Supermarket chain links with region's beef

Preston-based supermarket group Booths is marketing the Yorkshire beef after the Farexchange Programme helped put a supply chain in place between the region's farmers and the store.

The deal will see choice cuts of meat from traditional beef animals sold across Booths's stores in Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cumbria and Cheshire.

All of the meat will come from cattle reared in the northern counties with all animals sired by a traditional breed bull such as the Hereford or Angus as well as being born and bred on a National Trust holding.

The deal will see farmers paid a premium price for cattle, over and above the market average, with farmers to be rewarded for the quality of the animals supplied.

Yorkshire was chosen due to its lowland areas being ideal for finishing cattle for slaughter.

One of the farmers involved, Andrew Leeming, from Bay Tree Farm, near Ripon, said: "I am looking forward to seeing the cattle grow over the coming months and working with Booths in the future."

Farexchange previously secured a deal for sheep farmers in North Yorkshire to sell directly into Asda, a deal which has proved to be highly successful.