Smartprice or normal chicken?

annaangeluk_2

Can anyone tell me the difference between normal standard chicken (thighs in this case!) and smartprice stuff?

'm trying to save some money on my shopping but don;t want to risk buying smartprice chicken incase it's rank!!

Thanks

Anna x

BrandNewDay

I don't think it will be rank. I think it's very likely you won't be able to tell the difference. At any rate, it won't cost you much to find out.

JailhouseBabe

If I want just chicken breast, I'll buy the cheaper ones. The only difference I've ever found is that the value stuff usually has bits of bone and gristle still attached - not so much care has gone into preparing it. It all tastes the same to me though.

cookie_monster

The only difference I notice is the price, taste the same to me once it's cooked.

thriftlady_2

I would think it is to do with the way the chickens are produced.

I imagine smartprice/value/basics chicken is produced in the worst sort of intensive system -chickens have no space to move, their legs break because their breasts are too big for them, they have to live in their own mess including dead birds etc.

The standard supermarket brands are probably from a system where the welfare standard may be slightly better. A good barn operation will have room for the chickens to flap and perch. Staff will be able to see and remove dead birds and the florr will be kept cleaner.

Trow

Standard supermarket and smart price/value chickens are raised in the same environment - the smartprice ones are (usually) the smaller ones that don't sell well (to any retailer), so the supermarkets can buy them at a cheaper price and pass the savings on.

The only retailer afaiaa, that has higher standards of welfare for their standard chickens is the co-op, but they do cost a bit more than the tesco/asda standard chooks.

thriftlady_2

Trow wrote: »

Standard supermarket and smart price/value chickens are raised in the same environment - the smartprice ones are (usually) the smaller ones that don't sell well (to any retailer), so the supermarkets can buy them at a cheaper price and pass the savings on.

The only retailer afaiaa, that has higher standards of welfare for their standard chickens is the co-op, but they do cost a bit more than the tesco/asda standard chooks.

Thanks for that Trow I think Waitrose have pretty high standards too. I buy their barn-reared chicken breasts and according to the packaging they have a fairly good life. They aren't as cheap as Tesco/Asda though.

Farway

annaangeluk wrote: »

Can anyone tell me the difference between normal standard chicken (thighs in this case!) and smartprice stuff?

'm trying to save some money on my shopping but don;t want to risk buying smartprice chicken incase it's rank!!

Thanks

Anna x

I used to buy the smartprice for my cat, he was poorly & not eating, the only differance I found was they are not uniform, some maybe large, some small, some short, some long, some bruised, some ammonia burns etc

Cat never complained so I assume they tasted OK

lil_me

Not much difference, in fact my sis worked in a factory which did chicken for many stores, all the same stuff just a different wrapper/sticker each day.

If you're concerned about welfare of the animal buy direct from a farm where you can see how the animal is treated, how it is reared and what conditions it lives in. I don't trust any supermarket/free range/cruelty free label, these have been proved to be false in many many cases or that they are approved then let standards slip etc, I prefer to see for myself.

Mappygirl

I'm watching my pennies to and as much as I'd like to but free range the budget won't allow it at the mo, smartprice chicken tastes fine - DH is quite fussy and he eats it no complaints!

BARGAINHUNTER!

They won't be as regular in size as more expensive chicken portions, and also will probably come with skin on that you might need to remove, and also bits of fat that can easily be cut off. These value portions are often excellent value for a casserole though.

I was wondering along the reduced section of the meat aisle in Tesco today and saw a fresh chicken reduced. I picked it up to see the price and saw that it was reduced to £9.71. That must be a mistake I thought, until I looked at the regular price - £12.81!!!! Yes it was a large scottish organic chicken but £12.81? Shocking! On the shelves with the regular chickens was Tesco value chickens, a bit smaller, but they were only £2.29 each! Its all well and good wanting to take the animals welfare into account when choosing a chicken, but when food prices have increased so much across the board there is no way I would pay £12.81 for a chicken!!