Got to love the local butcher

[featured_spectre]

Rang up for some priced of some meat, as I always like to use the local butchers where possible, and he let me know this gem of info!!

 

5lbs of unsmoked back bacon for £10

2.2lbs of bacon bits for £1.99

1lb of diced pork for £2.99

1lb of diced beef for £3.99

1lb of diced lamb for £4.99

1 whole chicken diced up for £3.99

 

Tesco/Asda/Morrisons cant compete with that!

 

Whilst I wouldn't get the bacon, I cant believe the price he is offering for them!!! (All local, I know the farm where the meat comes from) Absolutely awesome!

[Hightower]

1lb diced beef @ Asda, £3.84: Cookies Detecting

1lb diced pork @ Asda, ~£2.81: Cookies Detecting

The lamb is about 25p per lb more expensive though: Cookies Detecting

Not sure how you've worked out the supermarkets can't compete?

 

(Edit: links might not work, but they were all supposed to point to each product at Asda)

[ZeroHour]

Tbh its so close in price I would always go for local butcher, I have found supermarkets can be very variable in quality although ymmv.

 

Now I have an urge to go to my butcher for a gander.... they make the best burgers in town.

[Rawns]

When it comes to nice steak and sausages, the local butchers is the way to go! Even better now as a lot seem to start using chip & pin machines which used to be rare when they are in the middle of nowhere!

 

Our local butchers makes his own special sausages. One week, the special was what he called the "jalapeño love boat" - a huge footlong sausage made with pork and jalapeños plus herbs and spices. A small sprinkle of breadcrumbs as well and they were still about 99% meat.

 

Tasted amazing too!

[Rawns]

Not sure how you've worked out the supermarkets can't compete?

 

I think he may have meant quality wise compared to the water and preservative full meat the supermarkets sell.

[ZeroHour]

Our local butchers makes his own special sausages. One week, the special was what he called the "jalapeño love boat" - a huge footlong sausage made with pork and jalapeños plus herbs and spices. A small sprinkle of breadcrumbs as well and they were still about 99% meat.

 

WANTS!!!!!

[Rawns]

WANTS!!!!!

 

Westonzoyland Butchers if you fancy a day trip out.

 

He did sweet chilli beef sausages once too and they were amazing! I was sold as he puts samples out for people to try! I may have "double dipped" with the samples.

[Bromcom_John]

We always use our local butcher when we can.

Mainly because the wife loves to get deals on quanitty and then pack the freezer out with meat.. lasts for months!

 

They will usually do a good deal for things like "A whole lamb", cut up into bits of course. Or half a pig.

We drew the line (and the Freezer would have bust!) at 1/4 of a cow, because that was TOO much meat still.

 

That and the last time I was in there I heard words from the butchers mouth that I haven't heard in a shop for years.

 

"and that'll be £X, £X-5 for cash"

[aerospacemango]

The "local butcher" vs "National conglomerate" were put into sharp relief for me, a few years ago.....

 

My sister is an accountant, and was doing a software install and start-up for a food company in Suffolk. Whilst she was there, she asked about the quality of the meats that the supermarkets buy, and was told this......

 

A Quality - Waitrose, M&S

 

B Quality - Sainsburys, Asda, Morrison

 

C Quality - Tesco, Safeway,

 

D Quality - Aldi, Lidl

 

I'm pretty sure that's how it went.....But it got me thinking. If you have a good local butcher, it is much more worthwhile to use them, as you can pretty much guarantee the quality of the meat, whereas if Tesco / Aldi are the closest supermarkets, there's no saying what the meat will be like. Also, you are keeping your money in the local community

[Andrew_C]

I've been told first hand that the grade is much the same for watercress.

A) M&S Waitrose

B) Sains

C)CoOp

 

Extrapolate for any foodstuff I suppose.

[featured_spectre]

Local butcher, local meat, far better taste.

 

Also, like for like at the tesco/asda/morrisons butchers are more expensive than the shelf prepackaged meats (I dont buy the pre-packaged shelf stuff as to be honest its a waste of packaging, has a high water content, and tastes awful compared to the fresh stuff from my local butcher). Add to this I know where the meat comes from (its all less than 15 miles from my house) and he will do a deal if I buy in bulk.

 

Once bought £50 worth of BBQ meat from him, ended up with 100 pork ribs (40 chinese style, 40 bbq style, 20 plain), 40 burgers (100% beef), 40 sausages (they have next to no padding out, I think its like 5% breadcrumbs to prevent them from exploding, 10 pork and apple, 10 chilli beef, 10 cumberlands, 10 lincolnshires), and 20 chicken drumsticks (all BBQ).

 

Also if you order in advance, you can get kangaroo (yes I know it is not local) and any other animal you can find. If you have a deer (for example from roadkill), you pay him a "leg of venison" and he will butcher the rest up for you however you like!

[Tony_Mc]

I go to my local butcher as much as possible but go to Waitrose to get most other things...

 

One thing I have found out is that if you like beef, the Dry Aged Beef from Waitrose is actually quite excellent and well priced compared to other people doing dry aging.

 

Also look for rib roasts as these are often priced a LOT lower than rib eye steak yet it is where the rib eye comes from and you get the bone which adds SO much flavour!

 

And one more thing, check out the cheaper cuts of beef, Onglet, Feather etc as these produce wonderfull steak as long as you cut it right before cooking... last time I checked feather blade/feather was coming out at about £8 a kilo from Waitrose so might be cheaper still from the local butchers.

 

last thing, get your hands on some pigs cheeks.... braise in a pot with a bottle of red wine, onions and chorizo for about 3 hours.

