Overall demand for red meat is now lower than it was before the coronavirus lockdown despite higher retail sales, according to AHDB.
Demand for red meat soared during the initial weeks of lockdown, in response to the closure of restaurants, as consumers stockpiled groceries of all kinds.
However, weekly data shows that more recently, demand for red meat that was eaten out of the home has only partially been replaced by higher retail sales.
Duncan Wyatt, lead red meat analyst for AHDB, explained: "We have assumed a complete closure of the eating out market (not including take-aways and deliveries), which covers around 80% of the foodservice sector.
"Many office canteens, schools and other institutions are also closed, not included in our eating out volumes, but before the lockdown accounting for around 12% of foodservice demand.
"As such, demand overall is likely to be even lower than this analysis indicates, albeit slightly."
