Buffalo burgers set to become a BBQ favourite

A supermarket chain is due to begin selling buffalo meat as a healthy alternative to beef and chicken.

Waitrose is said to be planning to stock a line of buffalo burgers in 23 of its London and South-East stores.

Admired by chefs for its mild gamey flavour and tender texture, buffalo has less cholesterol than chicken and is leaner than beef.

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The Laverstoke Park Farm burgers are named after the 2,500-acre Hampshire farm owned by Formula One driver turned eco-farmer Jody Scheckter.

Waitrose already sells the farm's buffalo milk.

Mr Scheckter, who has a herd of 1,200 buffalo, told The Grocer magazine he was confident that the meat would prove popular beyond specialist farmers' markets where it is usually sold.

"I've built up my buffalo over the past five years," he said. "I wanted to diversify and buffalo was a niche market we knew would prove very popular because it has less fat than beef.

"I have not discussed what volume we will be selling."

Waitrose said it was not clear when the burgers, which sell for 90p at farmers' markets, would go on sale.