Beef is disappearing from shopping baskets as soaring prices squeeze consumers, with fresh figures showing the steepest retail decline in two years.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), beef and veal inflation hit 24.9% in August, driven by constrained supply.
Joint research by AHDB and Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) found that retail beef prices climbed 15% year-on-year in the 12 weeks to 10 August 2025, triggering a 7.5% drop in volumes — a loss of 9,460 tonnes.
Fewer deals are making matters worse. Promotions fell by 5.6% year-on-year, leaving shoppers with less chance to manage costs. Many are turning to discounters, where beef volumes dropped 5.4%, a smaller fall than the wider market.
Frozen beef is proving more resilient than chilled. Overall frozen volumes edged up 0.1%, with frozen burgers surging 8.8%. By contrast, chilled burger sales slumped 12.9%, reflecting higher prices — £9.49 per kilo compared with £7.59 for frozen.
Mince, a staple for many households, has been heavily affected. Prices jumped 26.3%, while sales fell 6.5%. Earlier in the summer, some shoppers stopped buying mince altogether or swapped to cheaper proteins. More recently, remaining buyers have cut back on pack sizes, shifting from 750g or 1kg packs to 500g.
Switching from beef mince has mostly gone into primary chicken, though pork mince is also gaining ground, according to the levy organisations.
Economy-tier mince, though just 4.9% of the market, grew 4%, showing that some shoppers prefer to downtrade rather than drop beef completely.
Steaks and roasting joints are bearing the brunt of inflation. Steak prices rose 23% to £21.49 per kilo, while volumes fell 12.8%. Many shoppers swapped to chicken, pork steaks or sliced cooked meats, or traded down to burgers.
Roasting joints saw the sharpest fall. Prices rose 15.6%, but volumes collapsed by 25.7%. Some consumers opted for whole chickens to keep a Sunday roast on the table, while others changed their meal choices entirely.
Responding to the figures, AHDB has urged retailers and processors to protect beef’s appeal by offering choice in pack sizes and price tiers, keeping it accessible for all shoppers.
The agricultural levy board also stressed the need to celebrate beef’s strengths as a trusted, high-welfare and sustainable choice.
Promotions and marketing are seen as vital to supporting sales. AHDB’s Let’s Eat Balanced campaign continues to highlight beef’s nutritional and taste benefits, while seasonal pushes — such as Christmas for roasting joints — could encourage consumers to trade up.
The organisation also called for greater resilience in domestic supply to help stabilise prices, pledging support for farmers through genetics, health and welfare initiatives, and knowledge exchange, alongside export development and market insight.
