Guided by a century-long family legacy, Buitelaar Group continues to redefine animal welfare and environmental impact
Established in 1922, the Buitelaar Group is a fifth-generation family business with more than a century of experience at the heart of the UK livestock sector. Specializing in sustainable, higher-welfare farming, the company stands as the UK’s leading integrated beef supply chain, working in close partnership with farmers to deliver transparent, research-led systems that prioritize animal welfare, environmental pioneership, and profitability. With a farmer-first mindset, Buitelaar continues to focus on building resilient farming businesses that will thrive for generations to come whilst producing the best quality meat products that promise to delight any dinner plate.
Food Chain has been following Buitelaar’s journey for several years, recounting its growth, longstanding family legacy, and innovative approach to sustainability, animal welfare, and environmental stewardship. When Food Chain last sat down with Adam Buitelaar, Chief Executive Officer, back in 2024, he delved deeper into how the company maintains its high standards as it continues to grow, as well as its investments into regenerative farming – an initiative that he feels very passionately about. In 2026, as Buitelaar embarks on its 104th year in business, Adam rejoins Food Chain to share the company’s most recent developments, including its new operational strategy, updates on its regenerative farming projects, and what its next chapter might hold.
“The last year has gone incredibly fast, though it has been one of our most turbulent years so far,” Adam begins, reflecting on the year just passed. “The prices of livestock have almost doubled in the past year, supplies have tightened, and we’re seeing a continued decline of farmers throughout the UK and Europe. It’s been interesting; demand for the product has been good, but the supply chain has been tight, so we’ve benefitted from owning more of our own livestock.”
Consistency and quality
Supply chain issues continue to sweep the food industry, and the farming and butchery sectors are no strangers to the struggles. Powered by its strong family legacy and commitment to operational excellence, however, Buitelaar has been able to adapt and overcome. Over the last couple of years, the company has adopted a new strategy, which Adam credits as a key driving factor behind its sustained growth at present.
“Initially, we bought animals from external farms, but we’ve since changed our strategy so that we own more of our own livestock. We work alongside dairy farmers to select the right genetics. Much like people, if you have two healthy parents with the right traits, the chances are the child will develop better. It’s exactly the same with cattle. By selecting proven genetics, we’re breeding animals with the right traits to deliver consistent size, natural marbling and a consistent eating experience. The beef industry struggles with inconsistency and our focus is on making our products consistent so the consumer knows what they’re getting every time.
“These genetics also mean the animal grows efficiently and finishes well, allowing us to produce a better-quality animal in a shorter timeframe, which is beneficial to the environment. This strategy has really helped us to gain both more customers and more confidence as we’ve grown,” he details.
This strategic move has been highly successful for Buitelaar. As well as bridging the gap on supply chain insecurities, this in-house control has had a great impact on the company’s quality control processes, allowing it to uphold its high standards whilst ensuring that its animals remain well looked after and consistently available. To further bolster this approach, Buitelaar was proud to acquire a 50 percent stake in Woolley Brothers Meat Processing in March 2025 – an advantageous move with a longstanding partner where both businesses’ capabilities complement one another.
“Before, although we owned the livestock, we were processing elsewhere, and we soon felt, that for our long-term strategy we needed to be in control of our own destiny,” Adam elaborates. “Woolley Brothers are a third-generation family business, so culturally, we work very well together.
“This partnership allows us to maintain really high standards all the way through the process – from animal welfare, to deboning and quality assurance – and ultimately, that’s what delivers consistently better eating quality for the consumer.
“This in-house control also helps us to forecast when we are going to be shorter on meat, such as in the late summer months when, traditionally, livestock availability can be a challenge. It enables us to have the cattle when others don’t, as well as work on the genetics to really refine the quality of our product. When you’re in charge of the full supply chain, you have full transparency, from the birth of the animal right through to the portioning of the meat.”
Stewardship and sustainability
For over a century, Buitelaar has been synonymous with exceptional animal welfare, and this fresh approach further builds on those guiding values. This philosophy is also a core component in the company’s wider investment strategy, governed by the belief that happy cattle produce the best tasting products.
“People sometimes disassociate animal welfare from productivity, but the reality is you can’t have one without the other. If an animal isn’t treated well, it won’t perform – it won’t put weight on. So high welfare isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s commercially sensible too. Taking care of the cattle is genuinely my passion though and those welfare standards come from the top. When the senior leaders truly believe in them, that mindset naturally filters through the whole business,” Adam explains.
“We have designed various animal handling courses and invested heavily in the right buildings to improve the animal’s environment – for example, ensuring optimal ventilation to keep them healthy. We’ve also invested in different types of enrichment for the animals, such as toys for the calves. Keeping the animals content really matters to us. They’ve been very good to us over the years, and I feel it is only right we look after them properly in return.”
Another key focal point for investments is into sustainability. Buitelaar has always prided itself on good environmental stewardship, though under Adam’s leadership, its impact has amplified. Driven by Adam’s passion for generating sustainable futures for family farmers, the company has grown to be a highly influential voice within the industry, inspiring others to farm for a better world. In particular, the company has invested heavily in regenerative agriculture, which it is excited to continue to build on in the years ahead.
“This is a big passion project of mine. I’ve been very fortunate in this industry, and I wanted to give something back. We originally bought the land with a commercial enterprise in mind, however, I watched a Netflix documentary called Kiss The Ground, which truly changed my mind. I was shocked to see what we humans are doing to the world, and it was after this, that we then decided to put it to regenerative agriculture – and now it’s become one of our main initiatives.
“We’ve invested heavily in this farm – from multi-species sward to mob grazing. We’ve virtually removed all use of pesticides and moved over to natural fertilizers,” Adam enthuses. “By processing cattle younger, we’re already reducing our carbon footprint and producing beef without relying on imported soya and right now, we’re concentrating on how we can produce more nutritiously dense beef.”
Organic growth
As Buitelaar steps confidently into its 104th year, the business stands as a powerful example of how heritage and progress can work hand in hand. Through greater control of its supply chain, deep-rooted commitments to animal welfare, and bold investments in regenerative farming, Buitelaar has not only strengthened its resilience in the market but reaffirmed its passion for doing right by both animals and the environment. With a clear vision for sustainable growth, the company is well positioned to influence the future of the farming industry for generations to come.
“My main priority for 2026 is to build on our strong foundations. It’s easy to talk about growth, but this year is about strengthening what we have, so we’re ready for the next phase,” Adam reveals. “We’re excited for the year ahead, but we must remember that, by 2060, we will need 70 percent more food to feed the world than we do today, and it’s important that our business is positioned to do that in an economical way.
“In the future, we’ll look at good opportunities to grow, perhaps by acquiring other businesses who are struggling a bit more than we are, but it’s important that we protect what we already have,” Adam concludes, optimistic for the next chapter ahead. “For me, it always comes back to the people – we have a fantastic, passionate team. We’ve built a business where people genuinely care and take pride in what they do and I’m a very lucky person – I really respect the people I work with.”