Responding to the complaints, Tesco’s said: “We are constantly reviewing product quality on the beef that is purchased and we have found at this moment we are finding the beef from Ireland to be of a better quality for our customers.”

They added: “This is the reason for you seeing so much Irish beef on the shelves, customer satisfaction is very important to us and we are constantly monitoring our products.” The response is at odds with a statement from National Beef Association chief executive Chris Mallon, who accused Tesco of using a “cheapest-first” policy when it came to purchasing beef – adding that the policy would be destructive to British beef producers.