- The expansion means more variety for customers and more access to ‘restaurant quality’ beef
- Farmers will have more flex to choose the breeds most suited to their land and environment
- All Waitrose beef remains 100% British and higher welfare - including entry level Essential range
Waitrose was the first supermarket to exclusively stock 100% British beef, and today, we’re taking a step further by pledging to sell more British beef from as many as 20 native breeds that originate in the UK.
The move will apply to our whole beef range*, including pre-packed products in the meat aisle, Butchery Counters, ready meals, sandwiches, stocks and gravies.
The new breeds will come via our exclusive beef provider Dovecote Park and include Red Ruby, Belted Galloway, Welsh Black and others. Like the Hereford and Aberdeen Angus beef we already stock, all have been selected for specific traits - whether its great taste or benefits to the environment**.
Each native breed has also been hand-picked for their quality and taste credentials - giving our customers access to an even wider variety of choice, including ‘restaurant quality’ beef in our No 1 range. The range offers great value too, with all animals (including our entry level Essentials beef) farmed to the same quality and higher welfare standards - helping customers adopt less but better meat eating habits that provide a more nutritionally balanced diet.
Jimmy Doherty, TV presenter, Rare Breed Farmer and former President of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust said, “It’s brilliant to see Waitrose embracing the rich array of native beef breeds available to us in the UK. These exceptional heritage breeds offer a unique culinary experience thanks to the exceptional quality of the meat. They also bring a range of other benefits, including greater flexibility for farmers to breed the cattle most suited to their land, which in turn brings many associated environmental and animal welfare benefits. Many of our native breeds are at a very real risk of extinction, so I commend Waitrose for its move to help safeguard the incredible diversity of breeds that are part of our national heritage, and would encourage other retailers to follow suit.”
Cow about that - the many benefits of native beef:
Superior quality and taste: The native breeds that will make up the range have been specifically chosen for their delicious flavour and exceptional tenderness. The natural marbling of fat found throughout the meat develops as these cattle take longer to mature than other breeds, allowing for an intensity of flavour to develop. When cooked, this marbling of fat keeps the meat succulent and delivers a full flavour.
Better for animal welfare: By using specific breeds suited to certain terrain, the animals will gain many nutritional benefits from eating a natural grass and forage diet - something that is key to helping them build resistance to disease.
Kinder to the environment: Native beef breeds are best equipped (biologically) to deal with our climate, soil and grass. By enabling farmers to select the breeds that are most suited to grazing on the specific types of grass and terrain on their land, we will ensure beef cattle can be reared in harmony with nature while using low input systems that have minimal to no impact on the environment. [See notes to editor for an example].
Value with values: Waitrose offers a selection of different cuts across different price points but whether it’s entry level essential Waitrose beef mince to No 1 Dry Aged ‘restaurant quality’ fillet steak, every single piece comes from an animal that has been farmed to higher welfare standards. This is why Waitrose has won more Compassion in World Farming awards than any other supermarket and why we are widely acknowledged as first for animal welfare.
Flex for farmers: The move will give farmers greater flexibility, enabling many to revert to the Native Breeds their families would have farmed years ago on their land. This will help preserve their cultural identity, while helping to bring back lesser-known rare breeds to ensure breed diversity remains strong across the UK.
Zero waste: Waitrose buys the whole animal, which gives our farmers more financial security than others that buy from the open market. This means our farmers can better invest in their future and the local environment. Beef that isn’t sold as cuts goes into ready meals or is made into burgers and meatballs.
Oliver Chadwyck-Healey, Waitrose beef buyer, said: “We are deeply committed to British farming and to offering the highest welfare standards and exceptional quality. By diversifying our beef range and sourcing more from native breeds, we are able to support our farmers by providing them greater flexibility. It also means we can offer our customers exceptionally high quality, higher welfare beef at great value at a time when we know both price and animal welfare are so important to them.”
Learn more about Waitrose’ British beef and welfare standards here.
Notes to Editor
References:
*The Waitrose beef range consists of essential Waitrose, mid-tier and No 1.
*Chosen native breeds and their taste/ environmental benefits:
- Red Ruby - Named for its deep red-brown colour, this West Country breed is well adapted to living on the sandy hills of Devon. It produces well-marbled beef that’s prized for its tenderness and is always full of rich flavour.
- Belted Galloway - With its double-thick coat, this Scottish breed has adapted well to moorland life. Belted Galloways are slow to mature, giving their meat a complex flavour and texture, and it’s naturally lean.
- Welsh Black - Known as ‘the black gold from the Welsh hills’ – on account of having once been used as currency – Welsh Blacks have existed in Wales since pre-Roman times. They are adept at surviving in harsh landscapes, converting poor-quality grass and shrubs into premium, flavourful beef.
- Hereford - Dating back to the 18th century, the Hereford is one of the most prestigious breeds. Its rusty red coat and white face make it instantly recognisable, and its beef is loved for its superb marbling, which produces meltingly juicy steaks.
- Aberdeen Angus - By far the best-known and most popular native breed, the Aberdeen Angus is renowned for its ability to thrive in the UK’s often inclement weather. Its beef marries tenderness and great taste, with a decent marbling of fat.
Example of native breeds and their positive impact to the environment:
- Native breeds are an integral part of our rural landscape, which means they can be reared in harmony with nature, using low input systems that rely on what is available in that specific geographical area.
- For example, native Red Rubies, born on Exmoor in Devon, can digest the rough moorland grass and convert it into protein with zero input. This allows land to be farmed and communities to be sustained where otherwise there would be very little resource available. Turning a rugged and difficult land into an abundant rich landscape that produces nourishing, healthy, high welfare food that simultaneously becomes a haven for wildlife.
- By farming in a way that uses as few inputs as possible we can reduce our climate impact, and in many cases regenerate our landscape to put much more in than we take out. It is argued by many quarters that native breeds are vital to the success of this style of farming.
