EBLEX New Cuts
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ne wcuts An EBLEX Trade Marketing Initiative October 2010 Adding value, How to add £millions to increasing profit the value of the steak market Research shows new cutting techniques Since its inception, EBLEX has produce more appealing steaks, deliver advocated seam butchery techniques with their potential to derive greater greater consistency in eating quality and value from the carcase. We’ve promoted have the potential for enhanced profit. the range of additional cuts that can be produced using these methods compared Research into consumer opinion on beef eating quality with the traditional ways of cutting. inevitably throws up the common complaint that consumers’ main issue is less to do with actual quality, more to do with For example, by separating the rump primal into three the fact their beef is often inconsistent. distinct muscle blocks to produce the Bistro, Picanha and Premium Prime rump steaks, we believe it is possible to In our own most recent research on the subject, only 1 in 5 elevate eating quality and enhance consumer experience. consumers report getting consistent taste, succulence and We’ve also researched the US retail beef market and tenderness when they buy the same steak. Worryingly, 82% adapted some excellent work there using the feather blade of consumers polled claimed they left fat/gristle or tough bits and major chuck primal to develop a further two steak cuts of meat on their plate. suitable for the market in England – the Flat-Iron steak For some time EBLEX has promoted the fact that seam (from the feather blade) and the Denver steak (from the butchery techniques – rather than traditional cutting methods chuck primal). - would help to overcome this issue and deliver a more All of this development work has had the double benefit consistent product, with greater consumer appeal. At the same of producing an innovative range of additional cuts that can time, it would also create a more diverse range of steak cuts be marketed while at the same time enhancing the overall and, importantly, enhance the overall value of the carcase. value of the carcase. That’s a benefit to everyone throughout the supply chain as well as adding to consumer choice. We’ve put that theory to the test – with startling results. In controlled test circumstances, EBLEX presented a range However, any reluctance to embrace the method of of new cuts, all packaged and priced realistically to a panel preparing meat following the muscle structure of the of consumers. Each product was compared with a ‘control’ carcase seems to be based on the perceived additional traditional rump steak for visual appeal in the pack and processing or butchery costs involved. subsequently for its eating quality. Now, I’m pleased to say, we can demonstrate that seam Consumer propensity to buy was also measured. In almost butchery methods are not an act of faith. Our research not every case, there was a clear preference for the new cuts with only confirms that consumers perceive a quality differential consumers indicating they would be prepared to pay more for and an enhanced eating experience with the new cuts, it a product that would deliver on taste, and do so consistently. reveals they would be prepared to pay the modest additional costs involved in their preparation. Of course, there are additional processing and butchery costs involved; but the additional income to be derived from the new By cutting just the rump and thick flank as described above, range would enhance margins and overall profitability. the prize could be a staggering, additional £30million in The calculations to show that are included retail sales. Given a more realistic assumption that 20% of in the results outlined in the the rump and knuckle would be processed using these following pages. seam butchery techniques, the gain in retail sales would still be of the order of £6million* In terms of consumer perception and enjoyment, the value may well be incalculable. M Whittemore Mike Whittemore EBLEX *For an explanation of how the figures are calculated, see ‘Specifications and Costings’. Appeal Quality Consistency Delivering what consumers want Enhanced Appeal Traditional Rump (control product) The Cuts Our research compared six steaks produced as ‘new’ cuts with a traditional rump steak. The ‘new’ cuts tested were: Bistro Rump Steak, Prime Rump Steak, Picanha Steak, Flat-Iron Steak, Denver Steak, Centre Cut