Outdoor-bred pork continues strong performance, are there opportunities for further growth?

In the last year, there has also been new product development (NPD) within outdoor-bred pig meat, which has boosted sales further.

Our outdoor-bred pig meat definition has expanded from previous years to include added value products such as marinades and sous vide, although, the share of outdoor-bred pig meat in these products remains small.

Therefore, this year's data is not comparable to previous years. Within outdoor-bred, we include outdoor-bred, outdoor-reared, free range and organic products, as all of these are pigs which are born outside. As in previous years, we have included products that are not of British origin and hold an outdoor claim.

Analysis by AHDB with Numerator shows outdoor-bred pig meat has an 8.5% share of pig meat retail volumes, so it remains a small but important part of the market. 

Outdoor-bred share of pig meat volume sales by cut

Source: Worldpanel by Numerator, pig meat, 52 w/e 15 June 2025

Outdoor-bred pigmeat has seen volumes increase the fastest within the different areas of pigmeat we have looked at, and average prices have declined by 1.3% over the last year, making it feel better value for shoppers.

This drop in price is likely through an increase in promotions, which now sit at 52.5%. Although this is lower than premium, sales through promotions have increased by 0.4ppts for outdoor-bred pigmeat in the last year.

Source: Worldpanel by Numerator, pig meat, 52 w/e 15 June 2025

Importance of premium

From a total grocery perspective, premium ranges (such as Tesco Finest and Sainsbury’s Taste The Difference) have been bouncing back. Premium ranges have increased by £1.8bn in the last two years (Worldpanel by Numerator, 52 w/e 13 July 2025).

For some shoppers, pressures on wallets have eased slightly, while others have taken advantage of an increase in promotions at some retailers. However, many consumers are still watching what they purchase, with some shoppers switching out of and into pigmeat.

Both of these trends combined have given outdoor-bred pigmeat a boost, with volumes up 12.2% (Worldpanel by Numerator, 52 w/e 15 June 2025).

Half of outdoor-bred pigmeat sales are within premium ranges. However, the number of shoppers who claim they always or try to, where possible, buy outdoor-bred pigmeat has remained the same year-on-year at 26% (AHDB/YouGov May 2025).

Therefore, the boost in sales is potentially a move towards premium pigmeat, rather than a specific desire from consumers to purchase outdoor-bred pigmeat.

Christmas is a time when shoppers purchase more premium items than at any other time. Therefore, the holiday season is an opportunity to boost sales of outdoor-bred pigmeat. Last Christmas saw premium pigmeat spike significantly higher than outdoor-bred.

Supermarkets could consider utilising the premium perception of outdoor-bred to further boost their premium offerings at Christmas.

Cut insights

Sausages, bacon and ham see outdoor-bred pigmeat volume sales increase faster than premium, while primary and added value see greater growth in premium. This shows there are opportunities in these areas to boost outdoor-bred pigmeat’s credentials.

Pig meat categories volume change year-on-year

Source: Worldpanel by Numerator, pig meat, 52 w/e 15 June 2025

Sausages, the most important outdoor-bred cut, account for 45% of outdoor-bred pig meat sales. Outdoor-bred sausages have seen growth across many retailers and brands – particularly boosted by new ultra-premium sausage SKUs (stock keeping units).

However, not all of these are exclusively outdoor-bred pig meat; therefore, this could be an opportunity. Ultra-premium sausages have gained over a million shoppers despite their short time on shelves (52 w/e 18 May 2025).

They are classed as one of the best NPD of the year by Worldpanel by Numerator. Following this success, are there other areas within pig meat which could be boosted by the ultra-premium upgrade?

Total added value is an area that has seen growth over the last few years. There have been many new products entering the market, and it also has a more premium feel, but it under-indexes for outdoor-bred pig meat.

Therefore, there is a good opportunity for outdoor-bred pigmeat to boost its presence here, especially in growing segments like sous vide and marinated products.

These products have a similar price point to the average outdoor-bred pig meat price, so the potential trade up could be less of a barrier and therefore more enticing to shoppers. BBQ ranges primarily fall within added value, and these are also an opportunity for outdoor-bred pig meat.

All primary cuts have seen growth year-on-year for both outdoor-bred and primary cuts. This is a much stronger performance than standard pork cuts. Top-performing outdoor-bred primary products are among a range of cuts, but the majority are premium SKUs.

Therefore, highlighting the quality and taste credentials is important on pack to communicate the benefits of outdoor-bred products to consumers. To see more on how to optimise packaging, see our labelling research.

However, there is still headroom for outdoor-bred pork. The areas to focus on are steak and belly, where there are opportunities for growth, as premium is growing faster than outdoor-bred.

Primary cuts volume change year-on-year

Source: Worldpanel by Numerator, pig meat, 52 w/e 15 June 2025

Other areas of opportunity could be when consumers are looking for a treat or to trade up. These could include supermarket counters, part food or food-to-order options, where consumers may purchase meat for special occasions and for guests.

Here, consumers are looking for quality and taste credentials so communicating how outdoor-bred could meet these needs could boost appeal.

Opportunities

• Strong growth despite higher price point means consumers are willing to trade up for a more premium product, this can especially be used over the Christmas period, where premium succeeds
• Increases in promotion have been successful in enticing shoppers, so continue support in this area
• Continue the momentum of NPD – particularly in extra premium or premium plus ranges; look at how outdoor-bred pork can be used in new ultra-premium products
• Consider other premium areas where outdoor bred could win, including added value, party and celebration food and food-to-order

*Outdoor-bred definition includes primary pork, sausages, bacon, gammon and added value products.

Looking at specific ranges/retailers: Aldi Specially Selected, Tesco Finest, M&S, Lidl Deluxe, Waitrose, Co-op, Sainsburys TTD, The Jolly Hog, Denhay, Spoiltpig, Unearthed. These include outdoor-bred, outdoor-reared, free range and organic products, as all of these are pigs that are born outside.

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