AUSTIN, Texas — Despite economic uncertainty and inflation, beef demand has remained strong.

During this year’s recent Certified Angus Beef Beef Bash 2025 event, presenters shared insights from across the beef value chain to show why consumer loyalty endures.

"If you think about how beef is sitting at record prices, and yet we see pounds at retail grow 6-7%. Dollars are growing 12-13%," said Anne-Marie Roerink, Principal at 210 Analytics. "I feel like we're really creating an environment in which consumers are willing to open their wallets a little bit further, maybe not have their Starbucks but go and buy beef at retail and also buy beef at foodservice."    

She added, “We continue to see very strong desire for beef.”

A focus on protein in American’s diets has not only helped keep beef sales strong, Roerink said, but also revamped beef’s image as a healthful part of peoples’ diets. "As an industry, we've done a really good job of addressing permisibility," Roerink said.

“Beef has gone from villain to vital,” she said.

The following beef market insights were presented during Beef Bash 2025:

• 85% of consumers say they are interested in recipes and tips about indulgent, involved cuts to confidently make premium restaurant-style meals at home, and 28% are willing to pay more for meat or poultry when replacing a meal. Promoting affordable at-home dining solutions includes DIY meal kits and embracing social media-driven culinary product trends.
• 88.5% of white households report buying beef, as do 86.5% of black households, with 66.8% of Asian households buying beef.  
• 57% of consumers say they are interested in buying deli-prepared, ready-to-eat meat/poultry.
• 42% of consumers want fully cooked heat-and-eat meat/poultry.
• 38% want meat/poultry in microwaveable or oven-ready packaging.
• CAB value-added products (including fully cooked brisket, seasoned ground beef and shaved steak) experienced a 5.5% growth in sales and 47.9 million pounds sold for fiscal 2025. 
• Certified Angus Beef licensed 601 new restaurants to carry product and promote the brand in the past year.
• Certified Angus Beef Prime products saw sales increase 8.5%, to a record 55 million pounds sold.
• With sales of CAB-branded Prime deli meats up a sharp 64% in 2025, 85% of consumers say they are willing to pay more for deli meats, and 80% are willing to drive farther to a store to get it.
• For March 2025, foodservice sales for Certified Angus Beef products set a record of 40.3 million pounds sold for the month.