A MEAT company says sales have increased after last year's horsemeat scandal.

Yorkshire Dales Meat Company, in Patrick Brompton, near Bedale, North Yorkshire, says it was experienced a 20 per cent rise in sales in supermarket Asda.

The firm's burgers, steaks and meatballs are on sale in 50 Asda stores across the North-East, North-West and North Midlands.

A year ago this week, horsemeat was discovered in burgers sold by UK supermarkets, with industry experts saying the scandal continues to influence shoppers' habits.

James Knox, Yorkshire Dales Meat Company's financial director, said: “We’re very pleased with these sales figures and put it down to consumers looking to buy meat, in particular beef, from trusted sources since the beginning of the horsemeat discovery.

“These tremendous figures also show great confidence in our beef products sold in the supermarket, and in the brand that we’ve worked so hard to create.”

The company supplies products to restaurants, hotels, pubs, event venues and the catering trade.

Earlier this week, Quorn Foods, based in Stokesley, North Yorkshire, also revealed a sharp increase in demand for its meat substitute products after the horsemeat scandal.

Bosses said it saw its fastest ever growth in 2013, attracting more than 10.2 million customers than the previous year.