Brits have been told to eat more steak to help struggling beef farmers

• Brits are being asked to eat more steak at home, rather than just ground beef.
• With restaurants closed due to the coronavirus and many people seeing steak as an indulgence they only have when dining out, beef farmers are struggling, according to The National Farmers' Union (NFU).
• NFU head Minnette Batters told The Telegraph that Brits can help support the industry by having a weekly steak night.
• She also predicted that the cancellation of events like Wimbledon and Ascot will leave farmers with a surplus of strawberries and cheese this summer.
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For many people, steak is an indulgence and an extravagance that they don't treat themselves to that often, whether that's for environmental, health, or budgetary reasons.

However, in what is likely to serve as good news for carnivores, Brits are being asked to eat more steak to help support struggling beef farmers.

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) is calling on British meat-eaters to buy more steak rather than cheaper ground beef.

With many people typically only eating steak as a treat when dining out rather than something they cook for themselves at home, the closure of restaurants due to the coronavirus pandemic is proving to be problematic for farmers.

The head of the NFU, Minnette Batters, told The Telegraph that Brits can help support the industry by having a weekly steak night.

"We eat a lot of steaks out of home but out of retail we eat a lot of mince," she said.

"We need to get people to be eating these high quality steaks — if people can have a steak night that's a great way to help. Have it with some great British asparagus and that's a lovely meal!"

The call follows the French being told to eat more cheese, and Belgians more fries as food producers across the globe feel the effect of lockdown.

It's not just in Belgium that there's a surplus of potatoes though — Brits should eat more fries at home too.

"Farmers that were selling potatoes to fish and chip shops have lost their market overnight, we have a lot of potatoes still in storage that have not been sold," Batters said.

What's more, the cancellation of many summer events like Wimbledon tennis and Ascot races will have an impact on British farmers too, so the public may be asked to eat more strawberries and cheese at home to make up the market.

Batters said she predicts there will be a "plentiful supply" of strawberries this summer.

Steak, chips, cheese, and strawberries. There are certainly worse meals.

The NFU did not immediately respond to Insider's request for further comment.