Seeking value, versatility, and taste, consumers turn to chicken
The past year has seen unprecedented disruption to the global food system: energy shocks, fertiliser shortages, supply chain disruption, and sharp inflation have all driven prices up dramatically, leading to a widespread cost-of-living crisis.
Earlier this year, a Bord Bia survey of 10,000 consumers in the UK, US, Germany, France, and Ireland revealed the impact of all this disruption. Shoppers are cutting back across the board, particularly on proteins like red meat and seafood.
But one meat dramatically defied this trend. Consumers are buying 15% more chicken.
One of the UK’s leading poultry suppliers isn’t surprised. “Clearly, in the current climate affordability is a concern for many, ” says Marcelli GN Ferreira, of Seara Meats. “But the overriding factor that drives sales is taste and quality. When money is tight, the last thing you want to buy is something you won’t enjoy. When the economy takes a downturn, we don’t see a sudden spike in customers demanding broccoli.”
“We were already seeing an increase in demand for chicken before the current crisis,” she continues. “In 2022, in the UK alone, our gross revenue increased 21% on the previous year. Growth on that scale is never down to just one factor, and the best way to understand what’s driving it is to listen to your customers.”
So, what are those customers saying? “Our customers tell us that they want more from their food. They’re looking for healthier options. They’re looking for great value. And they’re looking for delicious tastes. At Seara those are the three qualities that we are committed to delivering, day in and day out.”
CEO of retail outlet Farm Foods, George Herd agrees. “Chicken is our biggest category in frozen meat, and the most consumed protein… Seara products have proved to be remarkably resilient to price increases, which is a testament to their quality. Customers understand they’re paying a fair price, and they know that that quality isn’t available cheaper anywhere else.”
The health benefits of chicken are well established. Chicken is lean, high in protein and contains all nine essential amino acids. Alongside egg whites, it is the lean protein of choice for many athletes, and health-conscious consumers.
The UK population itself is also increasingly diverse, and consequently is demanding an increasingly diverse range of global cuisine. The most recent UK census revealed that between 2011 and 2021, the number of UK residents born overseas jumped from 2.5 million to 10 million over the decade. Not surprisingly – given their large populations and strong historical ties to Britain – the three biggest contributors to that trend are India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Again, this change is reflected in food trends.
“We’ve been working with the British curry sector for the past decade, and it is more popular than ever,” Marcelli tells me. “Of course, it’s not just people from South Asia who have fallen in love with the region’s cuisine. In 2022, Seara provided 6,000 tons of chicken meat to the curry sector alone – which means we helped the sector to provide 30 million chicken curries to hungry diners.”
The British love of curry was confirmed recently, when the chicken tikka masala was voted the nation’s favourite takeaway. Interestingly, the dish itself is an intriguing fusion of east and west. It was invented in a Glasgow curry house, when a customer complained that his chicken tikka (cooked in a clay oven) was too dry. The enterprising chef, Ali Ahmed Aslam, added a serving of Campbell’s tomato soup and created an instant classic. When he died late last year, at the age of 77, Mr Aslam, who was born in Pakistan before migrating to Glasgow, was hailed across the globe for his contribution to British Asian cuisine.
But such is the versatility of chicken that its appeal extends far beyond the curry sector. From sandwiches to salads and curries to coq au vin, there is scarcely a food culture in the world that doesn’t have chicken as the centrepiece of several favourite dishes.
Walk through any shopping district in the UK and you’ll be bombarded with different ways to enjoy the nation’s favourite meat – from traditional pubs serving roast chicken dinners and chicken nuggets, to takeaways offering jerk chicken, chicken kebabs and chicken chow mein. Entire food empires have been built on the flavour of fried chicken alone.
Such has been the increased demand that, this year, Seara launched two new ranges for the food service sector. Seara’s new mini chunks range are designed to minimise cooking and prep time, for restaurants serving chicken casseroles, stir fries and curries. Such has been the growth in demand for Japanese cuisine that Seara also launched an entire range, inspired by the favourite Japanese starter, karaage.
With the restaurant sector striving to deliver taste, quality and value, against the backdrop of energy price rises, staff shortages and food inflation, Seara’s overriding focus is on providing high quality chicken that requires minimal preparation, allowing chefs to create the dishes their customers enjoy with minimal cost and effort.
The sheer range of Seara’s clients underlines the point. “We supply chicken to many of the world’s most popular and successful restaurants. But we also supply thousands of family-run food businesses, specialising in cuisine from across Europe, Asia, and the rest of the world.”
So where is all this chicken coming from? “Over 70% of the farms which supply chickens to Seara are relatively small, family-run operations,” Marcelli explains, “They partner with us, because we can provide the vets and expertise to ensure everything is being done safely and correctly.”
“We can then process and deliver to food businesses smoothly and efficiently. In one sense, it’s this network of families raising the chickens, cooking and preparing them in restaurants, all to feed your family on a Friday or Saturday night.” says Marcelli.
Given labour shortages across the hospitality sector, a key part of Seara’s value proposition is that they deliver chicken to food businesses in precisely the way they need it, to minimise on site preparation. “We can provide chicken that’s fresh, frozen, de-boned, breaded or battered – in whatever way our partners need it. After that, it’s up to them to create the perfect sandwich, salad or stir fry.”
For further information, please contact: Mr. Alexandre Mattos – uk@seara.com.br
About Seara
For over 60 years, Seara has been feeding the world.
Constantly investing in technology, quality and innovation, Seara has grown year on year, and today is one of the largest chicken producers in Brazil and the world. With more than 60 production plants, over 60,000 employees and nine offices across the globe, Seara is exporting to more than 150 countries globally through our products and services, in channels such as retail, food servicing, processing factories and distribution.
Despite our size, across our 3,000 integrated properties, supplying the European market, the majority are small suppliers. 71% have only one or two poultry houses, and most rely on family labour. In this way, Seara helps small family farms across Brazil to supply hundreds of thousands of small food businesses and family-run restaurants and take-aways across Europe.
Time and time again, Seara delivers convenience, confidence and innovation to the kitchen table for the entire family. We take pride in our sustainably sourced, high-quality chicken: 100% vegetarian-fed, carefully farm-raised, and free from artificial hormones.
All our products go through processes that guarantee the highest quality and origin. Our complete portfolio offers everything from a big family lunch to a quick mid-afternoon snack.
Since 1956, quality has remained a cornerstone with Seara, and that’s evident through the highest international certifications for excellence in production such as British Retail Consortium, Supplier Workplace Accountability, Global Certificate for the Agricultural Chain, Swiss Law, ISSO 14001, Halal Certifications and Certificate of Conformity, among others.
Good food begins with healthy livestock. At every stage, from farm to kitchen, Seara applies care and expertise to ensure excellence in every detail.
Our offices in the UK and the Netherlands supply all market channels: food service, industry and retail with a full chicken product portfolio. Our team of experts in sales, customer service, quality and marketing are ready to offer our customers the best-in-class service in the industry.
Further information is available from: Mr. Alexandre Mattos – uk@seara.com.br