Marks and Spencer (M&S) has set out plans to invest £2.1bn ($2.81bn) to reinforce its sourcing of British lamb and beef, signing two ten-year supply agreements with meat processors ABP and Dunbia.
The agreements are expected to support around 3,500 M&S Select Farms while securing a long-term domestic supply of lamb and beef across the retailer’s Foodhall business.
The contracts also preserve exclusivity for M&S’s Wagyu Gold, Aberdeen Angus Gold and Organic product lines, as demand for beef continues to grow.
Launched last year, Aberdeen Angus Gold is described as an integrated beef standard developed in collaboration with farmers through a “science-led breeding programme”.
According to M&S, it delivers “exceptional quality and high welfare at a 40% lower carbon footprint versus standard beef”.
As part of the arrangements, suppliers will undertake investments in infrastructure and production capacity.
Dunbia intends to install new salt drying chambers dedicated to M&S while ABP will upgrade equipment for meat cutting and packaging, alongside boosting processing efficiency.
M&S Food managing director Alex Freudmann said: “M&S Food offers the best quality at great value, and it’s our British farmers who uphold our market-leading welfare standards and produce food to the quality our customers expect.
“Our long-term commitment to sourcing British fresh lamb and beef, through our partners at ABP and Dunbia, will support longer-term investments and security for farmers for years to come.”
The initiative forms part of M&S’s “Plan A for Farming” strategy to 2030, which prioritises domestic sourcing, high production standards, sustainability, and supply chain resilience.
The retailer has reiterated its aim to source 100% British produce across key categories such as beef, chicken, pork and eggs, as well as maintaining a fully British supply of fresh lamb through its seasonal programme.
The announcement adds M&S to a growing list of major supermarkets formalising long-term financial commitments to the UK farm sector.
Morrisons announced in February that it had allocated more than £1.6bn to British agriculture for 2026, covering supply agreements with over 2,500 farmers across categories such as dairy, eggs, fish, fruit, meat and vegetables.
More recently, Sainsbury’s outlined plans to invest over £5bn in long-term deals with over 2,500 UK farms by 2027, expanding multi-year partnerships spanning fresh produce, dairy, meat and poultry.
