WAGYU OPEN MEETING 14TH OCTOBER

Invitation to Wagyu Open Meeting, Tuesday 14th October 2025

We are pleased to invite you to an Open Meeting being held this coming autumn at the Tollgate Brewery on the National Trust’s Calke Abbey Estate on the Leicestershire/Derbyshire border on 14th October 10.30am – 2pm.

Tollgate Brewery

This is an informal ‘Open Meeting’ to learn more about the British Wagyu Association (BWA), who we are and what our future aims are. We also want to find out more about what you are doing with Wagyu and how the BWA might best support you in the future. All interested parties including breeders, producers, butchers, farm shops etc – whether currently BWA members or not – are welcome to attend.

• When: Tuesday 14th October

• Where: Tollgate Brewery, Southwood House Farm, Staunton Lane, Calke, Derbyshire, LE65 1RG

  PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME 

  • 10.30-11-00 Arrival, registration, refreshments

  • 11.00-11.30 Brewery tour

  • 11.30-1.00 Presentations, Q&A

  • 1.00 Pizza n Pint

  • 1.30/2.00 Finish

    We are hoping to have a full turnout of the BWA Board to hear your views. Please note, this is an ‘open’ event by invitation - all are welcome but we do need RSVPs in advance, please.

    All expressions of interest to Richard Saunders info@britishwagyu.co.uk.

    We look forward to seeing you in October!

    Yours sincerely,

     Jim Bloom, Chris Dickinson, Jess Edwards & Hugh Pocock (BWA Directors)

    Richard Saunders (BWA Company Secretary) 

    RSVP to info@britishwagyu.co.uk by 30th September with the names of those attending

SUMMER 2025 NEWSLETTER OUT NOW

Please click HERE to view the latest British Wagyu Newsletter packed full of news, views and reports on all things Wagyu. Members will have received their copy through the post in early July for the new membership year (01/07/25-30/06/26) but anyone wishing to join or to receive a printed copy should email info@britishwagyu.co.uk. Wishing you a good read!

BRITISH WAGYU - WHY THE HYPE? THE STORY BEHIND BRITAIN'S LEADING BEEF BRAND

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

BRITISH WAGYU ASSURANCE PARTNERS WITH INTERTEK SAI GLOBAL

BRITISH WAGYU ASSURANCE PARTNERS WITH INTERTEK SAI GLOBAL

British Wagyu has made great strides in not only accelerating the breeding 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

Starting initially with the Warrendale Wagyu integrated supply chain and its 800+ farmer partners, from June 2025 British Wagyu has begun working with Intertek SAI Global (ISAI) - the UK's leading farm assurance body - to roll out an independent audit of the British Wagyu Assured scheme and its industry-leading traceability, animal health and welfare, and quality STANDARDS.

A batch of Wagyu-sired calves sporting distinctive British Wagyu tags

Says Warrendale Production Director, Jamie Brownrigg, “This is an important next step in driving forward our British Wagyu business and to ensure we safeguard our fantastic product as well as our premium position in the marketplace. We have worked hard to make this as farmer-friendly and cost-effective as possible so I'm pleased to tell you that the British Wagyu assessment will be carried out, as far as practically possible, at the same time as the usual farm audit, with the cost of the basic bolt-on met through the current British Wagyu commercial membership meaning there will be no additional charge to farmers.” Farmers will also receive a certificate of conformity - click HERE for an example.

Caisley British-Wagyu branded ear tags with vials sent for DNA/BVD testing

Aldi packs featuring the BWA-Assured label

British Wagyu-branded products in Waitrose’s No.1 Range

BRITISH WAGYU FEATURED IN LATEST NBA MAGAZINE

Great to see a double-page feature on British Wagyu in the latest National Beef Association (NBA) magazine Spring 2025 edition. Please click HERE to read the full article covering Market Comment, Director Appointment and British Wagyu Assurance. Grateful thanks are extended to the NBA - for further information, please visit www.nationalbeefassociation.com

