meat from butchers V supermarket

ragz_2

Am I the only one nervous of butchers? I don't like the idea of being put on the spot like that, in a supermarket I can browse, pick stuff up and put it down again, calculate all the prices...

The kind of one on one service you get in a butchers makes me uneasy, I would feel under pressure to byu loads of expensive stuff!

Flibsey

our local one is friendly, but I do get looked at like I have three heads when I ask for free range chicken. the last comment given was "well they're not fed any old rubbish"... erm, that's no the point dude!

ALIBOBSY

We do sometimes pickup a deal in aldi or lidl,but tend to now avoid the bigger stores as the quality is simply not there. We are lucky we have a good local farm shop. Its is family run and they are butchers as well as farmers.All the meat is high welfare or free range,and locally produced on their farm or other local to it. They also do "wild" meats shot in the area so rabbits/quail/pheasants/ducks. As well as FR goosnargh ducks (that gives you a hint as to where we live lol).

You can't compare good quality meat like this to what the likes of tesco sell its like night and day. I was really shocked at the difference in taste, how much stuff shrinks on cooking the leaky water, fatty mince. They sell amazing beef mince that melts in the mouth,next to no fat and amuch smaller amount fills us up just the same. We pay £3 for a 500g pack that is just as filling and looksthe same as an 800g pack from the supermarkets,no horrid fatty leaks and soooo tasty.
Can also get things like whole oxtail, ham shanks for just £3, their own award winning sausages and home drycured bacon-I never knew how good bacon can taste and it stays the samesize after cooking that it was before lol. The FR chickens are around the price aldi/lidl charge soaorund £5 so miles less than the big boys, all the beefis hung for at least 21 days (this is and should be standardand the SM's are cheeky sods suggesting they should charge extra for it).

You can take your time in the shop have a chat and they will sort out what you need and give advice and you can ask for specific cuts or meats and they will either cut some for you or order it in if its really rare lol.

BUT we are very lucky for less than the SM's we can buy high quality meat locally, some butchers aren't very good/very expensive.

I think its worth really having a good look around your local area, a good butcher/farm shop will sell better quality meat for less or simular price to the SM's and the taste is wonderful. Better quality meat means you need smaller amounts to fill you up as well. Ours you can even give them a budget and they will helpyou keep track and get your meat for the amount you want.

Ali x

NB this is the one we use http://www.ashleafarm.co.uk/. We are lucky it closer to us than any of the supermarkets about 2mins up the lane.
But this is their online delivery service,we pay alot less direct lol.

spike7451

I get my meat from the Butchers,it depends on what you buy as to the price but I generally find the prices equal.I also find my butcher tends to stock more local produce,be it eggs or pies.His sausages are far superior to those in the supermarket,slightly more expensive but worth it.I also find if I need something for a particular dish,he can get it more readily than the supermarket.

valk_scot

At the butchers in the next town (I'm there once per week anyway), the local farm shop or, if there's a good whoopsie on the better quality stuff, at the supermarket. I can't afford to pass up the odd Finest leg of lamb for £1 or whatever! Also, though I prefer free range chicken, every so often I end up buying four of the Tesco chickens for £12 and cutting them up for the freezer.

Sausages always come from the butcher though. And steak pies, and hamburgers when we get them.

VickyVics

I tend to swap between the butchers and the supermarket. But I must say that the supermarket can sometimes be slightly cheaper for some things, however the butchers are better quality. This week I have bought bacon from the butchers and it is a good thickness and hardly shrinks. Whereas I find supermarket bacon is really thing and shrinks to half the size (grrrrr). If I remember right it also only cost me £1.50 for 8 rashes which I think is competitive to the supermarket.

VickyVics

valk_scot wrote: »

Sausages always come from the butcher though. And steak pies, and hamburgers when we get them.

I always buy sausages from the butchers as well. I find a lot less fat/liquid comes out of them when I grill them.

Stephen_Leak

Supermarket, I'm afraid. Beggars can't be choosers.

However, I've learned to avoid the really cheap stuff, especially minced beef. It had so much fat in it that I was pouring it off. Switching to lower fat meats, such as pork or turkey, meant that I actually got another portion out of it, as it didn't reduce down as much. And it's better for me and I can always "beef it up" with an OXO cube.

kezlou

I would love to be able to afford free range and organic meat but sadly well out of my price league. I'm lucky where i live butchers wise, its not welfare lead but i tend to know the meat is fresh and delivered on a daily basis at the halal butchers.

Now the non-halal butchers i am very wary of as i know they have less trade than the asian shops. They are also very expensive compared to the supermarkets.What also worries me are the concerns regarding how long the meat has been sat there uncovered.

laineyc_2

I buy my meat (apart from chicken) from an online butchers. I find buying my meat for the month helps with my meal planning. I really don't like the quality of supermarket meat but I do buy free range chicken from the supermarket.