With only 8 weeks until Christmas day, it’s time to talk turkey! Have you placed your Christmas Turkey order yet? Over three quarters of the UK population plan to tuck into a Christmas turkey dinner. But is there enough turkey to go around?
The People Want Turkey Dinners!
Christmas Dinner is probably the most coveted meal of the year. All of the family come together, the aroma of mulled wine fills the house, the kids open their presents and pets snooze by the fireplace. Amidst all of the festive cheer, the chef of the house multi-tasks to prepare entree’s, meat, stuffing, vegetables, roasties and all your favourite accompaniments that will be delightfully topped off by Christmas pudding and custard for the traditionalists amongst us, or perhaps profiteroles with a dollop of chocolate sauce.
Whilst the meat of choice for a small proportion of the population will be roast ham, roast beef, duck or goose, a whopping 76% of the UK population prefer to serve up a succulent roast turkey dinner at Christmas. After all, it’s tradition. But will they be disappointed this year?
That’s the question at the forefront of our minds as supply and demand issues take their toll. Last Christmas saw the UK consuming approximately 10 million turkeys but with shortages in supply, fresh and frozen turkey prices have increased this year.
Rising Costs of Christmas Turkey Orders
According to food research company Mintec, the price of frozen turkeys on the shelves has gone up 10.8% compared to this time last year. This means that the 2019 price per kilogram (kg) has risen by around 18p, and these price hikes aren’t limited to frozen turkey. Mintec indicates that fresh skinless and boneless turkey prices have risen even more, up by 17.5% compared to last year. This is a price rise of 70p per kg. So why the shortage?
A heatwave over the summer in the EU caused more turkey eggs than normal to be lost. This presents challenges as French breeders provide around a quarter of eggs hatched in the UK. These eggs would ordinarily have been used for serving at Christmas. Additionally, supplies from South America have fallen due to salmonella fears. Altogether this means there are significantly fewer turkeys to go around this Christmas.
This increases the reliance on British turkey farmers to provide a workable supply of meat for Christmas. Research has shown a 3% rise in volume year-on-year during the 12 weeks ending 7 October, according to data from Kantar Worldpanel.
So, whether your preference is fresh or cooked, it’s time to talk turkey and get your Christmas Turkey order in. UMC supply turkey sourced from both local suppliers and those across the water to retailers, butchers and foodservice businesses to meet the growing customer demand throughout Ireland. We boast a top quality range of competitively priced turkey products including:
Fresh Range
- Whole Bird
- Turkey Butterfly
- Turkey Lobes
- Turkey Crown
- Turkey Thigh
Cooked Range
- Turkey & Ham portions
- Turkey log
To avoid disappointment, get in touch ASAP to place your Christmas turkey order and ensure your cherished customers are satisfied this festive period.
Contact us via phone, email or complete our contact form and a UMC representative will be in touch to confirm your Christmas turkey order.
