hughs chickens and tesco`s

katholicos

geordie_joe wrote: »

That sounds good, but the fact is there are not enough people who will do it to make a difference. Very few people care about the chickens. If the other "Chicken/Egg" programs are anything to go by I doubt 5 million people watched the programme.

Of them some won't have been persuaded to change to FR chicken, others won't shop at Tescos anyway. So that won't leave enough to make a difference.

People have said Tesco should listen to it's customers, but the fact is it does. Not only does it listen to what they say, it gathers more information about it's customers than any other super market. No shop knows more about it's customers shopping habits than Tesco, that's why it has grown so big.

It knows the vast majority of it's customers buy cheap chicken, and that is the reason it refuses to stop sellling them.

If all that is on the shelves are two for a fiver chickens then the not so discerning or (through no fault of their own) those who are unaware of the plight of the chicken, will buy what they see. While I appreciate what you are saying, how many shoppers are buying their meat and poultry elsewhere (like me) because the shelves in Tesco are often devoid of the kind of chicken that myself (for the most part, though not always) and others choose to purchase?

I don't neccessarily advocate a veto on cheap chicken..not with any immediacy anyway....these things have to be filtered in slowly. No one wants to be told that they can't have 2 chickens for a fiver if that is what they want. But just because something is as it is, doesn't mean it necessarily should continue as it is.

As HFW highlighted in last night's show...Tesco should certainly have upheld the criteria with regard to chicken farming, which they claim to uphold and which as HFW pointed out, is not being adhered to...thus misleading the consumer.

In addition to this, rather than having a fourty foot long refrigerater filled with two for a fiver chickens in most of their stores, perhaps Tesco could have at least a quarter or a third of it filled with alternative, freedom food/RSPCA standard chicken?

Sometimes, not intending to be demeaning here, but sometimes people do need to see things side by side to enable them to make the choice. I also believe people want clear packaging with no false terminology and imagery.

I enjoy shopping with Tesco, i love the points system, but i don't buy chicken from Tesco anymore, and because I purchase chicken elsewhere (Sainsburys for example) I also purchase all my other meat from Sainsburys or wherever too (because i wouldn't go all the way to another supermarket just for a chicken!). So Tesco don't just lose my custom with regard to chicken, but also with all the other meat purchases i would ordinarily make. I'm sure i'm not alone in this.

skipsmum

We do our food shopping on a budget - family of 4, one low wage, one carers allowance. I never buy chicken (or pig) products that are not free range. To be able to do this we eat less meat, and have some non-meat meals in the week.

I refuse to shop at Tesco, I think their attitude to welfare (both customer and animal) stinks. And whilst they are not concerned to lose my food money, they also will not get my money for insurance products, loans, pet plans etc.

Beki

Skipsmum - :T :T :T

Bella79

bit of topic but when i nipped into coop earlier they had there freerange chickens on special offer at £4.00 each

Beki

i bought an asda extra special free range chicken the other day for £4

geordie_joe

maltesers wrote: »

Perhaps this thread would be better in discussion forum or ethical moneysaving.

I agree with what you say, but I can assure it is best discussed in here. Last year when the first chicken programme was on we discussed it and it turned into an all fight.

People were calling Halley, and anyone who didn't buy FR chickens "Scum of the earth fat sl*ppers who spend all their money on stella, fags and sky"

One woman was shouting that eggs are hens periods, and anyone who eats them is a filthy.....

Most of the people in their are great, but some of them think that if you don't do what they do then you are deliberately trying to destroy the planet. Others are just pain nutters!

geordie_joe

Applepie wrote: »

On a moneysaving note, if the supermarkets reduced some of the subsidies they apply to alcohol and applied these to free range and organic meat/produce instead, it would provide more people with access to better quality food at more affordable prices.

That's true, but I'm sure they have analysed this and found there is more profit to be made by subsidising alcohol.

Beki

geordie_joe wrote: »

I agree with what you say, but I can assure it is best discussed in here. Last year when the first chicken programme was on we discussed it and it turned into an all fight.

People were calling Halley, and anyone who didn't buy FR chickens "Scum of the earth fat sl*ppers who spend all their money on stella, fags and sky"

One woman was shouting that eggs are hens periods, and anyone who eats them is a filthy.....

Most of the people in their are great, but some of them think that if you don't do what they do then you are deliberately trying to destroy the planet. Others are just pain nutters!

:eek: OMG!!! ok.. so i'm a tad extremist in my views for animal welfare... but jeeze louise!!! even *i* wouldn't go THAT far!!! :eek: :rotfl:

oystercatcher

As a lapsed vegetarian I always thought even the cheap chickens were an expensive meal!! Have decided to be strict again and avoid meat . I always buy free range eggs anyway. I must admit I didn't realise quite what went on at chicken farms. Now I know there's no excuse.

Oystercatcher

phizzimum

I started buying freerange chickens after watching Hugh's series last year.

I'm a big fan of value product ranges and don't believe in paying more for a branded item, but I can honestly say that the FR chicken tastes better and we get much more meat off it. I always strip the meat for a second (maybe third meal) and boil the bones for stock- as do most of us, I know.

On a standard chicken a lot of the meat underneath the bird was quite slimy and unpleasant. Not so on the FR bird. I'm sure I've read somewhere that intensively reared chicken is much higher in fat than chicken should be, and therefore not the healthy option that we all assume it to be.

So, in my opinion - paying the extra is worth it even without considering the welfare issues.