Consumer trends in Canada cook up more opportunities for British red meat

New consumer trends could help drive growth of British red meat exports to Canada, according to our experts.

The view coincided with us flying the flag for British red meat at SIAL Canada in Montreal, which brought together leading industry professionals from Canada and the rest of the world and highlighted emerging trends and opportunities for exporters.

The show provided a platform for us and five export businesses to showcase British beef, sheep meat and pig meat, and included butchery and cookery demonstrations to shine the spotlight on world-class British produce.

Susana Morris, AHDB Senior Trade Development Manager, said the show highlighted how evolving consumer trends in the Canadian market presented further opportunities for red meat exports.

"Canada is a strong market outside of the EU to focus on after an incredibly positive 2025 and we’ve made an encouraging start to 2026.

"The value of UK beef exports to Canada in the first two months of this year, for example, is up 2.6% on the year and worth £3.5 million. Pig meat exports to Canada for the same period have also increased 3.7% to nearly £759,000 which is also very encouraging.

"SIAL gave us not only the opportunity to showcase our world-class red meat but also provided further insight into what Canadian consumers are looking for.

"We are seeing clear trends in Canada towards high-protein, nutrient-dense products, alongside growing interest in simple, recognisable ingredients. British red meat is well placed to respond to these dynamics, offering both quality and strong nutritional value."

Last year, the value of UK red meat exports, including offal, reached £2 billion – an increase of 12% on 2024. It followed a comprehensive programme of activity delivered by AHDB to promote red meat and dairy exports on the global stage.

This included inward and outward trade missions, participation in major trade shows and work to help secure and maintain access in key markets around the world.

SIAL Canada forms part of our programme of activity for the year ahead. This will include the return of the Red Meat Export Conference and an inward mission for Japanese buyers in June and a major presence at SIAL Paris in October – this year’s largest international trade show.

Susana added:

"Canada forms part of a broad portfolio of markets for British red meat and our ongoing work in international trade development plays a key role in adding value throughout the supply chain.

"Looking ahead, we will continue to work with other industry stakeholders to help ensure our beef, sheep meat and pig meat exports continue to thrive on the global stage in 2026 and beyond."