Morrisons has announced that it will become the first of the big four supermarkets to commit to sell only British fresh meat throughout the year. Earlier this year, The Co-operative announced all its meat, including in processed products, would also be UK-sourced.
The announcement is part of Morrisons wider programme to sell more food that is both British and local. Well over two thirds of Morrisons food is British compared to a national average of 52% and the company is keen to put more homegrown food in front of customers.
Morrisons has also launched a programme to recruit more local food and drink makers and its buyers are currently touring the country meeting potential suppliers.
Rob Youngson, meat director at Morrisons said: “Customers tell us that they want more homegrown food and we are listening. We have always been committed to selling British meat and today we are taking this a stage further by making a clear pledge that if you buy fresh meat at Morrisons it will be British.”
Morrisons is able to make this commitment because it has a supply chain where uniquely it deals directly with British farmers. Rather than buying meat from intermediaries, the vast majority of its meat comes from Morrisons’ own abattoirs and processing sites.