Coronavirus: People urged to eat more steak, chips and cheese during lockdown
Following widespread panic-buying in supermarkets in March, producers are now urging customers to eat foods going unsold.
Sunday 3 May 2020 06:28, UK
Britons and Europeans are being urged to eat more steak, chips and cheese because of a food surplus caused by the closure of restaurants and bars.
Despite widespread panic-buying in supermarkets across the continent in March as people responded to the coronavirus crisis, food producers are now calling on customers to stock up again.
In Belgium, the trade association for the potato industry is calling on people to consume more of the nation's world famous French fries, as they remain unable to eat out due to the impact of COVID-19.
Known as the real birthplace of finger food, Belgium's 5,000 frites stands are all closed.
"Traditionally, Belgians eat fries once a week, and it's always a festive moment," said Romain Cools, the secretary general of industry group Belgapom.
"Now, we are asking them to eat frozen fries twice a week at home."
The demand for frozen potatoes has taken a nosedive in the recent weeks, with the Belgian industry facing a possible loss of €125m (£111m), if thousands of tonnes of surplus spuds go unsold this year, according to Mr Cools.
He added: "This is the first time in my 30-year career that I need to call on authorities for help."
In the UK, more expensive cuts of meats, normally used by restaurants, are also going unsold.
The British public are being encouraged to have more steak nights, with the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board launching a £1.2m campaign to promote the idea.
In partnership with Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and Wales' Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC), the 12-week campaign aims to inspire consumers to "Make It" with beef.
It will be supported with "how to videos", cooking tips and influencer-driven content.
The industry groups said in a joint statement: "This is a unique joint effort by AHDB, QMS and HCC which we hope will drive an uptake in steak and roasting joint sales in the run up to barbecue season. It's a fantastic opportunity for everyone to get involved and create some amazing dishes in their own kitchens."
Meanwhile, people in France are being encouraged to eat more cheese as sales of traditional cheeses have plummeted more than 60% during the pandemic.
Cheesemakers are struggling as the French have "shunned" pleasure foods, such as their cheese platter, in lockdown, according to the French dairy industry.
The crisis has sparked a campaign called #Fromagissons, a contraction of the words "Fromage" and "Agissons", which translates as "Let's act for cheese".
Space to store surplus food is also in short supply.
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The world's biggest cold storage supplier said its UK warehouses could soon run out of space due to the closure of firms that supply restaurants and mass caterers.
Mike McClendon, president of international operations for Lineage Logistics, said its 15 facilities in the UK are more than 90% full.
He said: "In three to five weeks you could see the overflowing of frozen and chilled volumes at our facilities.
"We have concerns right now that volumes need to continue to flow."