Steak. Each of the cuts was presented, under test conditions, to a panel of consumers to be evaluated on visual appeal, on eating quality comparisons and on consumers’ likelihood Bistro Steak to purchase. The research was conducted in two separate sessions and the results are presented accordingly in the charts on these pages. The cutting specifications and costings appear on the inside pages. Display - ‘Overall Liking’ Prime Rump Steak Like Extremely 9 SESSION 1 SESSION 2 SESSION 1 8 7.38 Rump Steak (Control) 7.13 7.04 7.24 7 6.80 Bistro Rump Steak 6.24 6.26 6.09 Prime Rump Steak e 6 r o Picanha Steak c 5 ) ) S l l o o t r r n t t u SESSION 2 n r a a 4 n n C e o e o h e o o r r v I n t e c c m - Rump Steak (Control) r i n ( ( Picanha Steak s a M t t i 3 r e c a n i p p l B P D e Flat-Iron Steak P F m m C u 2 u Centre Cut Steak R R 1 Denver Steak (Large cut 08/09/2010) 0 Dislike ExtremelyMean Score: Dislike extremely 0-9 Like extremely The new cuts look good Flat-Iron Steak In the first research session, the Bistro, Prime and Picanha steaks were compared with a traditional Rump (the ‘control’ cut). As the chart shows, consumers preferred the visual appearance of the new cuts, scoring them more highly. In the second research session, undertaken with a different group of consumers but to the same criteria, the Centre Cut steak scored more highly than the control Rump on visual appearance while the Flat-Iron was marked slightly below. Centre Cut Steak Denver Cut Steak Improved Quality Greater Consistency Eating - ‘Overall Liking’ Consumers identify positive attributes In the research tests, consumers were asked 9 SESSION 1 SESSION 2 to consider a number of attributes of each of the cuts – in terms of both appearance and taste - 8 7.55 7.69 7.23 7 6.85 compared with the ‘control’ traditional rump steak. 6.43 6.43 6.50 5.96 The most notable comments for each cut were: e 6 r o c 5 ) ) Consumers felt the Bistro looked tender, lean and S l l Bistro: o o t r r n t t u of high quality; they commented on the fact there was less n r a a 4 n n C e o e o h e o o r r v I n t e c c m marbling than in the traditional rump, which scored higher - r i n ( ( s a M t t i 3 r e c a n i p p l B P D on colour. e P F m m C u 2 u R R When consumers came to taste the Bistro, it rated higher not 1 only than the traditional control rump, but also more highly than 0 any other cut on being tender and lean. Consumers found it Mean Score: Dislike extremely 0-9 Like extremely flavoursome and succulent and rated it for its high quality. Prime Rump: In addition to being scored more highly than the traditional rump on being perceived to be lean, high quality and Seam cut rumps score on taste looking tender, the Prime Rump was thought to be of good When it came to taste, consumers showed a marked colour and to look more tasty that the control product. There preference for the Bistro and Picanha steaks over the was little perceived difference in marbling but it did score more traditional Rump; the Prime Rump cut was also rated more highly on looking good value – despite the price differential highly. In the second session, which compared the Flat-Iron, (the control traditional rump was priced at £4.30 or £11.48/kg Centre Cut and Denver Cut, these performed well although compared with £4.49 or £11.99/kg for the Prime Rump). slightly less favourably on taste than the control traditional The Picanha looked more flavoursome and tasty Rump. Picanha: than the traditional rump and also scored more highly on looking tender, lean and of high quality. There was little perceived difference in marbling and the Picanha recorded a similar score Eating - ‘Likelihood to Buy’ on good value as the control product. When consumers had tasted the Picanha, they rated it more highly than the traditional rump on every criteria – taste, flavour, 5 SESSION 1 SESSION 2 succulence, aroma, tender, appearance, lean and high quality. The Flat-Iron was scored more highly by consumers 3.98 4.04 3.98 Flat-Iron: 4 on looking tender, lean and of high quality. It also rated higher 3.65 3.50 3.35 on having the appearance of offering good value. e 3.16 r 2. 91 o 3 c ) ) S l l Consumers scored the Flat-Iron higher than the traditional o o t r r n t t u n r a rump on being succulent and tender after having tasted them; a n n C e o e o h e o o r 2 r v n I t e c c m - i r of particular note was the fact the Flat-Iron was “nice and thick” n ( ( s a M t t i r e c a n i p p l B P D e P and of good appearance.