The levy organisation's Let’s Eat Balanced campaign is returning throughout September
Gen Z interest in red meat and dairy is gaining ground, with purchase intent up eight percentage points for red meat and three points for dairy, according to AHDB.
The figures compare September 2025 with January 2026 and point to stronger stated buying intentions among younger consumers.
They do not represent actual retail sales, but AHDB said the trend suggests Gen Z is becoming more receptive to conversations around nutrition, food production and British farming.
That matters for livestock and dairy producers because younger shoppers represent an important future market for British beef, lamb and dairy.
For farmers, the key question is whether stronger awareness and purchase intent among younger consumers ultimately translates into sustained demand.
Carrie McDermid, AHDB Head of Marketing, said: “This positive momentum creates an opportunity to further engage future consumers, with recent audience insight highlighting growing openness among younger audiences to be more informed about where their food comes from and more connected to the farmers that produce it.”
The figures have been released as AHDB’s Let’s Eat Balanced campaign returns for September.
The campaign will run across television, streaming services, social media and seven major supermarkets, with AHDB aiming to reach 80% of main household shoppers.
AHDB said the previous year’s activity reached 91% of adults, while social content generated 265 million impressions and 41 million engagements.
Sparkminds modelling cited by AHDB suggested that, without the campaign activity, red meat purchase intent would have been four percentage points lower.
Retail partnerships will again play a major role, with campaign material appearing in-store and online across seven major supermarkets.
New content includes Balanced Plates, which features simple recipes using British beef, lamb and dairy.
A separate Farming for the Future series will feature three farmers and aims to give consumers a closer look at food production and how farms work alongside nature.