If you've been buying meat from a supermarket your whole life, there's a reasonable chance you've never come across the word hogget on a label. That's not because hogget doesn't exist, it's because the supermarket supply chain isn't set up to tell you about it.
Buying direct from a farm changes that. And once you understand the difference, you'll have a much better idea of what you're actually eating, and what you might be missing.
What Is Lamb?
Lamb is sheep under twelve months of age. In Australia, most commercially sold lamb is processed between four and nine months old, when the animal is still growing and the meat is pale, mild, and tender.
It's what most Australians grew up eating. It's what your local butcher means when they say "lamb cutlets." It's the default.
The flavour is relatively mild and the texture is fine-grained. It suits quick, high-heat cooking, a hot pan, a grill, a roast that doesn't need hours to come good.
What Is Hogget?
Hogget is sheep that is older than twelve months but younger than two years. It sits in the middle ground between lamb and mutton, more developed in flavour than lamb, but without the intensity that puts some people off mutton.
In Australia, hogget has historically been an industry term more than a consumer one. You won't find it labelled in most supermarkets because the supply chain doesn't distinguish between age categories at the retail level, everything gets called lamb whether it's four months old or fourteen.
Buying direct from a producer is one of the few ways to actually know what age the animal was when it was processed.
How Do Lamb and Hogget Differ in Flavour?
This is the question that matters at the table.
Lamb is mild and clean. The fat is white and subtle. It takes on marinades well and doesn't need much help to taste good. It's approachable, the kind of meat you'd serve to someone who says they don't really like lamb.
Hogget has more depth. The flavour is distinctly sheepy in a way that's genuinely enjoyable rather than overwhelming. The fat has had longer to develop, which means more flavour in the pan and on the plate. It rewards slower cooking, a braise, a low-and-slow shoulder, a slow-roasted leg that's had four hours in the oven and a glass of red wine poured over it at some point.
If lamb is the easy-listening version, hogget is what happens when the same song gets a bit more interesting. Same animal, more time, more character.
How Do You Cook Hogget vs Lamb?
They're not interchangeable, but they're not complicated either, you just need to know which direction you're going.
Lamb suits:
- Quick roasting (a rack, a backstrap, cutlets on the grill)
- High heat, short time
- Simple seasoning: the meat doesn't need a lot of support
Hogget suits:
- Low and slow (shoulder, leg, neck)
- Braises and slow cooker dishes where the connective tissue has time to break down
- Robust flavours: think rosemary, garlic, red wine, anchovies, preserved lemon
- Longer cooking times where the deeper flavour can actually shine
The mistake people make with hogget is treating it like lamb. Cook a hogget shoulder like a lamb cutlet and you'll wonder what the fuss is about. Give it four hours low and slow and you'll understand immediately.
What About Mutton?
Mutton is sheep over two years of age. It has the most developed flavour of the three and has been having a quiet revival among chefs and food-conscious consumers who appreciate the depth it brings.
It's also the hardest sell to people raised on supermarket lamb, because the flavour is genuinely strong and the cooking requirements are different again. Think slow-cooked curries, long braises, stews where the meat is one element of many.
To summarise:
- Lamb: under 12 months. Mild, tender, quick to cook.
- Hogget: 12 months to 2 years. More flavour, rewards slower cooking.
- Mutton: over 2 years. Full flavour, long cooking, not for the faint-hearted.
Does This Matter When You're Buying Direct From a Farm?
Yes, and it's one of the reasons buying direct is worth it.
Shepton Hill currently sells lamb, not hogget. But the point of this post isn't to sell you something that doesn't exist yet. It's to give you the information the supermarket never bothered to share, so that when you do buy meat, from us or anyone else, you actually know what you're getting.
When you buy Shepton Hill lamb, you know the age of the animal. You know the breed (Australian White or Primeline), the property (Victoria), and the way it was raised. That information is available to you in a way it simply isn't when you pull a tray of "lamb" off a supermarket shelf with no further detail on offer.
The tag number included with every Shepton Hill order is part of that same commitment. It's a direct link between what's on your plate and what was on the property, and it's the kind of thing that only exists when a producer is confident enough in what they're raising to let you look.
As for hogget, if there's enough interest, it's something we'd consider for a future release. If that's something you'd want, the waitlist is the right place to be.
Frequently Asked Questions: Lamb vs Hogget
What age is hogget? Hogget is sheep between twelve months and two years of age. Younger than that is lamb; older is mutton.
Does hogget taste different to lamb? Yes. Hogget has a more developed, richer flavour than lamb. The fat has had longer to grow, which adds depth to the eating experience. It's not stronger in an unpleasant way, just more characterful.
Is hogget more expensive than lamb? Not necessarily, though it depends on the producer and the market. Hogget takes longer to raise, which has a cost, but it also tends to carry more fat cover and yield well. At the direct-to-consumer level, pricing reflects the full cost of production, not supermarket margin structures.
Can you cook hogget the same way as lamb? You can, but you'll get better results adapting your method. Hogget suits slower, lower cooking more than lamb does. Treat a hogget shoulder like a lamb rack and you'll be disappointed. Give it time and the right conditions and it'll be one of the better things you've eaten.
Why don't supermarkets sell hogget? Because the supply chain isn't set up to track age categories at the retail level. Everything gets sold as "lamb" for simplicity. Buying direct from a farm is one of the few ways to know exactly what you're getting.
Where can I buy hogget in Australia? Direct from producers is your best option. Farmers markets, farm-direct websites, and butchers with direct relationships to farms are more likely to stock and label hogget accurately than supermarkets. Shepton Hill currently sells lamb, but if hogget is something you'd like to see from us in the future, join the waitlist and let us know.
Join the Waitlist
Shepton Hill releases lamb in limited batches, direct to your door. Every order includes the tag number linked to the animal it came from, so you always know exactly what you're cooking.
Deliveries are available to select states. Join the waitlist to be first to know when the next release is available in your area.
[Join the Shepton Hill Waitlist →]
Shepton Hill is a direct-to-consumer lamb brand based in Victoria, Australia. Raised on mixed pasture. Traceable from the paddock. This is the lamb you've been watching.
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