15 July 2008, 17:38 PM
  • New figures from Waitrose show that consumers are opting for cheaper cuts of meat in an effort to save money on the weekly shop, giving independent retailers an opportunity to push lesser-known meats.

According to the supermarket, consumers are switching from chicken breasts to thighs and legs as they try to combine ethical considerations with the desire to keep down their shopping bills. In fact, Waitrose has found that sales of free-range chicken thighs and legs are growing by 55% year-on-year, compared with just ten percent for breast meat.

With consumers concerned about food prices, independent retailers need to find ways to encourage shoppers to use the whole carcass for cooking by offering recipe suggestions and ideas.

Waitrose also admitted that it’s looking for ways to capitalise on the trend by offering “brown” free-range turkey thigh meat for sandwiches and salads.