Shortages of cattle in the UK alongside an increase in demand have forced restaurant owners to hike the price of red meat.
Will Beckett, founder of the Hawksmoor steakhouse group, told The Times that demand for British steaks is currently "at an all-time high at home and abroad.”
Prices in Hawksmoor’s ten UK restaurants have risen by around 4%. Beckett said Hawksmoor was “trying to do everything to keep prices down” but acknowledged that farmers “have had a tough few years and herd sizes are down”.
“At Hawksmoor, we’ve got longstanding relationships with farmers and are working with them to keep delivering the best steaks at a range of price points to our guests and, as a result, are busier than ever,” he said.
The Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) has predicted that UK beef production will fall by 5% in 2025, while demand is expected to rise by 1%.
The average deadweight price of a cow has risen by 15% since the start of the year, according to the AHDB.