Caterers looking to explore more cost-effective and versatile ingredients with natural benefits may be interested to know that UK turkey consumption has soared by 20 percent in the past year.
Brits ate 0.74kg of turkey per head between January and March, up from 0.62kg during the first three months of 2011, according to data from Defra, HMRC and the ONS.
Duncan Marsh, general manager for Bernard Matthews Foodservice, said the growth followed the company’s Lean On Turkey campaign, which linked up with TV chef Marco Pierre White.
“As a company, we have been committed to promoting the benefits of turkey as an all year round meat for the past two years, and these figures show more people are giving it a try away from Christmas,” he said. “This is good news for caterers looking to source versatile ingredients that cost that bit less, carry flavours well and are easy to prepare, all benefits turkey offers.
“Caterers are also, increasingly, having to consider consumer concerns over health, with one in four adults cutting back on red meat for this very reason3, and turkey offers natural benefits, with skinless turkey breast being, particularly, being low in fat and saturated fat.
Golden Norfolk and Big Green Tick turkey ranges from Bernard Matthews Foodservice not only offer a wide selection of frozen cuts and ingredient products, they offer peace of mind in terms of traceability, with each turkey reared on the company’s own farms across Norfolk, Suffolk and Lincolnshire in line with the Farm Animal Welfare Council’s ‘5 Freedoms’.
Every product is Quality British Turkey and Assured Foods (Red Tractor) certified, with each farm welcoming visits from Defra and independent welfare bodies.
Easy to prepare, cook and serve, Golden Norfolk and Big Green Tick products are all free from artificial colours, flavours, preservatives and hydrogenated vegetable oils (HVOs).
For more information on the British turkey ranges from Bernard Matthews Foodservice and chef-inspired recipes, visit www.bernardmatthewsfoodservice.co.uk