£17.1bn
£XXX.Xm
19,541
1,814
£X.Xbn
Over the five years through 2024-25, revenue is projected to expand at a compound annual rate of 4.7% to £17.1 billion, despite an estimated dip of 2.2% in the current year. The meat wholesale industry is highly susceptible to fluctuations in disposable income levels, which can affect the level of demand from its key downstream markets. Post-pandemic inflationary pressures propelled the UK into a cost-of-living crisis, forcing consumers to tighten their budgets, leading to a drop in expenditure on meat. The ongoing cost-of-living crisis has encouraged households to trade down from more premium meats, like beef and lamb, to cheaper meats, like chicken and pork. As consumers have reduced spending on discretionary goods and services, demand from restaurants, butchers and catering services has declined. Rising levels of vegetarianism and veganism, for reasons including morality, increased health consciousness and environmental awareness, have eaten into revenue. Concerns regarding environmental degradation from rearing animals for consumption have led to the development of non-meat alternatives, drawing demand away from the industry.
Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 4.7 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated £17.1bn in 2024.
Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.
Company | Market Share (%)
2025 | Revenue (£m)
2025 |
---|---|---|
Booker Group Ltd | 841.8 | |
Danish Crown UK Ltd | 785.0 | |
Sun Valley Foods Ltd | 386.0 |
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Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Chicken and other poultry, Beef and veal and Lamb and mutton . Chicken and other poultry is the largest segment of the Meat Wholesaling in the UK.
Low disposable incomes support poultry sales
Operators in the Meat Wholesaling industry wholesale fresh and frozen meat and meat products. Businesses in this industry generally purchase meat from slaughterhouses and sell it to retailers such as grocery stores, butchers, restaurants and caterers. Wholesalers perform little or no additional processing beyond repackaging, instead focusing on storage and distribution.
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SIC 46.32 - Meat Wholesaling in the UK
Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.
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Meat wholesalers compete mainly on price. The price at which wholesalers can offer products to buyers is a key competitive factor, as retailers aim to sell meats at as compet...
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Booker’s merger with Tesco has aided revenue. The takeover has presented many benefits to Booker, with the most notable being increased buying power. Its acquisition also rai...
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Real household disposable income is falling, limiting expenditure on meat. Meat can be expensive, so its consumption tends to correlate with household income. When times are ...
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Soaring production costs have limited profit. Upstream operating costs are high and meat wholesalers are struggling to pass on extra costs to downstream markets because of in...
Including values and annual change:
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Key data sources in the UK include:
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The market size of the Meat Wholesaling in the UK industry in United Kingdom is £17.1bn in 2024.
There are 1,814 businesses in the Meat Wholesaling in the UK industry in United Kingdom, which has declined at a CAGR of 3.6 % between 2019 and 2024.
The market size of the Meat Wholesaling in the UK industry in United Kingdom has been growing at a CAGR of 4.7 % between 2019 and 2024.
Over the next five years, the Meat Wholesaling in the UK industry in United Kingdom is expected to grow.
The biggest companies operating in the Meat Wholesaling market in United Kingdom are Booker Group Ltd, Danish Crown UK Ltd and Sun Valley Foods Ltd
Chicken and other poultry and Beef and veal are part of the Meat Wholesaling in the UK industry.
The company holding the most market share in United Kingdom is Booker Group Ltd.
The level of competition is high and steady in the Meat Wholesaling in the UK industry in United Kingdom.