Native Aberdeen-Angus beef dominates supermarket shelves, research shows
27th October 2022
New mystery shopper research carried out by the Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society has revealed that British Aberdeen-Angus is the “beef of choice” across premium meat ranges in UK supermarkets.
Eight of the country’s biggest supermarkets, including Aldi, Asda, Tesco and M&S, were visited between 5th and 9th September 2022 to find out whether the Aberdeen-Angus brand is still prominent on retailer shelves.
Robert Gilchrist, CEO of the Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society said the positive results were very encouraging and reflective of the hard work that goes into producing such high-quality beef for consumers.
“It is especially reassuring to see such a strong brand presence in both discount retailers and the more high-end supermarkets,” commented.
“We’re proud to be able to fill the shelves at every price point.”
The research took a close look at the premium beef product lines of supermarkets, specifically burgers, steaks, mince, and roasting joints, investigating their country of origin and whether a breed was specified on the packaging.
Analysis has revealed that British beef was stocked in all participating supermarkets, with four retailers – namely Aldi, Asda, Waitrose and Marks & Spencer – demonstrating a strong presence of Aberdeen-Angus beef across their premium range.
In particular, the brand was prominently labelled across Aldi’s entire premium line of steaks, burgers and roasting joints.
“It’s fantastic to see retailers supporting not only British farmers, but also our favourite native breed,” Mr Gilchrist noted.
“This should be hugely reassuring for farmers that our breed is recognised as the number one brand by consumers.”
He said the study’s results are particularly exciting as a recent AHDB report revealed discount supermarkets are set to grow their market share by 23.9% in the next five years, which is the fastest and largest growth of any grocery channel.
“It’s also incredibly promising that the most recent British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) results, which show Aberdeen-Angus as the most popular registered breed in the UK, are being reflected on supermarket shelves,” Mr Gilchrist added.
