Booths supermarket make big announcement on their meat - here's what's changing

The retailer, which has its headquarters in Preston, has announced that all of its Butchers Counter beef, lamb, pork steaks and joints will now be sourced exclusively from Lancashire, Cheshire, Yorkshire and Cumbria - what they like to call, Booths Country.

Why?

Meat buyer David Simons said: “Booths has always prided itself in the quality of the meat we sell.  We pioneered a very successful programme of sourcing regional and seasonal lamb sourcing Lakeland, Herdwick and Salt Marsh lambs from local farmers to offer customers a true taste of the region.

“The warm reception received each season has showed us a clear appetite from our customers for regionally sourced meat, motivating us to work with our supply chain to ensure the meat sold at the in-store butchery is sourced on our doorstep, in Booths Country.”

British-only sourcing policy

Booths has long held a British-only sourcing policy and has been committed to fully skilled butcher, cheesemonger and delicatessen counters and has its own butchery, fish and cheese academies to train store colleagues, with plans to add a hospitality academy.

Mr Simons added: “Working with local farmers and processors enables us to stock seasonal and locally sourced meat, which supports local agriculture, benefits animal welfare and offers a great product for our customers.” 

All of Booth’s butchers counter beef, lamb and pork steaks and joints, are sourced from farms within Booths Country. Booths chickens are sourced from Cumbria. Booths make their own British beef burgers and sausages in Lancashire; made with selected cuts of outdoor bred British pork. Booths counters also celebrate the seasons, game from Booths Country is available throughout autumn to winter and with three very special seasonal Lamb ranges.  Saltmarsh lamb is raised on the Cartmel peninsula on Morecambe Bay. Booths seasonally source both Herdwick and Lakeland Lambs from Ian Knight a fifth generation Cumbria fell farmer, who both sells lambs and finishes lambs from a Booths owned flock. 

Mr Knight said: “The support and respect that Booths shows for local producers sets an example for how to do business. Farmers and retailers need to work cooperatively, sharing insight and best practice, resulting in the best possible produce for their customers. A customer of Booths is a customer of my farm and I’m very proud of that. It’s a very positive step for both the local farming community, Booths and our customers.”