Pork is the growing choice for British shoppers

Pork is becoming the meat of choice for Britain's cash-strapped households after big jumps in beef and lamb prices over the past year.

Prime cuts of pork are £9 a kilo, less than a third of the cost of beef, according to Cranswick, the major supplier to Tesco and Sainsbury's supermarkets. Pork sales gained market share over the festive season, fattening year-on-year sales by 10 per cent in the last quarter.

Cranswick's finance director, Mark Bottomley, said: "For the first time over Christmas we saw some evidence [of trading down] with some retailers selling fewer turkeys and more pork."

Pork prices are relatively low because there is far less export demand as well as a plentiful supply.