The meat, which is rarely seen in supermarkets or butcher's shops, has begun appearing on the menu at top London restaurants Fifteen, Pied a Terre and St John, and in New York.

Harrods will begin selling fresh goat shoulder next month at £19.95 a kilogram.

A spokeswoman suggested roasting the meat or dicing it for stews or curries, adding that it could replace lamb in a lot of recipes.

Goat contains 122 calories per three ounces compared with 162 for chicken, 175 for lamb, 179 for beef and 180 for pork. It also has significantly less fat than all the other meats, at 0.79g compared with 3.0g for beef.

British chef Valentine Warner, who is working with the store on the project, said: "Goat meat is truly delicious, deep and flavoursome, the taste varying from mild to strong according to the age of the animal.

"It is as fantastic stewed as it is lying over smouldering charcoal. The UK has been exceptionally slow to catch on to this wondrous meat, enjoyed the world over."

Bruce Langlands, director of the Harrods Food Halls, said: "Goat has been on the culinary backburner in the UK for many years, but we feel it is the right time to showcase its delicious qualities to our customers.

"With low fat but high protein content and a taste much like lamb, we believe it will be a great addition to the Food Halls."

Harrods will source the meat from Boer goats raised at Stoke Mill Farm in Dorset.