Independent butchers contributed £555 million to the economy and a significant contribution to employment in food and drink retail, according to a new AHDB Beef & Lamb report.
Analysis from The role and value of independent butchers in England report – conducted by Trends Business Research (TBR) for AHDB Beef & Lamb – revealed the sector generated £2.3 billon in turnover in 2014, as well as £555 million in Gross Value Added (GVA).
There are 5,240 independent butchers in England employing a total of 26,140 people. They accounted for 2.2 per cent of all retail firms (5,240) and one per cent of retail employment (26,140) in 2014.
Independent butchers are even more significant as a proportion of England’s food and drink retail economy, representing 8.4 per cent of all food and drink businesses and two per cent of employment.
Adding value for customers was another key finding of the study, with independent butchers ideally placed to offer advice on preparing and cooking different cuts of meat.
Many have responded to changing consumer habits, addressing the needs of customers looking for convenience products.
AHDB Beef & Lamb has been working on this, with new product development such as the mini roast to address convenience and new cuts that not only add value to the carcase but offer consumers something different.
Independent butchers' expertise sought after
Michael Richardson, independent retail sector manager for AHDB Beef & Lamb, said: "The report has not only underlined the significant role currently played by independent butchers in the retail sector, but pointed towards a bright future ahead.
"The perception of independent butchers’ expertise among customers is also incredibly encouraging.
"Tapping into shifting consumer attitudes, such as the increasing emphasis on provenance, is a positive step forwards that the independent sector can continue to capitalise on.
"It’s also good to see them meeting changing consumer demands, with an increasing emphasis on convenience during the week, and looking to try cooking something different and more adventurous at the weekend.
"Independent butchers are ideally placed to offer advice on what to try and how best to cook it.
"The outlook for independent butchers certainly looks positive and we will continue to work with the sector to help it continue to thrive."
The latest study follows last year’s Securing the future of our independent butchers’ sector report from AHDB Beef & Lamb that illustrated how the sector is based placed to capitalise on the public’s new found love of all things culinary, despite the industry losing a generation through lack of training opportunities.
It painted a positive outlook for the industry which should continue to grow as consumers become more attuned to local sourcing and provenance, helped through programmes like the Quality Standard Mark (QSM) for beef and lamb.
