Yorkshire based Wagyu beef specialist, Warrendale Wagyu, has announced plans to double its production in the next two years.
The company said the plans to more than double its production by 2025 are due to “continued demand and the thriving market”.
Warrendale Wagyu outlined its plan at its 2023 conference, attended by over 250 farming delegates. It currently processes 130 cattle/week, which is equivalent to 105,000 burgers and 18,000 steaks.
Tom Richardson of Warrendale Wagyu said British Wagyu is the fastest growing breed in the UK – up 30% in 2022 – and the company is confident that it can increase this “even further over the coming years”.
“Ultimately, our goal is to protect the premium quality whilst growing the full supply chain sustainably and this was our opportunity to be completely unified on this with all our partners and customers,” he said.
Warrendale Wagyu
At the conference, Warrendale Wagyu updated delegates on its aspirations to rapidly expand its network further and secure more farm partners at every stage of the process, from dairy farmers to calf rearers and finishing farms.
A large focus was placed on the resilience of its collaborative supply chain, which has been its key focus for the first five years in business and security for the entire supplier network is one of the company’s key values, it said.
However Warrendale Wagyu’s managing director, Tom Richardson, also outlined an increased effort over the next five years on improving quality even further while focussing on the industry’s net-zero targets.
Richardson said the company will work with its supply chain and use the “extensive data it has gathered over the last five years” to make further improvements.
On its consumer home delivery service, the company said it was now delivering between 200 and 500 parcels each week directly to UK homes and that over a quarter of these customers (28%) are 25 to 34 year olds.
It explained how its gaining exposure to the important ‘TikTok generation’ by “selling the meal, not the meat” through digital marketing strategies.
The conference was held in partnership with the British Wagyu Breeders Association and Wyndford Wagyu. Attendees also heard speakers from Aldi, the Australian Wagyu Association, Genus ABS and Red Tractor.
