More than 40 per cent of the meat we eat in Britain is chicken – making it the nation’s favourite choice by far.

It’s especially popular with families, with a third eating chicken several times a week or more. And no wonder, when it’s so tasty, versatile and easy to prepare.

While research has shown that more and more of us prefer to eat chicken that is born and bred in Britain*, the amount we import rises by around 10 per cent each year.

So if you want to make sure that you’re buying a British chicken, it’s worth asking your butcher where it’s from, or checking the label if you’re choosing pre-packaged meat.

If you choose chicken that carries the Red Tractor, you'll know you're buying a bird that can be traced back to the farm it came from. The Union Jack beneath the logo tells you, you are buying Chicken that has been farmed, packed and processed in Britain.

The Red Tractor means the chicken has been produced to a high set of standards covering every stage of the food chain – from rearing to processing. All farms and processors involved are independently inspected each year to ensure they continue to meet these standards.

* Source: MORI 2006 - 63% of people said it is important to them that the chicken they eat is reared in Britain (up from 52% in MORI 2003 research)

Factsheets:
The Facts About British Chicken (PDF, 107 KB)
Red Tractor Assurance Scheme (PDF, 32.5 KB)