Winter freeze and storms set to tighten UK lamb and beef supplies
A winter of freezing temperatures and storms could tighten UK meat and produce supplies ahead of Easter, with knock-on effects for farmgate returns as well as retail and hospitality prices.
Lynx Purchasing said a widespread January freeze followed by prolonged rainfall and stormy conditions has unsettled growers and livestock producers just as the spring trading period approaches.
“There was a widespread freeze across the UK at the start of January,” said managing director Rachel Dobson. “That’s been followed by stormy weather and prolonged rainfall.”
She warned that the combined impact is likely to ripple through the supply chain.
“This is all likely to push up the prices hospitality operators should expect to pay as they plan menus for spring and Easter,” she said.
From root vegetables and brassicas to soft fruit and salads, crops could face delays or damage. Waterlogged ground has also made early grazing difficult in some areas, while feed availability for cattle has been affected and spring lambs remain vulnerable to late cold snaps.
The warning comes in Lynx Purchasing’s Spring 2026 Market Forecast, which draws on supplier insight and official inflation data to assess pricing trends for the months ahead.
Adverse weather has not been limited to the UK. “The bad weather hasn’t been confined to the UK, with poor conditions across much of Europe impacting the supply chain,” Ms Dobson said.
However, she noted that 2025 had been a comparatively strong year for many crops, leaving good-quality produce in storage. She also pointed to easing global commodity inflation.
“In general the global inflation trend for many commodity items, such as dairy, wheat, sugar, cocoa and fruit juice, is downwards, all of which is helping to make hospitality food bills start to feel more manageable,” she said.
Even so, key livestock markets remain tight. Beef continues to command premium prices, with UK beef the most expensive in the world in 2025. Demand is still outstripping supply, keeping prices firm across all cuts.
Lamb, a traditional Easter centrepiece, is also likely to see strong demand as retailers and foodservice operators compete for available stock. That competition could support farmgate prices in the short term, although availability may be limited.
Vegetable crops have seen slight delays due to poor light and heavy rainfall in the early months of the year. Colder weather, however, has increased sugar levels in root vegetables such as carrots, swede, parsnips and beetroot, enhancing flavour.
Broccoli, kale and savoy and red cabbage remain reliable options, while favourable conditions later in the season could deliver strong-quality UK asparagus and Jersey Royals.
With Easter falling at the start of April — traditionally the first major uplift in trade — the coming weeks will be critical in determining whether weather disruption translates into firmer farmgate returns or further volatility across the supply chain.
