Sausages are the biggest outdoor-bred pork product, AHDB data shows

Using UK HMRC data compiled by Trade Data Monitor LLC, AHDB found that in the year to August 2026, 4,075 tonnes of sausages were sold, reaching £11.8 million in value. This was down from 2025’s 4,264 tonnes sold, totalling £12.5 million.

In its analysis of red meat retail performance in the 12 weeks to 4th October 2026, AHDB reported a reduction in pig meat volumes by 2.1%, with averages prices rising by 1%, with sausage volumes having fallen by -5.3%. Over the same time period, spend on sausages reached £204.7 million, and the average price per kg increased by 3.1% to reach £5.55.

Looking at the full 12 months to March 2026, AHDB stated that the sausage category recorded import growth, but said that the proportion contributed was largely unchanged on the year.

Sausages are the biggest outdoor-bred pork product

AHDB’s retail and consumer insight analyst Charlotte Forkes-Rees highlighted that outdoor-bred pork was an “important part of the pig meat category”, reporting that nearly two-thirds of households buy outdoor-bred pig meat and suggesting that it was a “popular choice” for many shoppers. Sausages were spotlighted as the biggest outdoor-bred product, but Forkes-Rees said with around one in five pork sausages being made from outdoor-bred pork, there is still “plenty of room to encourage shoppers to switch from standard sausages to outdoor-bred options”. 

In the year to September 2026, outdoor-bred pork attracted 18.3 million shoppers and accounted for almost 12% of total pig meat volumes.

Forkes-Rees went on to say that around three in ten shoppers said that outdoor-bred and outdoor-reared production was important when buying pork products, with these factors sitting alongside British provenance, animal welfare and meat appearance as key purchase drivers. AHDB said using outdoor-bred pork could be a way to make everyday meals feel more special, encouraging manufacturers to highlight the premium nature of their sausage products.