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 October 28, 2026
Quick Takeaways for the Kitchen
Beef: Stay flexible with everyday cuts, but keep a particularly close eye on bone-in ribs as tight availability meets increasing holiday demand.
Pork: A good time for pulled pork, ribs, bacon, carnitas, and other hearty fall dishes, with comfortable supply supporting plenty of menu flexibility.
Chicken: Keep it working across the menu, especially roasted dark meat, family meals, bowls, BBQ, and football-friendly items.
Turkey: Get holiday needs locked down now, particularly fresh whole birds, preferred sizes, specialty programs, and breasts, as whole-bird supplies tighten heading into Thanksgiving.
Beef Market:
Beef supplies are still tight overall, and bone-in ribs are an especially important watch item heading into the holidays. Choice bone-in heavy ribs are hovering near record-high market levels as demand builds for year-end holiday business. Slaughter remains tight and production availability is more limited than in previous years, while most bone-in rib activity is happening in the spot market rather than being booked well in advance. That combination points to a rib market that could stay tight as Christmas and year-end events get closer. Outside of ribs, fall menus are naturally shifting toward chuck roasts, brisket, braised beef, roast beef sandwiches, stews, and other hearty dishes. For the kitchen, it makes sense to stay flexible on everyday beef cuts while planning holiday rib needs carefully and as early as possible.
Pork Market:
Pork looks comfortable from a supply standpoint heading into the heart of fall. Recent production signals show plenty of product moving through the system, with bellies, hams, ribs, butts, and loins all showing softer market conditions recently. That lines up really well with the foods guests want this time of year. Pulled pork, ribs, bacon, breakfast sandwiches, carnitas, and smoked pork all work nicely for football season and cooler-weather menus, and retail activity has been putting additional attention on ribs and shoulders. As the holidays get closer, hams and bacon should become increasingly useful for holiday meals, breakfast, brunch, and catering. For the kitchen, pork offers plenty of room to build hearty fall specials without needing to get too complicated.
Chicken Market:
Chicken remains a dependable, flexible protein as we head toward the holidays. Current market signals favor chicken parts, while overall promotional activity has eased somewhat, and dark-meat applications such as BBQ chicken, roasted leg quarters, chicken bowls, and family-style dinners fit especially well with fall menus. Chicken also gives the kitchen an easy way to cover several occasions without changing the menu too much: wings and handhelds work for football, roasted chicken fits cooler weather and family meals, and portions can carry everyday entrées. With beef supply tighter and pork plentiful, chicken can continue doing a lot of the everyday heavy lifting on the menu.
🦃 It’s Turkey Time!
Turkey is quickly becoming a plan-ahead market as Thanksgiving gets closer, with supplies of whole birds tightening up fast. USDA’s latest outlook shows overall U.S. turkey production recovering from last year, with 2026 production projected at about 5.13 billion pounds compared with 4.84 billion pounds in 2025. Even with that improvement, USDA’s October outlook points to tight supplies specifically on whole birds, which is the part of the market that matters most as Thanksgiving demand builds. The latest USDA weekly report also shows active trading in fresh and frozen whole hens and toms as the holiday approaches. For the kitchen, now is the time to get fresh turkey needs locked down, especially for Thanksgiving catering, carving stations, take-home meals, fresh birds, specialty programs, and turkey breast applications. The most important message is simple: don’t treat turkey like an everyday protein right now. Finalize bird counts and preferred sizes as early as possible and build a little flexibility into holiday menus in case the exact size or program you want becomes harder to find.
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.
