UK supermarkets are having to stock turkeys from Europe this Christmas as bird flu has hit British farms. In an “unprecedented” move, Lidl, Morrisons and Asda are importing turkey from mainland Europe to ensure enough reach the plates of British households for their festive roast. 

All three supermarkets’ own-label turkeys will be sourced from Britain. However, there are also other brands available from outside our borders.

Morrisons is stocking Bernard Matthews-branded turkey from Poland, Asda is selling a Cherrywood-branded turkey crown, and Lidl is selling turkey with the Gressingham label from the EU.

Non-British turkeys will account for no more than 10% of sales, reported the Guardian.

It is common practice for retailers to top up their stocks with imported birds to ensure a wide variety for customers to choose from, especially during Christmas, according to a British Poultry Council spokesman.

However, only under “exceptional circumstances” do retailers resort to it by necessity in order to make sure there’s enough availability.

Marks & Spencer said its turkey was entirely from Britain or Ireland, and the Co-op, Sainsbury’s and Tesco said theirs was all British.

UK farms are suffering from a “bad season” of avian flu, also known as bird flu. Cases are much higher than last year, affecting turkeys, chickens and ducks. 

There have been 70 confirmed cases in the UK in less than three months. This is compared to 81 cases in the whole of the previous year-long season. 

More than 5% of the UK’s Christmas poultry flock are thought to have been culled since the start of October.

In November, the government put in place measures to help prevent outbreaks of the disease. English bird keepers have to keep poultry inside, disinfect footwear and clean the housing.

Matt Hood, a managing director at the Co-op, said: “We understand the extreme pressure poultry farmers are currently facing, specifically turkey farms, where the focus is so skewed to this time of year. It is very important retailers support and invest in the British farming industry to ensure it can weather the many ups and downs nature throws at it.”