CAST your mind back to January and the breaking news that beef had been substituted with horse meat in some products on supermarket shelves.
Tesco, Asda, Iceland and Aldi were on the embarrassing roll call, which saw consumer trust in the food industry plummet by 24 per cent.
The public outcry saw the industry engulfed in criticism as stores removed products from their shelves and an investigation into what happened was launched.
Independent butchers reported huge increases in sales, and fish merchants welcomed new customers looking for an alternative to meat.
A standard beef burger can only be classified as such if it comprises a minimum of 62 per cent beef and an economy beef burger must contain 47 per cent meat, with the rest being up made of ingredients such as rusk, water, fats and salts.
The scandal found out that much of what was supposed to be beef was, in fact, horse meat.
Now it may seem like a distant memory, but more shoppers are still being conscious about where their food comes from.
In its wake, research from consumer watchdog Which has discovered that 6 in 10 shoppers have changed their habits as a result. Thirty per cent of UK consumers are now buying less processed meat and 24 per cent buying fewer ready meals containing meat.
Experts say the outcry highlighted the complexity of the food industry's supply chains across Europe, which left distribution of meat open to corruption and error.
But it left independent businesses somewhat thankful, as they experienced a rise in custom, particularly for processed meat such as mince and burgers.
Andy Johnson, managing director of John Pettit Butchers, in Bethlehem Street, Grimsby, said: "Trade is still up.
"Trust in local butchers has grown massively; a recent weekend saw queues all the way to the Yarborough Hotel of people wanting to get fresh, high quality burgers and kebabs for barbecues.
"You know what you're getting from local butchers – we know exactly what's in our meat and where it comes from."
We contacted the supermarkets to have their say.
Asda said the withdrawn products were now back on sale and it had seen no long-term change in customer behaviour.
Lidl said it removed some stock and then increased its range of fresh burgers, which are now part of its permanent offering.
But make no mistake – horse meat is definitely on people's plates – it's a delicacy in Europe, for example – and it is cheaper too.
But are foodies in the UK ready for it being served up before them?
Food journalist and author Rose Prince told the Telegraph: "I think Britons would happily and knowingly eat horse meat if all concerns over animal welfare were met satisfactorily, and provenance was clearly labelled.
"There is also a growing migrant population who are accustomed to eating horse meat and would welcome it in supermarkets."
Richard Turner, of John Turner Butchers, in St Peter's Avenue, Cleethorpes, said: "Business did pick up after the horse meat scandal but trade has levelled off again now – people soon forgot about the scandal and went back to the supermarkets.
"We get lots of people at the weekends buying barbecue meat.
"Customers like the quality local butchers offer.
"You know what you're getting from us. We can trace our meats right back to the source ... we know what's a pig and what's a cow.
"I wouldn't sell horse meat here. People aren't ready for it and I wouldn't even know where to get it from.
"I don't think people in this country are ready for horse meat yet.
"The scandal has given it a bad name.
"They eat it a lot on the continent but we like horses over here and eating them would just seem wrong."
During the war, Grimsby had its own horse meat shop in Cleethorpe Road. Mr Vermeersch sold the meat during rationing – and shoppers were prepared to queue for it when fresh supplies arrived.
When the scandal broke, former Grimsby councillor Peter Willing, 90, told how he could not understand the fuss.
He said: "It was perfectly legitimate and all my family had it.
"During the Second World War people cooked anything that was edible."
It cost about a shilling and sixpence for a pound of horse meat, and went into roasts and stews.
A butcher in Lincoln is carrying on this trade; Elite Meats saw a rise in its sales when the scandal broke.
Owner Kenny Roberts said: "I think people wanted to try it with the knowledge it was horse meat.
"There's not much difference between a horse and cow, except we ride horses and keep them as pets – that's why so many are repulsed.
"It's a nice sweet meat, very tender with very little fat and it helps lower cholesterol.
"It has been eaten in Europe for years.
"People are too soft over here, so it's unlikely to take off."
Tesco products affected -Everyday value frozen burgers -Frozen quarter pounders -Tesco Everyday ValueSpaghetti Bolognese frozen -Flamehouse Frozen Chargrilled Quarter Pounders -Tesco Simply Roast Meatloaf Asda products affected -Asda Beef Bolognese sauce, 350g -4 frozen Chargrilled Beef Quarter Pounders, 454g -4 frozen Beef Quarter Pounders with Cheese & Jalapenos, 454g -8 frozen Smart Price Beef Burgers, 397g -4 frozen Aberdeen Angus Quarter Pounders 454g -Findus beef lasagna Aldi products affected -Frozen Oakhurst 100% beef quarter pounders -Frozen specially selected Aberdeen Angus quarter pounders -Frozen Oakhurst beef burgers -Today's special frozen beef lasagna -Today's special frozen spaghetti bolognese -Oakhurst Frozen Meatloaf Products affected at Iceland -Four pack quarter pounders -Four pack 100% beef quarter pounders
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