Marks & Spencer (M&S) has just recorded a third consecutive year of growth with turnover for 2025/2026 totalling £13.9 billion.
And while clothing is still important for the retailer, food is now the dominant aspect of the business, accounting for a bespoke turnover of £9 billion in 2025/2026 - an increase of 8.7% on the previous year.
Dr. Peter Kennedy, head of agriculture and fisheries at M&S, spoke at the recent College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) / Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) beef conference.
Courtesy of his presentation, Dr. Kennedy confirmed that the company wants to further develop its red meat offering.
And in practical terms this means working closely with farmer-suppliers and consumers in equal measure.
He explained: “Delivering what customers want is the clear focus of the business.
“Our growth has been underpinned by a combination of three factors: quality, value and perception.
“But everything comes back to quality, which resonates with customers in terms of the value-for-money they receive.
“People want clean foods: they also want to know precisely what it is they are eating.”
Significantly, the M&S representative believes that the growing use of GLP 1 weight loss medicines will create opportunities for the red meat sector into the future.
This is based on the assertion that the use of these appetite suppressants must be tied in with a commitment to a nutrient dense diet containing significant quantities of quality protein sources.
“And beef can play a key role in this context,” Kennedy further explained.
Red meat suppliers
When it comes to securing its red meat supplies, M&S works directly with specifically selected farmer suppliers - all meeting clearly defined animal welfare, environmental and other fundamentally important management standards, which deliver improved eating quality.
The M&S Aberdeen-Angus Gold brand is a key driver of the retailer’s beef offering.
“This is centred on a wholly integrated supply chain, delivering 650 finished cattle per week," Dr. Kennedy said.
“The scheme has been refined to include only animals bred form a select listing of Angus sires.”
According to Dr. Kennedy, this is underpinned by a commitment from M&S to offer their farmers 10-year supply contracts.
“These are structured around clear governance criteria. M&S is committed to delivering a sustainable future for its farmer suppliers while also providing customers with a consistently high eating experience.
“Our fast developing Wagyu Gold offering will be developed along similar lines," Dr. Kennedy said.
Looking to the future, the M&S representative confirmed that the retailer wants to develop a bespoke suckler scheme, again with a clear focus on delivering a high quality beef offering to consumers.
Dr. Kennedy added: “Increasingly, consumers want to know more about the food they are eating and its journey from farm to fork.”