AHDB has launched a new campaign to encourage people to eat pulled pork at home to help rebalance the pork carcase during the COVID-19 outbreak.
The levy body is calling on farmers and industry to help push pulled pork as part of the £100,000 consumer campaign. Running for six weeks from April 22, Make it Pulled Pork aims to ‘get the nation to fall in love with pulled pork, and recreate a favourite eating-out dish at home’.
The UK pork sector has coped far better than many other sectors with the overnight transformation in consumer habits caused by the coronavirus restrictions. Throughput has has been stable and exports, particularly to China, have helped balance the carcase, but stocks of shoulders and bellies have been building up in cold stores due to the impact on the food service trade.
AHDB estimates the recent loss of foodservice outlets could lead to an additional 503 million in-home meal occasions per week, ‘providing a perfect opportunity for consumers to rekindle their passion for pulled pork’.
The campaign will help boost the domestic market for pork shoulder joints, which would normally have a ready outlet in pubs and restaurants. Typically, the eating-out market accounts for around 14% of all pork volume sales in Great Britain.
Spanning digital and print media, Make it Pulled Pork will feature advertising in national newspapers, reaching an estimated audience of four million consumers.
New content has been added to AHDB’s consumer-facing website, LovePork, providing tips and advice on how to cook and serve the perfect, succulent pork shoulder. On social media, posts and recipe suggestions will be targeted at LovePork’s 100,000 Instagram and Facebook followers using the hashtag #PerfectPulledPork.
Farmers and others in the supply chain are being encouraged to boost the campaign’s goals by posting assets, which can be downloaded for free at ahdb.org.uk/pulled-pork, or by photographing their own recipes and using the hashtag.
Angela Christison, AHDB Strategy Director for pork, said: “Pulled pork offers an easy, affordable and delicious way for families to recreate restaurant-quality food in the comfort of their own home. It is such a simple and tasty dish that needs very little effort or cooking ability.
“I encourage the industry to get involved in the campaign and help spread the word about #PerfectPulledPork in these challenging times.”