Meat costs have rocketed, say food business owners

Restaurants and butchers in Derby say increasing meat prices have resulted in the most challenging conditions since they opened.

Emily's Steakhouse, based in the city centre, has been running for 17 years but its bosses say they are having to adapt the business in response to soaring costs.

Cleavers Butchers, in Alvaston, said the price of mince had risen by nearly a third recently.

It comes after the British Retail Consortium (BRC), which represents supermarkets and other retailers, announced that higher beef and fresh produce prices had pushed UK food inflation to an annual high.

As well as meat, food prices across the country have increased for business owners and for people doing their weekly shop.

Food prices rose 2.8% in the year to May, the highest annual rate since May 2024 when food inflation was 3.2%, according to the BRC.

Farming industry experts said beef prices in particular had been rising due to high demand and low supply.

Figures from the Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) showed the total slaughter of cattle and calves from January to April 2025 was 4% lower than the same period in 2024.

For restaurants and butchers, a 350kg prime cattle carcass has also risen by an average of £738 compared to last year, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) said.

According to the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers, the price rise across beef and lamb cuts was up 20.96% and 19.92% over the past 12 months.

Datsun Li, head chef at Emily's Steakhouse, said the price of beef had "rocketed" in recent months.

"Steaks are a premium product and our margins have always been quite narrow, but recently when the prices have gone up we have not been able to pass those forward," he said,

This has affected the restaurant's business and it is now runnning a booking only service.

"If we have no bookings this evening we will not open," he said.

"If there is no other reservations it is not realistic for us to run the place. We are operating on a survival basis."

Jack Bradley, director at Cleavers Butchers Ltd, said he had noticed beef is costing him more and more.

"I would say the price of mince has gone up about 25-30%," he told the BBC.

"It's one of the biggest increases we've since we've been in charge.

"Covid was quite bad - I think it was bad for everyone - but then it all came back down.

"There doesn't really seem to be an end. Hopefully farmers can make their money, we can make our money and provide a good service for our customers."

A Defra spokesperson said: "Our commitment to farmers remains steadfast.

"That's why this government is investing £5bn into farming, the largest budget for sustainable food production in our country's history, and has appointed former National Farmers Union president Baroness Minette Batters to recommend new reforms to boost farmers profits."

Follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.