British lamb and beef will see a £2.1 billion investment as M&S Food confirms a ten-year contract with red meat suppliers ABP and Dunbia.
The retailer said that its 3,500 M&S Select Farmers would bring British lamb and beef to stores across the UK as part of the ten-year contract.
The partnership will reportedly “protect exclusivity” across M&S’s Wagyu Gold, Aberdeen Angus Gold and Organic ranges as demand for beef grows.
As part of the investment, Dunbia has outlined plans to open M&S-exclusive salt drying chambers, while ABP will invest in its packaging and meat cutting lines, with the aim of streamlining production lines.
Investment will “stabilise the national herd”
Tom Bradshaw, president of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), said: “With significant inflationary pressures being faced by farming businesses driven by the Iran conflict, the importance of building resilience into the sector has never been more important. For a long time, we’ve been highlighting how fairness in the supply chain plays an important part in that resilience as it boosts businesses confidence levels.
“This commitment by M&S will give those 3,500 suppliers the certainty they need to start investing on farm, stabilise the national herd and build confidence to see those cattle and sheep numbers grow. That is good for growth, good for productivity and good for sustainability.
“British beef and lamb have a fantastic reputation for high quality and high welfare standards, and they are products the public love. We look forward to working with M&S, ABP and Dunbia to ensure these new contracts help create a resilient, sustainable and thriving UK livestock sector, one that can meet growing demand.”
“Our long-term commitment to sourcing British fresh lamb and beef… will support longer term investments and security for farmers for years to come.”
Alex Freudmann, managing director of M&S Food, commented: “M&S Food offers the best quality at great value, and it’s our British farmers who uphold our market-leading welfare standards, and produce food to the quality our customers expect.
“But farmers face a number of challenges and now more than ever need UK retailers to commit to sourcing from within the UK. Our long-term commitment to sourcing British fresh lamb and beef, through our partners at ABP and Dunbia, will support longer term investments and security for farmers for years to come.”
Michael Doran, managing director of Dunbia, said: “Securing this new ten-year strategic partnership with M&S represents a significant milestone for Dunbia and a strong endorsement of the quality, capability, and commitment of our entire team. This agreement strengthens our ability to support the network of dedicated British farmers who are central to our supply chain.
“Their expertise, high welfare standards, and commitment to sustainable farming underpin everything we do. This partnership allows us to deepen that collaboration, invest in their future, and build a resilient, thriving British farming sector for the years ahead.”
Kevin Cahill, CEO of ABP UK, stated: “We’re delighted to continue our long-standing partnership with M&S Food, and it is testament to our product quality and commitment to customer service that this will continue for the next decade. This long-term agreement will enable us to invest in the future of the supply chain and provide greater security for our farmer suppliers in the years ahead.”
