Introducing BMPA
The British Meat Processors Association represents the majority of companies working in the British meat industry.
Overview
Our industry employs over 75,000 people with the red and white meat processing industry is worth over £12 billion a year to the British Economy,
Trade with our nearest neighbours in Europe accounts for a significant part of that, with between 75% and 90% of overseas trade our members do is with EU countries. We have members operating across all sectors from farming, slaughtering and processing through to manufacturing, packaging and distribution.
75,000+
workers are employed by our members in the UK alone
Our members
We are proud to count businesses of all sizes and specialties as members. Our members range from small, family run abattoirs serving local customers to the largest meat processing companies responsible for supplying some of our best-loved brands to shops and supermarkets.
Our associate members
We are further strengthened by our associate Members who work in industries that support and supply our meat processing companies. It is these members – the supermarkets, food service and ingredient suppliers – who make BMPA truly representative across the entire sector. It means that we can provide a unique opportunity for members of all stripes to work together to raise standards and push innovation by sharing their expertise.
£11 billion
is the estimated value of the UK meat industry to our economy
The meat supply chain
Most people only see the start and finish of the meat supply chain. They see animals being raised on farms; then they see packed and labelled steaks, chops, sausages and ready meals on the supermarket shelves. Our members are responsible for everything that happens in between.
The British meat processing industry is at the centre of a complex and interconnected food supply chain. Every day our members supply 99% of fresh, processed and cooked meats and ready meals to Britain’s supermarkets, restaurants, pubs, hospitals and schools through the mighty just-in-time supply chain.
We’re responsible for producing and delivering the food people need. Meat processing is worth over £12 billion to the UK economy each year. But, more importantly, it’s a vital support to rural communities and a key component of Britain’s ability to provide a secure, resilient daily supply of food to its citizens.
99%
of all meat products supplied to UK supermarkets is via our members
The Bigger Picture
Processors are the hub of the meat industry, with most meat sold in Britain passing through one of our members’ plants at some point. We therefore have a unique perspective on how the market operates and can speak with some authority on the various forces and commercial influences that shape the meat market.
This is because we don’t just buy pigs, sheep and cattle. We process and sell all the products that come from those animals. We sell to UK retailers, meat product producers like bacon manufacturers and to the large food service market. And we export meat and byproducts like hides, skins and offal to numerous overseas markets. We also import approximately 49% of pork, 22% of beef and 21% of sheepmeat consumed in this country because local production cannot fully meet the domestic demand for certain cuts favoured by British consumers.
Selling the less popular cuts as well as the by-products to overseas buyers is called ‘carcase balance’. It’s what makes our businesses viable and without it, there would be no meat and livestock industry in the UK. So, we understand how both exports and imports also shape the supply chain and we understand the forces that drive them including demand from UK buyers and the ever-changing price of meat overseas.