Retail successes for farmers bodes well

A flurry of deals between supermarket giant Tesco and Yorkshire farmers suggests there is cause for encouragement at a time when research shows British consumers are more inclined to buy locally produced meat.

“The horsemeat scandal has definitely created some opportunities for domestic producers of beef and lamb,” said James Wilde, communications manager for EBLEX, the organisation for beef and lamb producers in England.

“Consumers concerned about the contents of meat products with long supply chains and input from foreign suppliers have been looking to source more fresh, assured red meat from this country.”

Beef sales were down one per cent on last year for the four weeks to February 14 as consumers reacted to the horsemeat revelations, yet sales of fresh beef mince and steak grew by 14 per cent, Kantar Worldpanel data shows.

Overall, the number of people turning to butchers as their primary place to buy fresh meat doubled between January and February, a YouGov survey found.

Mr Wilde said: “People want to be sure of what they are buying. This is translating into strong cattle prices for English farmers who can supply those products, and on-going good business for butchers.”

The Locally Sourced Food Company (LSFC), which sources and distributes local food and drink on behalf of independent suppliers, announced two Tesco deals with Yorkshire sausage producers this week.

Tesco’s Yorkshire stores now stock two lines of Smith’s burgers produced at Sykes House Farm, Wetherby, and a new line of dry cured bacon from Yorkshire Outdoor Pork, whose sausages are also being stocked more widely by Tesco. Heck sausages, a new range from the Keeble family who farm near Thirsk, also hit the supermarket’s shelves this week.

Simon Dryell, Tesco’s buying manager for local sourcing, said: “Our customers tell us they like buying local products from their local Tesco stores, and in Yorkshire, we’re proud to stock over 180 locally sourced products across our 50 stores. By working with the LSFC and many local suppliers we’ve been able to find foods that appeal to local tastes, and help our customers support businesses in the region too.

“As well as the ranges we already source from Yorkshire, which include cheese, soup, cake, butter and smoked salmon, we’re really pleased to be offering more Yorkshire Outdoor Pork products, as well as introducing Heck sausages and Smiths lamb and beef burgers, giving our customers an ever greater choice of high quality, local produce.”

Richard Dodd, spokesman for the British Retail Consortium, said its members were looking “extremely closely” at how their supply chains operate as a result of the horsemeat scandal, including where they source their food from.