Morrisons has broken its 100% British fresh beef sourcing commitment after becoming the latest major supermarket to start stocking Australian beef.
The retailer last week started selling beef ribeye, sirloin and rump steaks, sourced – according to the Morrisons website – from either the UK or Australia under a new tertiary brand called Limited Edish.
A 200g ribeye or sirloin costs £6.00 (£30/kg), while a 200g rump steak retails at £5 (£25/kg) – meaning the new range is priced below Morrisons’ The Best premium-tier steaks, but above standard-tier beef, such as its British sirloin steak, which costs £20/kg.
Morrisons’ website states all of its fresh beef is sourced from the UK and produced to Red Tractor or Quality Meat Scotland standards.
The retailer’s move away from this pledge – given its position as a major supporter of British farming – prompted an angry response on social media, with NFU deputy president David Exwood slamming Morrisons’ “outrageous” behaviour, and criticising it for “blurring the difference by calling it ‘Australian or British’”.
Lib Dem MP Tim Farron, meanwhile, called the move “appalling”, adding Morrisons sought “kudos” for its UK sourcing but then “sneakily do this, undermining British farmers and their own integrity and brand”.
Read more: Are trade deals weakening British sourcing pledges?
The listing comes amid tight supply and record farmgate prices within the UK beef sector, leading to soaring inflation in supermarket red meat aisles, and less than a month after The Grocer revealed Asda had started selling beef steaks from Uruguay, while Sainsbury’s is now selling New Zealand beef burgers and kebabs.
The Grocer last week revealed that imports of beef from Australia and New Zealand had risen significantly since the UK signed trade deals with the two countries in 2022. Analysis of HMRC data by Trade Data Monitor revealed a 146.2% hike in Australian beef imports in the year to 24 March and a 61.6% jump in NZ beef imports.
Responding to Morrisons’ move, NFU livestock board chair David Barton said it was “deeply concerning to see major retailers now move away from their previous commitments to sourcing British in the last few weeks in favour of imports many of which have been produced to lower standards”.
Farmers’ “long-standing partnerships with retailers have supported sustainable supply chains, so this shift is alarming”, he added.
Asda lists Uruguayan beef as inflation bites
“Over the past year, the industry has heard warm words from almost every major retailer pledging support for British farmers,” Barton said, pointing to support by supermarkets in the farming sector’s battle against changes to Inheritance Tax liabilities.
“But these words ring hollow when British produce is not given pride of place on shelves. Decisions to renege on sourcing commitments erode trust and damage farmer confidence at a time when the sector is facing immense challenges, and with increased global insecurity, the need to build sustainable food supply chains has never been more important.”
British farmers had invested in higher standards such as reducing antibiotic use in beef and lowering poultry stocking densities in sheds, he added. “Consumers want these high-quality production systems, shown by over one million people signing our petition for import standards to match the UK’s. But delivering these standards comes with additional financial costs. Long-term sourcing commitments from retailers are essential to ensuring that the high welfare British food consumers want remains available.”
A Morrisons spokesperson said the retailer “remains 100% British on all our meat counters”.
In meat aisles – alongside its New Zealand lamb – Morrisons was “introducing trials of some imported meat from trusted suppliers to help us offer outstanding value through the seasons and through any supply fluctuations”.
They added: “We are proud to be the single biggest direct supermarket customer of British farming and are looking to grow the overall volumes of British meat through Myton Food Group.”
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