July 18, 2022

UK beef, lamb, and pork sales drop as consumers look to save cash

A survev by analysts Kantar for The Grocer found that UK consumers have purchased less beef, lamb, and pork in the past three months compared to same period in 2021, highlighting rising prices of meat and soaring costs of living in the country, The Daily Mail reported.

Data from Kantar showed the amount spent on beef by consumers dropped 7.7% in value, pork by 5.9%, lamb by 1.4.4%, and fish by 8%. Chicken expenditure increased at 0.6%.

Sales of beef dropped 13.7%, pork 10.6%, lamb 23.7%, fish 11.6%, and chicken 9.7%.

Recent Retail Price Index data for food purchased by typical consumers revealed that the average cost of a roasting joint of beef had increased by 9.8% to GBP 11.34 (~US$13.56; GBP 1 = US$1.20) over the year to April while the cost of chicken had increased by 10.4% to GBP 3 (~US$3.59) per kkg,

The VoucherCodes.co.uk Food Spend Report also reveals that vegans consistently spend more than the national average on groceries, dining out, and takeaways, amounting to a total food expenditure of GBP 14.02 billion (~US$16.7 billion) annually.

Glesni Phillips, a data analyst for Meat Promotion Wales, said there may be changes in demand for various proteins during times when living standards have been squeezed in the past.

Phillips said all proteins are seeing an increase in their average price, but fish continues to be the most expensive protein, followed by lamb, and chicken continues to be the least expensive protein, despite one of the biggest price increases.

Rebecca Veale, from the National Pig Association, said knowing that consumers prefer to purchase British pork, they do not believe that any reduction in consumption should displace British product and call on retail and foodservice to champion British meat and pay a fair price for it.

Veale said fair prices must be paid to producers in order for British pork to stay on the shelves.

-      The Daily Mail