The Pendle Pig, a Lancashire based hog roast catering company, has responded to news that more buyers in the UK have a preference for domestically sourced produce despite widening UK-EU price gap

The findings were announced by BPEX, pig levy representatives in England, who say that a growing appetite for UK pork has seen pig meat imports in 2014 restricted to an unusually low 4%. Given the widening gap between the UK and EU, many predicted to see a noticeable surge in imports. Similarly, exports were up 11% which also took many by surprise, leading to BPEX to question just how strong the link between UK and EU pig prices really is.

Commenting on their regular survey, PorkWatch, BPEX said domestic preference was withstanding a growing price gap: “The main answer appears to be that UK pork buyers have shown an increased preference for sourcing domestically. In the past, their preference for British pork was price dependent. If imported pig meat was cheap enough, therefore, relative to the UK equivalent, they were prepared to switch. That no longer seems to be the case for many.”

The bi-monthly survey, which determines the makeup of supermarket shelves and how much space is given to pig meat products, has tracked considerable growth over the last few years. It’s also been shown that despite a widening price gap between UK-EU pigs the popularity of British pork was effectively unchanged from September 2013 to September 2014.

BPEX said: “The big question now, of course, is whether import and export trends will remain immune to the gap between UK and EU prices. For exports, the answer may well be yes, as future trends will mainly be driven by demand, particularly from emerging markets in Asia.

“For imports, the answer is less certain. It will largely depend on how the big pork buyers respond. If their commitment to sourcing from the UK wavers then the price gap will to have. However, if support for UK pork remains strong then supply and demand on the domestic market will be the key price drivers, with the EU market having only a limited effect.”

The Pendle Pig, a hog roast catering and machine hire expert based in Lancashire, frequently share their thoughts on industry-relevant news and research. They believe confidence in British produce is at a high.

A spokesman for The Pendle Pig said: “Our clients love local British pork and we’re not surprised to see that trend is present amongst supermarket shoppers. The fact is that you get what you pay for and while pork from some EU countries may be more affordable, in terms of quality and ethics, it doesn’t get any better than British pork. Anyone who’s ever tasted one of our scrumptious hog roasts will attest to that!”

Established in 2013, The Pendle Pig are based in Hapton, Lancashire and provide catering and machine hire services throughout the country. Visit their website today at http://www.hogroastslancashire.co.uk/ for more information.