September 20, 2011

British beef consumption up

Despite consumers paying about 4% more than they did a year ago, beef consumption rose in the UK.

This has been attributed to the lowest British summer temperatures for the last 13 years.

UK takes about 40% of Irish beef production, and our exporters benefited from the increased summer consumption, which has been estimated at 10% higher compared to 2010 for sales of stewing beef and frying or grilling cuts.

With total volume sales of beef up 2% and the average retail price 4% higher, British consumer expenditure on beef in the four weeks ending August 7 was 7% up, on-year.

Beef sales, particularly stewing, have traditionally performed well in cold weather, enabling the beef industry, from farmers to exporters, to look on the bright side of low temperatures.

In contrast, the British lamb market remained in the doldrums through the summer. During July and early August, volume lamb sales were down by a quarter, on-year. The fall in lamb expenditure was down only 12% because retail prices were 18% higher than last year.