Tesco Finest a boost for beef

Plans by Tesco to source more than 2,000 Aberdeen-Angus cross cattle a week for their Finest beef range have been described as a “huge opportunity” for Scottish beef producers.

Peter Morris, who heads up the procurement team for the Tesco initiative with Vion – whose acquisition by the 2 Sisters Food Group was announced earlier this week – said Tesco was offering long-term contracts and premium prices to encourage producers to switch to Aberdeen-Angus.

“Tesco is offering producers security with a three-year contract, which is unique to the beef industry, and a premium of up to 40p a kg deadweight over the English average price for cattle which meet the company’s specification,” Morris told the annual meeting of the North-East Aberdeen-Angus Club at Thainstone Centre, Inverurie.