Christmas turkey shortage less of a worry than the soaring prices
EVERY year, consumers are encouraged to order their festive turkeys earlier and earlier to avoid disappointment on the big day.
But the compounding effects of the war in Ukraine, soaring inflation and the worst-ever outbreak of bird flu in the UK are giving one Bristol butcher extra cause for concern.
Despite stark warnings from poultry farmers earlier this week about turkey shortages, Paul Wood, who owns Wood Family Butcher in Shirehampton, is more worried about the prices his customers may be paying if they leave their Christmas planning to the last minute. Paul told Bristol Live: “People are panicking, but the wholesalers that we deal with have said that there are no shortages at the moment; it’s mainly to do with the price.
“It’s embarrassing, to be honest with you, for little family butchers like us. That’s why I’ve encouraged our customers, over the last four weeks, to purchase their turkey butterflies and pork at a cheaper price now and put it in the freezer.”
Back in September, Paul posted to his shop’s 8700 Facebook followers: “We had some very sad news this morning that the prices for Christmas are going up by 33 per cent on poultry, so we thought we try to help everybody out by doing a special offer now on turkey butterflies...put it in your freezer only £10.99 a kilo.”
He says that his ‘buy early’ deal has been well received, with the shop handling nearly a quarter of the 1,000 Christmas sales he would typically expect to do in December and saving his customers a bit of cash in the process too.
Despite the pinch it puts on him, Paul said he is understanding of the reasons why his suppliers are raising their costs, especially after yesterday’s announcement from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) that Britain’s birdkeepers must keep their flocks locked down ‘until further notice.’
The ruling comes after a rapid escalation in Avian Influenza cases, extending the compulsory housing and strict bio-security measures already in place in outbreak hot spots in the east of the country.
In recent months around two million birds, including 750,000 turkeys, have been culled across the UK to prevent outbreaks, with some farms, such as Gressingham Foods’ geese flock, left devastated. The new regulations come at the worst possible time for poultry farmers, who are also contending with rises in the cost of grain because of limited Ukrainian exports and fluctuating fuel prices.
So far, farmers in the southwest, smaller producers and those that indoor rear have fared relatively well, though many will still face a tense month ahead. To help mitigate the cost implications for suppliers and retailers, DEFRA has temporarily eased its restrictions on marketing, allowing poultry that has previously been frozen to be labelled as ‘fresh.’
None of the meat Wood sells at his butcher’s has been frozen, however, enabling his customers to purchase earlier than they might have otherwise, with the shop offering customers detailed instructions on storage and defrosting. Paul even says it’s not unusual
for him to field cooking questions on Christmas morning. Still, he’s happy to offer advice whenever needed, telling Bristol Live: “My customers mean everything to me.”
That commitment to providing shoppers with the best service possible, even during a challenging time, was echoed by butchers elsewhere in the city.
Speaking to the Post Amy Osborne, the owner of Dave Giles on Gloucester Road, said that she agreed on her turkey order for 300 birds this year back in January and anticipates it being fulfilled as expected because her supplier is small-scale and local, so less vulnerable to infections.
“The only problem will be if the supplier’s farm suddenly gets bird flu,” she said, “But I’ve said to people to order their turkeys as they normally would, and if anything goes horribly wrong, we will phone you, we will give you your deposit back, we will think of a plan B. Every single one of my customers has been really good. There is always a backup plan.”
Amy says there’s been roughly a 15% increase in turkey prices from last year, but that hasn’t deterred her customers. “Although people are tightening their belts, with Christmas, it’s that one time of year that people get together, and the last two or three years, they haven’t been able to.
“Our customers are lovely, and they realise if they don’t support us, they will lose us, and they understand the farmer’s situation. Supporting your local butcher supports your local farmer.”
People are panicking but the wholesalers say there’s no shortage, it’s mainly to do with the price Paul Wood