues. “People call it ‘land salmon’. It is rich in omega-3s.”
These attributes matter, but what’s new is how easily consumers can now engage with them. Because of supply chain challenges during the pandemic, Americans who couldn’t find pork, chicken, or beef rediscovered lamb, which remains one of the fastest-growing center-of-plate proteins at 15% year over year.
Oyola stresses that Australia’s production systems are slow and purposeful. When we’re eating a piece of meat and the flavor is compromised, that can be from a stress hormone released during the process from farm to slaughterhouse. The Australian lamb industry is different, she says. “They’re living a clean life. They’re often not being given antibiotics or growth hormones. Then when they’re moved into production, it’s done slowly and with care.”
“These farmers love these animals,” she continues. “They lead such beautiful, wide-open-pasture lives.”
“Some people who don’t like lamb will eat it and say, ‘Oh, this doesn’t taste like lamb,’” Oyola says. “And that’s when I laugh and I say, ‘Well, maybe you’ve had bad lamb.’ It does taste like lamb. It tastes like delicious lamb.”
That rediscovery is exactly the point. Knowing what good lamb tastes like—and encountering it in everyday, low-pressure settings—is why Wegmans has made room for lamb behind the deli counter. When lamb shows up sliced, stacked, and ready to eat, it stops being intimidating and starts becoming part of daily life. And when that ease meets the ongoing popularity of charcuterie board entertaining, lamb charcuterie becomes more than a product—it becomes a bridge between tradition and modern eating habits, reshaping how Americans experience lamb.
