meat from butchers V supermarket

HappyIdiotTalk

Why have we (the british) allowed this to happen? We eat rubbish meat from the supermarkets, fruit thats expensive and not ripe... but looks good, same with veg, and loads of ready meals instead of real food.

But why. Our local butchers and green grocers are better, so why dont we use them, or the vast majority anyway. Is it because price is our top priority at all costs? Is it the fear of being ripped off? Is it because as a nation we've lost touch with what real food tastes like, or dont care? Is it advertising?

What is going on? We might not be up there with the Italians, but we can do better than ready meals and plastic food.

flourgirl

Penelope Penguin I have had lots of meat from Brookfields and never had a problem with the quality. You might like to look at this one too for Pork
again the quality is very good and the pork pies are to die for http://www.redhillfarm.com/cms/

broomstick27

HappyIdiotTalk wrote:

Why have we (the british) allowed this to happen? We eat rubbish meat from the supermarkets, fruit thats expensive and not ripe... but looks good, same with veg, and loads of ready meals instead of real food.

But why. Our local butchers and green grocers are better, so why dont we use them, or the vast majority anyway. Is it because price is our top priority at all costs? Is it the fear of being ripped off? Is it because as a nation we've lost touch with what real food tastes like, or dont care? Is it advertising?

What is going on? We might not be up there with the Italians, but we can do better than ready meals and plastic food.

I think the answer you are looking for here is laziness. Supermarkets have car parks (and some people cant even walk from a bay and have to park outside the door) and you can buy everything in one place - saves u walking 100m between shops :eek:

mookybargirl

HappyIdiotTalk wrote:

Why have we (the british) allowed this to happen? We eat rubbish meat from the supermarkets, fruit thats expensive and not ripe... but looks good, same with veg, and loads of ready meals instead of real food.

But why. Our local butchers and green grocers are better, so why dont we use them, or the vast majority anyway. Is it because price is our top priority at all costs? Is it the fear of being ripped off? Is it because as a nation we've lost touch with what real food tastes like, or dont care? Is it advertising?

What is going on? We might not be up there with the Italians, but we can do better than ready meals and plastic food.

For me, I'm totally at a loss of what on earth to ask for. I have no idea on cuts of meat and have never used a butcher (sad, but true). I would feel daft not knowing what I want but I'm willing to give it a try so in the next couple of weeks, I'll pop into a local butchers and try them out. I'm not great with weights so this will be a challenge for even the simplest things like mince....:o

goonlord

I've been using great little butcher from which all the meat is additive-free. It's cheaper than buying organic (I wouldn't touch meat that wasn't either organic or additive-free) but all the meat is produced without routine use of anti-biotics and other nasties. It's unbelieveable what goes into some meat.

They also put the welfare of the animals as a priority. It might be a little more expensive than the supermarkets (especially the 'value' stuff) but I wouldn't eat that anyway!

Completely agree that I would rather eat less better quality meat (that tastes like what it is) than more cheap stuff. Also agree about supporting local suppliers. If we don't use 'em, we'll lose 'em.

In short - butchers over supermarket (definitely) and organic or additive-free over yucky chemically stuff.

HappyIdiotTalk

mookybargirl wrote:

For me, I'm totally at a loss of what on earth to ask for. I have no idea on cuts of meat and have never used a butcher (sad, but true). I would feel daft not knowing what I want but I'm willing to give it a try so in the next couple of weeks, I'll pop into a local butchers and try them out. I'm not great with weights so this will be a challenge for even the simplest things like mince....:o

Me too actually. The wife is a veggie person so most nights we eat veggie because its too much work for me to cook one thing for her, something for myself and then something for the little un. But when I do want meat I try and ask my MIL to get stuff for me. She has well and truely cultivated her butcher so gets absolutely fantastic meat and great deals. But I dont ask her nearly enough as she lives half an hour away... well 15 minutes if the traffic wasn't so horrendous in Birmingham, so when I do need meat I end up buying from a supermarket which is normally bacon lardons, organic chicken and the best bacon I can find. I never buy sausages because Ive not found a supermarket sausage yet that can compete with MIL's butchers Lashfords.

I'm making a stand right here and now though. I vow never to buy any meat in a supermarket again! From this day forth its all butchers all the way! I dont know what to ask for either beyond 6 sausages and 6 rashers of bacon please. But I'm going to learn! I guess the best way is to just tell the butcher what I need and get them to tell me what I need. I'm guessing a good butcher will be more than happy to educate me.

The only decision now is to decide whether to find a local butcher, or face the nightmare traffic to get to my MIL's tried and tested butcher in Birmingham. They are a big pull as they do really great meat... But it'd be a lot more convenient to have a local man!

Penelope_Penguin

HappyIdiotTalk wrote:

I'm making a stand right here and now though. I vow never to buy any meat in a supermarket again! From this day forth its all butchers all the way! I dont know what to ask for either beyond 6 sausages and 6 rashers of bacon please. But I'm going to learn! I guess the best way is to just tell the butcher what I need and get them to tell me what I need. I'm guessing a good butcher will be more than happy to educate me.

Way to go, H I T!!:T :T :T

If you speak to your butcher, explain what you want to eat, and an idea of your budget, he or she will probably be flattered, give advice, and possibly recipes too.

Penny. x

thriftlady_2

HappyIdiotTalk, this is the butcher I go to http://www.checketts.co.uk/newsletter.asp
That's not too far from Halesowen, worth a weekend trip. there's an excellent farmshop at Holt Heath too just up the road;) . Which butcher does your mil use ? Might be the same one my Mum uses ?

getcarter

My local butcher gave me a big bag of chicken bones for stock the other day, tesco won't do that!

HappyIdiotTalk

thriftlady wrote:

HappyIdiotTalk, this is the butcher I go to http://www.checketts.co.uk/newsletter.asp
That's not too far from Halesowen, worth a weekend trip. there's an excellent farmshop at Holt Heath too just up the road;) . Which butcher does your mil use ? Might be the same one my Mum uses ?

MIL uses Checketts too! Selly Oak branch, just off the Bristol road at the main set of lights as you enter Selly Oak.

Cant fault the quality, which is why I want to use them, they are very good.

They gave her some steaks earlier in the year which were simply manificent. Not sure what cut it was, but MIL says its the best and most expensive beef you can buy. And it was good!