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Meat Wholesaling in the UK Industry Data and Analysis
Over the five years through 2024–25, revenue is expected to drop at a compound annual rate of 0.7%, falling to £13.5 billion, including an estimated drop of 1.2% in 2025-2026. In recent years, shifting consumer preferences and downstream supply chain changes have reshaped the UK Meat Wholesaling industry. Higher meat prices, tighter household budgets and growing concerns about health and sustainability have accelerated a move away from red meat, with poultry emerging as the UK’s most consumed protein, according to DEFRA in September 2023. Chicken’s affordability, convenience and health appeal have helped support volume stability and protect revenue. Leading meat wholesalers like Booker Group and DB Foods have responded by prioritising lean cuts and investing in tailored supply chains. However, demand from discretionary markets such as restaurants and catering has dipped due to rising living costs and weaker footfall, while more supermarkets are bypassing wholesalers through direct procurement models. This has pressured meat wholesalers' revenue downward and squeezed their margins.
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What's included in this industry analysis
IBISWorld's research coverage on the Meat Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom includes market sizing, forecasting, data and analysis from 2015-2030. The most recent publication was released May 2025.
About this industry
What's this industry report about?
The Meat Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom operates under the SIC industry code G46.320. Operators in the Meat Wholesaling industry wholesale fresh and frozen meat and meat products. Businesses in this industry generally purchase meat from slaughterhouses and sell it to retailers such as grocery stores, butchers, restaurants and caterers. Wholesalers perform little or no additional processing beyond repackaging, instead focusing on storage and distribution. Related terms covered in the Meat Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom include veal, mutton and lamb.
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in Meat Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom include Chicken and other poultry, Beef and veal and Lamb and mutton .
What companies are included in this industry?
Companies covered in the Meat Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom include Booker Group Ltd, Danish Crown UK Ltd and Sun Valley Foods Ltd.
Performance
What's included in the Performance chapter?
The Performance chapter covers detailed analysis, datasets, detailed current performance, sources of volatility and an outlook with forecasts for the Meat Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom.
Questions answered in this chapter include what's driving current industry performance, what influences industry volatility, how do successful businesses overcome volatility, what's driving the industry outlook. This analysis is supported with data and statistics on industry revenues, costs, profits, businesses and employees.
Products & Markets
What's included in the Products and Markets chapter?
The Products and Markets chapter covers detailed products and service segmentation and analysis of major markets for the for the Meat Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom.
Questions answered in this chapter include how are the industry's products and services performing, what are innovations in industry products and services, what products or services do successful businesses offer and what's influencing demand from the industry's markets. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by product and service segmentation and major markets.
Geographic Breakdown
What's included in the Geographic Breakdown chapter?
The Geographic Breakdown chapter covers detailed analysis and datasets on regional performance of the Meat Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom.
Questions answered in this chapter include where are industry businesses located and how do businesses use location to their advantage. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by location.
Competitive Forces
What's included in the Competitive Forces chapter?
The Competitive Forces chapter covers the concentration, barriers to entry and supplier and buyer profiles in the Meat Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom. This includes data and statistics on industry market share concentration, barriers to entry, substitute products and buyer & supplier power.
Questions answered in this chapter include what impacts the industry's market share concentration, how do successful businesses handle concentration, what challenges do potential industry entrants face, how can potential entrants overcome barriers to entry, what are substitutes for industry services, how do successful businesses compete with substitutes and what power do buyers and suppliers have over the industry and how do successful businesses manage buyer & supplier power.
Companies
What's included in the Companies chapter?
The Companies chapter covers Key Takeaways, Market Share and Companies in the Meat Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom. This includes data and analysis on companies operating in the industry that hold a market share greater than 5%.
Questions answered in this chapter include what companies have a meaningful market share and how each company is performing.
External Environment
What's included in the External Environment chapter?
The External Environment chapter covers Key Takeaways, External Drivers, Regulation & Policy and Assistance in the Meat Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom. This includes data and statistics on factors impacting industry revenue such as economic indicators, regulation, policy and assistance programs.
Questions answered in this chapter include what demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the industry, what regulations impact the industry, what assistance is available to this industry.
Financial Benchmarks
What's included in the Financial Benchmarks chapter?
The Financial Benchmarks chapter covers Key Takeaways, Cost Structure, Financial Ratios, Valuation Multiples and Key Ratios in the Meat Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom. This includes financial data and statistics on industry performance including key cost inputs, profitability, key financial ratios and enterprise value multiples.
Questions answered in this chapter include what trends impact industry costs and how financial ratios have changed overtime.
Industry Data
What's included in the Industry Data chapter?
The Industry Data chapter includes 10 years of historical data with 5 years of forecast data covering statistics like revenue, industry value add, establishments, enterprises, employment and wages in the Meat Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the market size of the Meat Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom in 2026?
The market size of the Meat Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom is £13.5bn in 2026.
How many businesses are there in the Meat Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom in 2025?
There are 1,739 businesses in the Meat Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom, which has declined at a CAGR of 5.0 % between 2020 and 2025.
How may import tariffs affect the Meat Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom?
The Meat Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
How may export tariffs affect the Meat Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom?
The Meat Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
Has the Meat Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Meat Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom has been declining at a CAGR of 0.7 % between 2020 and 2025.
What is the forecast growth of the Meat Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Meat Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom is expected to decline.
What are the biggest companies in the Meat Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom?
The biggest companies operating in the Meat Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom are Booker Group Ltd, Danish Crown UK Ltd and Sun Valley Foods Ltd
What does the Meat Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom include?
Chicken and other poultry and Beef are part of the Meat Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Meat Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom?
The company holding the most market share in the Meat Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom is Booker Group Ltd.
How competitive is the Meat Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom?
The level of competition is high and steady in the Meat Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom.
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