January brought continued growth for meat and dairy

Retail figures show strong growth in meat and dairy sales this January, following a winning Christmas for red meat.

Latest Kantar data shows overall volume sales of red meat were up 15 per cent and almost 12 percent for dairy*, compared with last January.

Red meat and dairy retail sales have seen solid growth since Covid-19 restrictions began last March, with shoppers buying more through retail than pre-covid.

Over the last quarter**, growth across all red meat and dairy has been stronger than overall grocery growth at 10 per cent.

Primary red meat volume has seen an 18 per cent increase, with mince driving much of the growth within beef, along with burgers and steaks, but shoppers have also brought traditional roasting joints back to the table.

The seasonal lockdown has also led to more shoppers buying primary red meat, with increased household penetration at 83 per cent.

Dairy has also seen significant growth, with fresh cream leading the way with a 21 per cent uplift in volume sales in the last quarter. However it’s the humble staple of milk that has driven over 70 per cent of the growth in dairy, with shoppers buying five litres more this quarter than pre-covid.

Exploration of different cheeses appears to be one trend coming out of the national lockdown, with growth across British regional, speciality and continental varieties.

Strong growth has also been seen across meat-free and dairy alternatives, although figures show that most shoppers who buy alternatives continue to buy real meat and dairy. 

Rebecca Miah, AHDB’s Strategy Director for beef and lamb, said: “These numbers are a really excellent start to the New Year and reflect how highly valued red meat and dairy are to consumers. While alternatives show growth from a small base, these are mostly complimentary additional purchases driven by interest and variety, rather than a move away from real meat and dairy consumption.  

“This supports the main message of AHDB’s ‘Eat Balanced’ campaign, launched in January, which encourages a diverse and inclusive diet of all food groups.”

The full report from Retail Insight Analyst Grace Randall can be found here.

_{* 4 w/e 24 January 2021
** 12 w/e 24 Jnauary 2021}