Hugh's War on Waste

honeythewitch

Gigervamp wrote: »

I remember butchers wrapping meat in butcher's paper. It was thick and they'd use a couple of sheets with a bit of greaseproof between the meat and paper. But not paper bags.

Oh yes, sometimes it was folded over like fish and chips, wasn't it? with the price scribbled on in biro.

At least the grease-proof paper and bags could be recycled, unlike those thin plastic bags they use.
i think it must be a "health and safety" thing because cake shops still use paper bags.

honeythewitch

missbiggles1 wrote: »

In my "proper " butchers, all the meat is clearly labelled with price per kilo and the joints of meat (mainly hanging up) have a label with the kilo price and the joint price pinned to them.

More often in my area the joints are labelled with the price, but sitting on a polystyrene tray with plastic over it, and then another bag on purchase.

I have never used this butchers, but the packaging is typical around here. https://www.facebook.com/themeatmanliverpool/photos_stream?tab=photos

Pollycat

missbiggles1 wrote: »

In my "proper " butchers, all the meat is clearly labelled with price per kilo and the joints of meat (mainly hanging up) have a label with the kilo price and the joint price pinned to them.

Same in the 4 or 5 butchers I pop into.

I'm sure you'd be able to ask for 75p worth of beef mince if that's what you wanted.
I often ask for "3/4 to 1lb of lamb's liver, preferably nearer to 1lb and I'd like thick slices if you've got it".

One butcher offered me the whole liver if I wanted, weighed it and I very happily cut it up myself at home.

We had Turkish Liver as planned that evening then liver & bacon a couple of days later (very different dishes).

I think you'd find local 'proper' butchers very accommodating to your wishes.

Pollycat

honeythewitch wrote: »

More often in my area the joints are labelled with the price, but sitting on a polystyrene tray with plastic over it, and then another bag on purchase.

I dont actually use this butchers (maybe once or twice) but this is the type of thing that is typical around here...https://www.google.co.uk/maps/uv?hl=en&pb=!1s0x487b21912851b169:0xb56523661971fda9!2m5!2m2!1i80!2i80!3m1!2i100!3m1!7e1!4s//geo1.ggpht.com/cbk?photoid%3DYaXeGH3uI-cAAAQfCOcEMg%26output%3Dphoto%26cb_client%3Dsearch.LOCAL_UNIVERSAL.gps%26minw%3D0%26minh%3D200!5sbexleys+butchers+liverpool+-+Google+Search&sa=X&ved=0CIoBEKIqMApqFQoTCMO7scPJ-cgCFYHSGgodsagA6Q

Link doesn't work for me but we have a 'butcher' called Crawshaws in our local town and it sounds like that.

I think me and missbiggles are talking about the type of butcher who has a big piece of rump or sirloin that he'll cut off steaks to your liking or a big tray of mince.
If he's only got a bit of mince, he'll go off and mince some for you.

honeythewitch

Pollycat wrote: »

Same in the 4 or 5 butchers I pop into.

I'm sure you'd be able to ask for 75p worth of beef mince if that's what you wanted.
I often ask for "3/4 to 1lb of lamb's liver, preferably nearer to 1lb and I'd like thick slices if you've got it".

One butcher offered me the whole liver if I wanted, weighed it and I very happily cut it up myself at home.

We had Turkish Liver as planned that evening then liver & bacon a couple of days later (very different dishes).


I think you'd find local 'proper' butchers very accommodating to your wishes.

I have found another link above and I think it works now. :)The original link that wouldn't work is actually of a "prize winning" butcher (Bexleys) so I dont think the pre-packaging is a sign of it not being a "proper" butcher.

There is often a tiny "normal" butchers counter alongside the pre-packed stuff, so you can get smaller amounts of a limited range (one of the butchers had never heard of ox liver) but the larger amounts in the packages are usually much cheaper, and that is what sells best.

My "wishes" from the butcher (apart from the elusive ox or pig liver) is simply for the meat to be transferred into a small bag (paper, ideally) from re-usable trays.

missbiggles1

honeythewitch wrote: »

More often in my area the joints are labelled with the price, but sitting on a polystyrene tray with plastic over it, and then another bag on purchase.

I have never used this butchers, but the packaging is typical around here. https://www.facebook.com/themeatmanliverpool/photos_stream?tab=photos

Definitely a meat shop rather than a butchers.

Gigervamp

They just buy from the wholesalers. A real butcher would know what ox liver is. Actually, I think you'd have to be pretty dumb to not know what it is considering that the name is self explanatory!

Shame you haven't any real butchers near you. Who knows where that meat comes from. It reminds me of the meat van at a Sunday market that used to be near me. The empty boxes they chucked away said the meat was from Hungary and Poland.

honeythewitch

Gigervamp wrote: »

They just buy from the wholesalers. A real butcher would know what ox liver is. Actually, I think you'd have to be pretty dumb to not know what it is considering that the name is self explanatory!

Shame you haven't any real butchers near you. Who knows where that meat comes from. It reminds me of the meat van at a Sunday market that used to be near me. The empty boxes they chucked away said the meat was from Hungary and Poland.

As I was saying, even the "real" butchers also sell meat pre-packaged, because it sells better (so they say)
And of course, every supermarket sells it this way. Even the organic free range stuff is in plastic and polystyrene.

[Deleted User]

Sadly many 'real' butcher's have closed owing to the apparent preference of pre-packed stuff from 'meat' men type of shops.I used to travel down to Osprey just outside Faversham to a real old fashioned butchers who would happily talk about different cuts and what was good value and he even would cut a couple pork chops with kidneys attached out for my late OH(back in 1999)His shop has closed now although I think there is still a branch in Faversham.He made his own sausages as well and they were really nice,a bit dearer than supermarket ones but far superior in taste.

You have to really search for the old fashioned sort today.The chap I went to still used to have saw dust on the floor of his tiled shop :):)

I would rather pay a bit more for decent meat and have less just for the taste alone.one 90% meat sausage is nicer than three bland tasting ones and far more filling.He also used butchers wrapping paper to wrap the meat.
because its getting harder to find a decent butchers I am buying less and less now.

missbiggles1

honeythewitch wrote: »

As I was saying, even the "real" butchers also sell meat pre-packaged, because it sells better (so they say)
And of course, every supermarket sells it this way. Even the organic free range stuff is in plastic and polystyrene.

Our Tesco has a meat counter as well as the prepacked stuff and when you buy on line you still get a choice between counter items and prepacked. The same applies to fish and cheese/cold meat.