The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) has found that meat prices rose by 0.32% across January and predicts halal lamb prices will increase in the coming month due to Ramadan.
The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) Meat Inflation Report has shown that average prices rose by just 0.32% (£0.04/kg) in January, while figures for the year show that average prices rose by 12.58% (£1.38/kg) year on year.
Beef and lamb both saw some increased prices
According to AIMS, during January, beef, lamb, pork and chicken categories all saw some lines either remain unchanged in price or fall slightly. However overall, beef prices increased by 0.75% due to a £1.18/kg increase in the price of roasting joints.
Lamb also showed a month-on-month increase of 1.58%, with legs up £2.11/kg. AIMS noted that both of these roasting joints were heavily promoted during December and stated that no doubt supermarkets have been looking to recover some margin during January.
Pork and chicken prices are down
With both pork and chicken prices down, by 0.14% and 5.68% respectively, they combined to make the overall month’s meat inflation just £0.04/kg (0.32%) higher than December.
AIMS found that looking at the 12 months covering 1st February 2025 to 31st January 2026, all four categories show price inflation. Chicken has seen the lowest inflation, up 0.22%, with cuts such as chicken thighs, both bone in and as fillets, cheaper than they were 12 months ago. This is in part down to supermarket chain Aldi price matching on bone-in and also Asda’s Rollback prices.
Pork prices nudged up 1.27%, led by the two roasting cuts: leg (+10.87%) and shoulder (+10.51%). Consumers will find “great value” across pork, said AIMS, which ties in well with AHDB’s current “British Pork, But not as you know it” campaign, running during February.
As previously reported by AIMS, it is the year-on-year increase in lamb (+4.46%) and beef (+29.9%) that continue to drive up annual meat price inflation. AIMS head of marketing and communications Tony Goodger commented: “With Valentine’s Day in just over a weeks’ time, I expect both beef and lamb steaks to rise in the coming month.”
“Ramadan (17th February to 18th March) will drive demand for halal lamb and halal chicken.”
Tony Goodger, AIMS
Goodger added: “Ramadan (17th February to 18th March) will drive demand for halal lamb and halal chicken. Throughput headage numbers for lamb this week are down by 2.387 (1.22%), which suggests that farmers are keeping some stock back for when Ramadan demand will drive up their liveweight prices.”
