The last two months have provided a similar opportunity and with all that has happened in the Australian and global beef markets in the intervening period the findings are interesting.
After the record spike in slaughter cattle prices in the US in 2014 and Australia more recently, the strength in global beef prices that followed led me to expect to see some fairly expensive beef in British and European retail markets.
Initially that seemed to be the case with rib fillet and sirloin both appearing to command around UK£30-35/kg (A$52-60/kg).
However, those initial observations were very limited and came from some of the popular public markets rather than the everyday supermarket shelves. Retail prices there were quite surprising.
For similar quality sirloin and rib fillet, the price at the major supermarkets was around UK£18-20/kg (A$31-35/kg), very comparable to Australian supermarket and retail butcher-shop prices today.
Looking back to the story I wrote in 2012, the UK supermarket price then for those cuts was the same £18-20/kg that it is now but the exchange rate then put that at A$28-31/kg. My local supermarkets and butcher shops at that time indicated retail prices in the range of A$26-31/kg.
It would seem therefore that nothing much has changed in British retail beef prices in four years and the relationship between British and Australian retail price remains quite close.
However back then, the price to the British producer for a prime trade steer was UK£3.35/kg carcass weight (A$5.23/kg). The comparable price to the Australian producer at that time for an MSA yearling steer was A$3.60/kg.
This suggested that in 2012 Australian producers were receiving around 30pc less than their British counterparts for similar cattle which ultimately retailed at approximately similar value.
Official market quote this time around in mid July to the British producer was UK£3.36/kg (A$5.79/kg). Mid-July quote this year from MLA for the same MSA steer was A$5.75/kg.
This simplistic analysis suggests Australian producers are now enjoying equivalent returns to their British counterparts for equivalent cattle and a substantially increased share of the retail beef pie.
However it needs to be pointed out that these sorts of comparisons are very sensitive to currency fluctuations. The conversion factor in 2012 was .64 while the current rate is around .58 which in itself is a substantial weakening of the UK£ in only a few short weeks because of the referendum outcome to leave the EU.
Another observation from this little exercise is the apparent insulation in the British market from global meat events. It seems quite remarkable that at random spot points four years apart the cost of beef to the British consumer and return to the producer are identical.
For a British producer however that must represent a very worrying decline in terms of trade.
Little wonder that CAP payments are so important to British agriculture and the concern being publically expressed as to where these payments are going to come from when Britain is no longer part of the EU.
Differences and similarities
FROM the accompanying photo it is apparent that branding is just as important a strategy in the UK as it is here.
The trader at this Borough market stall in London appears to have good quality meat but presumably his Northfield Farm brand is the reason the price is almost double that for similar cuts in the supermarket.
Similarly at a nearby stall selling organic grassfed beef, the Rhug Estate brand (an Angus beef farm in north Wales) is presumably a key factor linking the provenance of the piece of sirloin displayed to the asking price of £45.95/kg (A$79/kg).
The major difference would seem to be to be the extent to which meat science is utilised in Australia to underpin consistency in brand quality as there appears to be nothing equivalent in the UK.
At supermarket level the UK does have something of a meat quality scheme in its Quality Standard Mark introduced by the country’s Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).
However the scheme seems more concerned with where the animal was born, raised and slaughtered together with production and meat safety inspection and audit issues rather than eating quality.
Its dispensation to eating quality is restriction of older animals and animals that have been used for breeding purposes from the scheme.
AHDB claim a high level of adoption by the major supermarkets but this would seem to have more to do with the production quality assurance provisions of the scheme than anything else.
Differences also exist in the volume of product in UK supermarkets and the way beef is packaged and presented. There are no second-grade or budget cuts, bulk sliced packs or whole vacuum packed primals.
What is on offer is the same selection of grilling cuts that we are familiar with here (sirloin, rib fillet, rump, T-bone and eye fillet) but in limited quantity. Mince and a limited selection of slow-cooking cuts make up the balance.
Most fresh beef on the shelves was presented in a modified-atmosphere pack or as a single piece of meat in a vacuum blister pack.
And to ensure no custom is lost to traditional butcher shops, the bigger stores and some smaller stores have a dedicated fresh-meat cut and slice service.
Borough is located in central London and is one of the largest and oldest food markets of its kind having celebrated its 1000th birthday in 2014.