Travel with a Goat

16% of meat-eating Brits vowed to reduce or cut meat from their diet after watching a trailer for the new reality TV series Travel with a Goat.

The new, thought-provoking series, from global content creator and TV channel Insight TV, challenges foodie influencers to spend four days travelling with an animal destined for the slaughterhouse. They journey through either South America, Africa, Asia or Europe before making the decision to save or slaughter it.

Where meat comes from

A poll was commissioned to mark the launch of the series. When meat eaters were asked how they could be encouraged to reduce their meat consumption, over a third (34%) said it would require more awareness of the health and nutritional benefits. Nearly a quarter (24%) said being more aware of animal welfare issues would be the biggest driver.

While 73% of Brits classify themselves as meat eaters, over a quarter (26%) admit they never or rarely think about where meat comes from when shopping for food. Even so, 34% state intensive factory farming is ‘morally wrong’.

Save or slaughter?

In each episode of Travel with a Goat – which features Great British Bake Off winner Sophie Faldo, British food writer Stefan Gates and TV chef Dean Edwards – food influencers from around the world are challenged to travel with either a goat, alpaca, sheep, pig or donkey before deciding its fate.

When posed with the same dilemma, the study reveals 41% of Brits would save a goat from slaughter, with the majority stating they would save a donkey (54%) ahead of an alpaca (48%) or more traditional British livestock animals such as a sheep (36%) or a pig (34%).

British food personality, Sophie Faldo (main image), said that taking part in the series made her more conscious about the welfare of animals that are bred for meat. ‘By travelling and living with an animal, and ultimately having a say in its death, you are confronted with the reality of how meat arrives on your plate’, she said. ‘This is certainly a hot topic of conversation, so I encourage viewers to tune in, watch the show and make up their own minds.’