Latest figures from BPEX show in the four weeks to 27 December, consumer purchases were up 13.5 per cent. The rises were driven by increases in both shoulder and loin roasting joints.

Over the same period, shoppers bought 2.3 per cent more bacon and 7.6 per cent more pork sausages.

For the calendar year of 2009, volume sales were up 3.1 per cent which amounts to an extra 4,500 tonnes of pork sold.

BPEX Head of Marketing Chris Lamb said: "Pork is seen as one of the best value-for-money meats people can buy which is in part behind the increases we have seen.

"This is coupled with additional levels of promotion by the retailers on shoulder roasting joints and though the Jamie Oliver programme on pork was now a year ago, we are still benefiting from the effects of that."