Call to designate 2026 as the 500th Year of the Turkey

Call to designate 2026 as the 500th Year of the Turkey

With 2026 the 500th anniversary of introduction of turkey to the UK, one of the leading producers of premium turkey Paul Kelly is urging the whole industry to make next year 12 months of celebrating the event.

It was William Strickland who is credited with bringing the turkey from America to Bristol in 1526 and from then turkey began to replace peacock and swan in the Royal Courts. Turkey production peaked at 46 million in the 1990s but is now around nine million with the vast majority eaten at Christmas.

“Turkey remains the nation’s favourite at Christmas but the lean nutritious meat has many attributes that can appeal to today’s consumers again through the year,” said Mr Kelly.  “We need to unite as an industry and make a big noise.

“We need a national campaign celebrating and championing British turkey.  We should focus on the whole bird as the centrepiece and make everyone – producers, butchers, chefs and consumers – aware of it and talking about it”

He is calling on the industry to pull together to raise a marketing fund to allow a national generic campaign for British turkey.

“We have watched our market to independent butchers be decimated by European imports. We cannot compete on price  – but we can compete on welfare and provenance. By growing  male turkeys and cutting them into value added turkey joints I believe we can regain a significant part of the market over the next few years. 

“A well-executed marketing campaign to help achieve this should be seen as an investment – not a cost. Consumers want to buy British as do independent butchers and retailers. We as farmers need to provide an offer to make this happen.”

Reminiscent of the days when turkeys were walked each year from areas such as Norfolk and Suffolk to Smithfield market in London, he is encouraging producers to walk turkeys through their village to recreate images of the bygone era. 

Plans would include pitching a TV documentary at the anniversary, liaising with celebrity chefs to get turkey featured in weekly menus, encouraging producers to rear celebratory flocks and having farm open days, and organising point-of-sale promotions. 

“We want to make everyone in the industry play a part in celebrating 500 years of turkey in the UK,” he added.