In the four weeks to 26 December, fresh meat volume sales overall were 13% ahead of the same period in 2009, at 28,548 tonnes, with expenditure up 11.3%.
Kantar research for Eblex suggests roasting joint sales were up 6.3%, to 10,583 tonnes, while mince was up 15.6% by volume and 13.8% by expenditure.
£167.3m was spent on fresh beef in the run up to Christmas.
“The figures are particularly pleasing as the weather was poor, making it more difficult for people to get to the shops,” says Richard Cullen, category development manager for Eblex. “Christmas fell at a weekend – a time when more people generally have a beef roast anyway, which means it’s less likely for us to see an additional seasonal spike in beef sales.
“Despite this, it seems that more people looked for an alternative meat for Christmas dinner, with beef being the favoured choice. With the exception of frying/grilling mince, fresh beef sales were ahead of last Christmas across the board.”
Eblex is the organisation for beef and lamb levy payers in England, and is a division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).
Source: National Farmers Union
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