meat from butchers V supermarket

mlz1413

Butchers meat should be a better quality and the animal kept in better conditions during its life time, but that will make it cost more.

Be aware that some Supermarket meats are plumped up with water, I think this tends to be chicken breasts rather than meat joints but I'm not fully read up on the subject.

If you are on a budget then why not try the supermarket meats for a month and compare the quality and taste. I buy a lot of butchers meats and would always buy sausages from a butchers now.

Taadaa

Sometimes I go to the butcher, other times the supermarket. I tend to buy a variety of meats rather than packs.

I find that although the butcher is more expensive, the meat is much bettwe quality, and in our case, it is locally sourced from well managed farms. This is a big plus for me.

But we can't aways manage to get there, or afford it. So sometimes we get supermarket meat. I much prefer to buy good quality meat and less quality fruit and veg.

CCP

I can't comment on what the difference is like in France, but certainly in England meat from the butcher is much, much better than anything you can get from the supermarket.

Supermarket meat, even the finest-type, is almost invariably tough and rather tasteless - I think it's a combination of cheap and quick preparation methods (not being hung for long enough etc) and the fact that the meat just isn't as good quality in the first place.

I very rarely buy supermarket meat nowadays - I prefer to pay the higher prices charged by my local butcher (a rare treat as they have a reputation as one of the best on the south coast and charge accordingly - it's always superb, though) or from the same company which supplies my fruit and veg. For me it's well worth the extra cost, as it tastes better and you need less of it to get a satisfying meal.

There might not be the same level of difference in France, though - from what I know of French attitudes to food, I can't imagine people putting up with the quality of meat provided by most English supermarkets!

wallbash

from the butcher is much, much better than anything you can get from the supermarket.

A very sweeping statement .
Every small butcher is better than a supermarket ...
until you have tried every !! butcher , I think you cannot justify that.

CCP

wallbash wrote: »

A very sweeping statement .
Every small butcher is better than a supermarket ...
until you have tried every !! butcher , I think you cannot justify that.

Fair point - typing while eating your lunch is never a good way to make considered comments!

I will re-phrase that - where I live, every butcher I have tried (small or large) sells meat that is far better than anything I have got from the supermarkets I use regularly, being Tesco and Asda.

You are quite right that there are butchers that aren't very good but I assumed (perhaps unwisely) that this isn't an issue for the OP as she has repeatedly bought from this butcher. Likewise, there may well be supermarkets that provide decent meat at the lower end of the price range - I just haven't been lucky enough to come across one yet.

Sudden additional thought for Norman Bean - probably the only way to tell if the pork from the supermarket is good value or not is to try some. If it's not good then you can happily go back to the butcher knowing that at least you've tried.

wallbash

I buy mine at the supermarket , the butchers around here ( real meat company ) are just too expensive.Yes will splash out at Xmas , ( perhaps Easter) but for the standard Sunday lunch , will go to Waitrose.

Of course its no point buying something expensive , if you cant cook

pawpurrs

I think it very much depends, my local butcher is terrible, worse than supermarket meat, but I have a very good farm shop which sells good meat. On the other hand the meat from waitrose butchers counter, I find on the whole very good.

OrkneyStar

I find the following:
1. steak mince/stew/pork stew/burgers- butcher every time (or occasionally the local (Orkney) meat from Coop for mince/stew)
2. chicken breasts/whole chicken- Coop Elmwood
3. pork chops- Coop
4. Bacon- Tesco finest/Lidl/local butcher.
5. Gammon- Tesco.
6. Cold meat- local butcher/grocer or Tesco.
We don't tend to eat much other meat.
If we have a bit less money (eg a five week month) then I will use less meat, or hopefully might have stocked up, say an extra pack of mince etc, on a 4 week month!

jamespir

i cant really tell the differnce to be honest except its cheaper to buy from the supermarket

Norman_Bean

Thanks girls and James :beer:

Sorry for delay in responding I had to go out .... I think I'm going to do what a couple of you have suggested and try it .... think I will buy the chops and joint and see how I get on with those.

It won't be this cheap next time I imagine as it seems to be a special offer so I might as well give it a go ... the joint I was going to get from butcher was going to be saved for my daughter's birthday feast (Spanish Pork) but I think I will buy that from butcher at end of March when I have more dosh and use the supermarket one in the meantime. And I'll still get me bangers from butchers as they are really yum!


Now have to redo my March meal planning

Thanks again

E x