British Wagyu – why the hype? What’s the story behind Britain’s leading beef brand?
Renowned as the world’s luxury beef - and famed for its exceptional marbling, tenderness and eating quality - British Wagyu has been all over the news lately. We’ve all heard about its origins in Japan but how has this national treasure in the Land of the Rising Sun come to have such an influence over here? There’s no one-size-fits-all answer but British Wagyu’s Richard Saunders sets about answering some of the key questions….
Wagyu beef
How come the huge growth?
One of the biggest surprises is the resurgence in sales of fresh of beef (*1) in the UK market. This strong growth reflects a number of factors: the ‘eat less but eat best’ phenomenon, the rise in at-home ‘fine dining’ supermarket ranges, the cooking-from-scratch trend, and the overall dissatisfaction with meat-free options – whether it be on food miles/sustainability grounds, cost pressures or greater awareness of UPFs (ultra-processed foods) and HFSS products (high in fat, sugar and salt). Let’s also remember that beef is nutrient-dense and has one ingredient (BEEF!). A combination of all these factors leads the consumer (and retail buyer) to seek out premium British Wagyu.
*1 Beef Sales up £242.1 Million (+8.5%) or +6.8 Million kilos in the past 12 months. Source AHDB
Wagyu in Numbers?
Last year, over 45,000 Wagyu calves were born in the Great Britain – compare this to 2,405 ten years ago (2014 figures) with growth up 25% year-on-year (*2). Today there are over 1,000 farms rearing our cattle and Wagyu is now the UK’s 8th most popular breed; this sounds like a lot but Wagyu only represents 2-3% of the market so retains its niche appeal.
*2. 45,232 Wagyu calves born in the 12 months to end March 2025. Source British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS).
British Wagyus out at pasture
What is Wagyu?
Wagyu is a breed of cattle originating in Japan which, since the late 1970s, has spread far and wide to pretty much dominate the culinary scene globally, winning numerous awards worldwide. Wagyu is synonymous for luxury beef.
And Marbling?
Wagyu cattle have a natural propensity to produce beef that is beautifully marbled. Before mechanized farming, it is said that Wagyu cattle were used as draught animals to pull carts so needed to lay down IMF (intra-muscular fat) to give them slow-release energy throughout the day. Wagyu fat melts at a lower temperature than butter to give the beef a juicy, tender and delicious flavour. In the UK, we generally measure this marbling with a Meat Image Japan camera to independently verify the marbling and to give our beef a Marble Score rating (generally on a scale of 1-10+).
Wagyu beef is naturally marbled
Now available in the UK & Ireland?
Aldi & Waitrose offer British Wagyu Assured products in the retail space through their long-term contracts with the UK’s leading producer, Warrendale Wagyu. More recently, Tesco have entered the market and there are offerings too from Sainsbury’s and M&S. Look out too for British Wagyu from a myriad of farm shops, wholesalers, butchers and online boxed beef schemes to name a few - many with their own branding and USPs.
British Wagyu-branded sirloin steak in Aldi
What does ‘British Wagyu Assured’ mean?
This means that the beef comes from farmers who are not only Members of the British Wagyu Association (BWA) but have adopted our set of standards which include protocols around animal health and welfare as well as quality and traceability with all farms Red Tractor assured (or equivalent). Standards are independently audited. Look out for our logo on packaging.
Waitrose No.1 Range with British Wagyu branding
Is this really Wagyu?
Yes, it is. But with a British twist – slow grown and predominantly pasture-raised according to BWA standards with a strong emphasis on animal health and welfare. Wagyu beef is defined as being sired by a registered Fullblood (pedigree) bull so the Wagyu content is guaranteed a minimum 50% and anything up to 100%. This is the same ‘custom of trade’ adopted by all other UK breeds.
Why buy British Wagyu?
For sure, the UK imports Wagyu from a number of countries including Japan, Australia and Chile - and the quality is indeed excellent. Many consumers however do prefer to ‘Buy British’ – they tell us they like to keep food miles to a minimum, prefer pasture-fed animals and put a lot of trust in British farmers to produce quality beef that suits the UK palette.
Is Wagyu Beef Healthy?
Wagyu beef has higher levels of oleic acid (omega 9), a type of monounsaturated fatty acid that makes up about 52.9% of its fat content, compared to other beef. This fat is similar to olive oil and is known for promoting heart health. Oleic acid lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol and raises HDL (good) cholesterol, helping to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Wagyu beef's signature tenderness and rich flavour also stems from its high oleic acid content, which lowers the melting point of fat and enhances juiciness. In May 2025, the World Wagyu Council published ‘Health Benefits of Wagyu Beef’ – click HERE to read the full article.
What’s next?
British Wagyu has made great strides in not only accelerating the uptake of Wagyu cattle but of marketing British Wagyu beef through the retail, wholesale, foodservice and e-commerce sectors. A huge part of this success lies in the integrity of the product, its traceability and its branding with many customers now familiar with the British Wagyu Assured logo used in marketing and on retail packaging.
British Wagyu Assured logo
And finally…What’s this about massage and beer?
Find out about this and much more on British Wagyu in The Grocer over the next 12 months as we delve into these and other topics in greater depth to give you further insights into Wagyu beef!
Richard Saunders is British Wagyu Association Company Secretary. E: info@britishwagyu.co.uk
Grateful thanks are extended to sources including The Grocer, BCMS, AHDB and the World Wagyu Council in compiling the above
www.britishwagyu.co.uk • info@britishwagyu.co.uk
