Chicken

janejustjane

Recently I have been buying M&S chickens when they have been part of the £10 meal deal, they taste OK but are normally expensive at £11-£13 for a large one.

A while ago Tesco had 3 chickens for £10. I thought chicken was a healthy meat but a few weeks ago there was a TV programme which claimed that supermarket chicken meat is very high in fat. None of our local butchers sell whole chickens.

I wondered if anyone had found a compromise between cheap supermarket chickens and very expnsive free-range birds?

HariboJunkie

Lidl do free range chickens for around £6 to £7.

davetrousers

janejustjane wrote: »

TV programme which claimed that supermarket chicken meat is very high in fat.

It's because they're fed a diet that fattens them up nice and quickly ( ie about 39 days) so that they can be despatched to supermarkets and sold cheaply. Rather than a slower developed bird (about 54 days old).

It's not about quality it's about delivering stuff as cheaply as possible to the UK's (non) discerning consumer!

Bongedone

ASDA had free range for £4.50 last time I bought one. 3 Weeks ago maybe.

Mini_Bear

We eat turkey, its more nutritious than chicken and doesnt seem to be pumped with as much water (well at tesco at least!)

Fire_Fox

janejustjane wrote: »

Recently I have been buying M&S chickens when they have been part of the £10 meal deal, they taste OK but are normally expensive at £11-£13 for a large one.

A while ago Tesco had 3 chickens for £10. I thought chicken was a healthy meat but a few weeks ago there was a TV programme which claimed that supermarket chicken meat is very high in fat. None of our local butchers sell whole chickens.

I wondered if anyone had found a compromise between cheap supermarket chickens and very expnsive free-range birds?

The vast majority of the fat is under the skin - remove that and you have elimitated the problem. Mr. Fire Fox butchers our chickens into two skinless breasts (stir fry/ curry), two skinless legs (casserole) and the carcass. The carcass is used to make stock which I always allow to cool and skim the fat off before using.

Any

janejustjane wrote: »

Recently I have been buying M&S chickens when they have been part of the £10 meal deal, they taste OK but are normally expensive at £11-£13 for a large one.

A while ago Tesco had 3 chickens for £10. I thought chicken was a healthy meat but a few weeks ago there was a TV programme which claimed that supermarket chicken meat is very high in fat. None of our local butchers sell whole chickens.

I wondered if anyone had found a compromise between cheap supermarket chickens and very expnsive free-range birds?

You are comparing M&S and Tesco 3 for £10.
Even Tesco has free range Willow farm chicken that you buy for about £5 (and is very nice). Every supermarket also sells a compromise.

Bronnie

Any wrote: »

You are comparing M&S and Tesco 3 for £10.
Even Tesco has free range Willow farm chicken that you buy for about £5 (and is very nice). Every supermarket also sells a compromise.

Actually, the Tesco Willow Farm chickens are not free range (or organic).

http://www.tescofarming.com/willowfarmchicken.asp

They are described as chicken which has had better welfare standards and therefore produces better-tasting meat (?) than Tesco's bog-standard chicken.

They have the typical Tesco marketing ploy; associating the product with the reassuring-looking chap in the tweedy jacket and the comfortingly-bucolic brand-name.

As you have found Any, much of Tesco's marketing is designed to blur the truth and cloud issues. M & S and Sainsbury's treat their customers in a much more honest , respectful and ethical manner, IMO.

Back to the OP, I would second the choice of the Lidl free-range chicken, £3.49kg today, which I tried for the first time a couple of weeks ago and found the meat to be very tasty.

sweetstudent

Waitrose chicken is better than M&S chicken IMHO, and this is comming from a person who would only eat M&S chicken!!!

chuckley

tesco's is full of water.

Any

Bronnie wrote: »

Actually, the Tesco Willow Farm chickens are not free range (or organic).

http://www.tescofarming.com/willowfarmchicken.asp

They are marketed as a chicken which has better welfare standards and therefore better-tasting meat (?) than their bog-standard chicken.

They have the typical Tesco marketing ploy; associating the product with the reassuring-looking chap in the tweedy jacket and the comfortingly-bucolic brand-name.

As you have found Any, much of Tesco's marketing is designed to blur the truth and cloud issues. M & S and Sainsbury's treat their customers in a much more honest , respectful and ethical manner, IMO.

Back to the OP, I would second the choice of the Lidl free-range chicken, which I tried for the first time a couple of weeks ago and found the meat to be very tasty.

I knew it's not organic, but I didn't realise it's not free range..
I find the taste O.K. and I am not willing to pay £10+ for M&S (although I do buy whatever they have on offer..)
Lots of people says Sainsburys is better, but our local is disgusting..Hoping now we have brand new huge Tesco they will also pull themselves together and update our Mr S a bit.