HEALTH BENEFITS OF WAGYU BEEF

Health Benefits of Wagyu Beef - please click HERE for an excellent consumer-friendly summary of Wagyu beef and fat written in a popular science format. Brought to you by members of the World Wagyu Council working in collaboration, it dispels many of the myths around fat and instead espouses the importance of ‘good’ fats as part of a healthy and balanced diet - all backed up by a plethora of scientific research papers, recommendations for further reading, glossary of terms as well as acknowledgements

JESS EDWARDS STEPS UP TO BWA BOARD

Wyndford Wagyu’s Commercial Director, Jess Edwards, has recently been appointed to the British Wagyu Association (BWA) Board of Directors. With previous experience at both Holstein UK and Cogent, Jess joined Shropshire-based Wyndford Wagyu in 2020 and has been instrumental in driving the expansion of what is one of the largest Fullblood Wagyu herds in Europe – now numbering over 475 head.

Jess Edwards speaking at the British Wagyu Conference in Telford

A particular focus has been on establishing an elite herd using genetics from both the USA and Australia to produce them some of the highest-ranking genetic merit stock in the world – including Wyndford Itoguni 308H, the world’s number one bull for marble score at +4.8.

 Wyndford has also made a success of marketing their Fullblood Wagyu beef, both online and through wholesale buyers such as Aubrey Allen. Being early adopters of the MIJ (Meat Image Japan) digital camera, Wyndford have assessed all their carcases finished to date and utilised carcase data to further improve their breeding programme. 

Jess Edwards pictured with industry partners L-R Szymon Nowaczek (Caisley), Hugh Pocock and Richard Saunders (both BWA) at the British Cattle Breeders Conference

Says Jess: “I am delighted to be joining the BWA Board at a time when British F1 Wagyu is enjoying tremendous growth. I’m keen to ensure that all UK Fullblood Wagyu producers are represented and advocated for, whilst using my wider connections to bring all UK F1 producers around the table. Differentiation between F1 and Fullblood Wagyu products is essential, to ensure continued growth in the UK. I can’t wait to get more involved in the BWA and meet more members across the UK.”

NOTE TO EDITORS: The BWA Executive comprises Directors Jim Bloom, Chris Dickinson, Hugh Pocock and Jess Edwards together with Company Secretary Richard Saunders

SPRING 2025 NEWSLETTER OUT NOW!

Please click HERE to read the bumper 24-page edition of the latest British Wagyu Newsletter for Spring 2025. Full of news and views about the domestic and international Wagyu market, it also features our Full & Associate Members on a double-page spread. All members should have received a copy in the post during the first week of January - please get in touch if you would like a hard copy. Wishing you a good read!

GET INVOLVED WITH THE WORLD WAGYU COUNCIL

The British Wagyu Association is a founding member of the World Wagyu Council (WWC) which was established in 2015. Now numbering 11 associations from 10 countries over 5 continents, the WWC is dedicated to cooperative efforts and initiatives to promote and develop the integrity of the Wagyu breed and brand internationally. If you are a Wagyu breeder or involved in any associated livestock business such as equipment, nutrition, animal health, machinery, genetics or technology then why not support the WWC through sponsorship? There are a number of packages available to help you to get your products and services out to Wagyu breeders globally. Click HERE to read the sponsorship prospectus or visit www.worldwagyucouncil.com to find out more.

BRITISH WAGYU REGISTRATION & DNA PRESENTATION NOW AVAILABLE

BRITISH WAGYU REGISTRATION & DNA PRESENTATION NOW AVAILABLE

The British Wagyu Association (BWA) held a seminar/webinar on the registration and DNA process for Wagyu calves on 6th November. We were delighted to welcome Hannah Kirkwood, International Office & Data Systems Manager for the Australian Wagyu Association (AWA), who ran through the Fullblood registration process. Kindly hosted in Ayr, Scotland by our DNA partner Neogen, there were over a dozen participants joining online or in person. For the full presentation, please click HERE.

Open to current and prospective BWA Members, this webinar/seminar was held to familiarise breeders with the AWA registration portal and the process of sending DNA samples, getting results and ultimately registering animals successfully. It was a very useful opportunity to ask any questions and get to know all of the partners involved. We hope to hold another one in Spring 2025 - please get in touch with BWA Co Sec Richard Saunders to reserve your place E: info@britishwagyu.co.uk