Households ate more meat and cheese in the years 2020/21 than they did in 2016/17, despite pressure to reduce their intake.
Coronavirus lockdown habits influenced the findings, but the figures still showed cheese consumption ticking upwards in every year from 2016/17. It increased 19.9 per cent from 2017/18.
Meat consumption also grew steadily from 2016/17, dipping only once between 2018/19 – 2019/20, before picking back up again.
Egg consumption remained constant at two a week over the five-year period.
The new findings come from data published by the Government in Family Food 2020/21, which covers household shopping and eating habits.
Tenant Farmers Association chief executive George Dunn said: “It is good to see that, despite some of the inappropriate messaging which is suggesting people should cut back on their meat and dairy consumption for spurious environmental or health reasons, households are continuing to select these products as part of a balanced and healthy diet.
“Of course, people should be free to make whatever decisions they want around their dietary preferences, informed by evidence-based information, advice and support.
“Selecting British meat and dairy products is a good way to ensure consumers are choosing products which are safe, nutritious, environmentally friendly and produced to high standards of animal welfare.”
NFU food business unit chief adviser Amy Fry told Farmers Guardian it was ’good to see’ demand increasing up to 2021, but added a lot has changed since then, with the war in Ukraine causing inflation and a ’cost of living crisis’ in full swing.
“In the past 12 months we have seen some shoppers opt more for cheaper, often frozen, proteins," she added.
"However, we know the British consumer still really values home-grown, sustainable, high-welfare British meat and dairy products, therefore it is more important than ever that we demonstrate the benefits and value of backing British food and farming - to shoppers, retailers and the Government – and encourage consumers to continue to buy British.”
Around 5,000 households in the UK are surveyed annually for the research.
