Welcome to your essential weekly update on the meat and seafood market! This space is dedicated to providing chefs with timely insights into market trends, helping you navigate the ever-changing landscape of food costs and availability. Stay informed and ahead of the curve to expertly plan your menus and maintain your restaurant’s competitive edge.
Meat & Seafood Market Report
MEAT MARKET UPDATE
UPDATED December 12, 2025
Beef Market:
The U.S. beef market in late 2025 is very tight, which means high and volatile prices that are likely to keep pressuring restaurant food costs through at least 2026. For back-of-house teams, this shows up as pricier middle meats and steaks, strong competition for lean trim and ground beef, and more frequent price changes from suppliers, driven by a 75‑year low cattle herd, lower slaughter numbers, and falling production even as consumer and export demand remain firm. Retail prices for “all fresh” beef are near record highs around the upper single digits per pound, and forecasts point to further increases, so operators are responding by shifting menus toward cheaper cuts, grinding more in‑house, portion‑controlling aggressively, and highlighting value items (burgers, tacos, bowls) rather than large steak entrees, with the expectation that creative use of underutilized muscles and trim will be critical to protecting margins in 2025–26.
Pork Market:
Pork is currently the best value of the major animal proteins in the U.S., with only modest wholesale and retail price increases expected into late 2025, so it is being pushed hard as a cost-effective alternative to very expensive beef. National forecasts show U.S. pork production essentially flat to slightly down, but still ample, which keeps supply steady while restaurants and retailers lean on pork chops, loins, ribs, and especially ground and value-added items (sausages, pulled pork, bacon) to create high-protein, “center-of-the-plate” dishes at friendlier price points than steak. For back-of-house teams, this means pork is a strategic margin tool: expect more pork-forward features and catering packages, tighter portion control on premium cuts, increased use of ground pork in mixed-protein dishes, and menu engineering that positions pork as both a comfort item and a holiday/turkey substitute when planning Q4 and early 2026 specials.
Chicken Market:
The current U.S. chicken market in late 2025 is relatively stable on price and remains the go-to “value protein” for operators compared with very expensive beef and slightly pricier pork. Retail data show whole birds and boneless breast running roughly one-third higher than pre‑pandemic but only rising slowly year over year, while wholesale prices for key items like breast and wings have eased from earlier peaks, giving some breathing room on cost of goods. For back-of-house teams, this translates into chicken staying central on menus—sandwiches, tenders, nuggets, wings, and bowls—while commodity inflation still forces tight portioning, careful yield management between dark and white meat, and opportunistic menu specials when suppliers discount specific cuts like wings or leg quarters.
Looking for specific information on the meat market? Contact our team today.
SEAFOOD MARKET UPDATE
Scallops: The scallop market is on the rise nationwide, but we’re working with our suppliers to keep pricing competitive.
Check out our seasonality chart below and read more about seafood seasonality here.
