Morrisons now sells 100% British meat after dropping New Zealand and Australian lamb from its shelves

MORRISONS has committed to sell British-only fresh meat at its stores across the UK.

The decision means the retailer will no longer sell fresh lamb from New Zealand and Australia, which it has previously stocked during the winter and early spring months.

Although the supermarket has claimed it will be the first major retailer to make such a commitment, rival Co-op already switched all of its fresh meat to British-only earlier this year amid rising imports.

Co-op added that it will ban Danish bacon and New Zealand lamb from its shelves.

Morrisons’ decision comes as part of its wider programme to sell more food that is both British and local.

In February, Morrisons found that only 52 per cent of the food eaten in Britain comes from local sources.

It already only sells British beef, chicken, ham, pork, sausages, duck and turkey.

Just 23 per cent of the fruit and vegetables eaten in Britain is grown here, despite more than two thirds of shoppers agreeing that they would prefer to buy British wherever possible.

Rob Youngson, Meat Director at Morrisons, said the retailer listening to its customers.

“We have always been committed to selling British meat and today we are taking this a stage further by making a clear pledge that if you buy fresh meat at Morrisons it will be British,” he said.

Rather than buying meat from intermediaries, the vast majority of the supermarket's meat comes from Morrisons’ own abattoirs and processing sites

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Money team? Email us at money@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 78 24516