 

win

[Rawns]

Forgot to mention that last weekend, we went to a friends house for a BBQ and one mate went to his local butchers and bought some minted lamb steaks for the occasion. Not only were they really think cut steaks and coated in locally made mint sauce, but the butcher told him exactly which farm the lamb came from and when it was slaughtered.

 

It would take a lot of convincing to change my mind about supermarkets providing meat that's just as good. There have been occasions where I've treated myself to a 15 day matured extra special rib eye steak from Asda, and yes it's been lovely, but the equivalent from the local butcher have been eve better!

 

Even if you buy the extra special air dried back bacon from Asda, you can fry it and still have all that nasty white stuff seep out of it. I never get a trace of it from the butchers bacon.

[Tony_Mc]

Forgot to mention that last weekend, we went to a friends house for a BBQ and one mate went to his local butchers and bought some minted lamb steaks for the occasion. Not only were they really think cut steaks and coated in locally made mint sauce, but the butcher told him exactly which farm the lamb came from and when it was slaughtered.

 

It would take a lot of convincing to change my mind about supermarkets providing meat that's just as good. There have been occasions where I've treated myself to a 15 day matured extra special rib eye steak from Asda, and yes it's been lovely, but the equivalent from the local butcher have been eve better!

 

Even if you buy the extra special air dried back bacon from Asda, you can fry it and still have all that nasty white stuff seep out of it. I never get a trace of it from the butchers bacon.

 

with all due respect you can not really compare Asda to Waitrose....

[Hightower]

with all due respect you can not really compare Asda to Waitrose....

 

And why not?

[Rawns]

with all due respect you can not really compare Asda to Waitrose....

 

I'm quite sure of it with the standard packs of meat. I bet the chicken brests have half the ammount of water pumped into them that Asda's seem to contain. However I'm sure the extra special meats like the 15 day/28 day matured steaks that Asda do are not far off from the quality of Waitrose's. Unfortunately there is no Waitrose near me to sample their meaty goods.

 

There is a Sainsburys in town but doing a fortnightly shop can easily add an extra 30-40 quid to the grand total compared to Asda.

Edited August 26, 2011 by Rawns

[Tony_Mc]

And why not?

 

Meat alone, the quality of the end product at Waitrose is better. The butchery is better, the meat on the whole looks better.

 

Yes there are things that both supermarkets do well but on the whole Waitrose supply a higher end product, for starters compare their sausages.

[Tony_Mc]

I'm quite sure of it with the standard packs of meat. I bet the chicken brests have half the ammount of water pumped into them that Asda's seem to contain. However I'm sure the extra special meats like the 15 day/28 day matured steaks that Asda do are not far off from the quality of Waitrose's. Unfortunately there is no Waitrose near me to sample their meaty goods.

 

There is a Sainsburys in town but doing a fortnightly shop can easily add an extra 30-40 quid to the grand total compared to Asda.

 

there was a report that Asda was going to start to sell Wagyu beef produced in the UK, this was exciting news for sure!

 

here it is Asda is proud father

 

I generally buy my regular groceries from where ever I am near to as I am unorganised, Asda is cheapest for brand goods for sure!

 

There are certain things I am really fussy about and meat is one of them! it has to look right and be well butchered. simples.

[Hightower]

Meat alone, the quality of the end product at Waitrose is better. The butchery is better, the meat on the whole looks better.

 

Yes there are things that both supermarkets do well but on the whole Waitrose supply a higher end product, for starters compare their sausages.

 

Ah, so surely these comments are objective and must have some sort of proof. I think Asda's special ranges are good quality and could compete with the best of other markets, but these comments are subjective.

 

Show me some report that says Waitrose meat is better than Asda meat and I'll stand corrected. Until you do that, your comments are simply a matter of opinion, and we all know what opinions are worth

[Tony_Mc]

Ah, so surely these comments are objective and must have some sort of proof. I think Asda's special ranges are good quality and could compete with the best of other markets, but these comments are subjective.

 

Show me some report that says Waitrose meat is better than Asda meat and I'll stand corrected. Until you do that, your comments are simply a matter of opinion, and we all know what opinions are worth

 

are you saying their special range competes with Waitroses special range or Waitroses standard range?

 

You are right, I am probably speaking more opinion than proven fact. I am a serious foodie (hate the term) and spend a majority of my time cooking or preparing food and have shopped around a lot, from Jack O Shea at Selfridges to Aldi and I like to think my taste isn't completely ruled by where I got the meat, how much I paid and the stigma associated to certain stores.

 

I have a high regard for the meat sold at Costco, the AA grade beef is CERTAINLY better in taste than the A grade.

 

If a super market is selling an AAA grade piece of beef, it should taste better than an AA grade and an A grade identical cut - that is the economics of quality, no?

 

If Waitrose sell AAA grade and Asda sell AA grade, then surely the AAA will be a better product?

 

there is logic to my madness

[Bromcom_John]

Best meat I have ever purchased....

A few year back we got ambitious for Xmas dinner and I arranged for a pretty large order of unusual meat from Harvey Nicholls.

Chief amongst them was a Wild Boar joint to feed 8, THAT was a lovely bit of meat, I can only describe it as a cross between pork and beef!

Slow roasted after having been marinaded in red wine for almost 24 hours... lovely.

 

Bringing it back to local butchers though, ours has recently confirmed that they would be able to fill this requirement if we needed them to. Which is nice.

 

Although I expect this year to be having a traditional Turkey or perhaps a 3 bird roast.

[tech_guy]

We have venison in our freezer, courtesy of a BMW driver who totalled it (and his car) on the A46 last weekend and a family friend who's a qualified butcher and did all the grisly bits for us. We're having venison pie on Sunday with our own grown vegetables. Can't wait.

[Rawns]

One Christmas in my old job, we would always take part in a secret santa - the usual 5 quid cap, anything goes rules. Our boss lived on a large patch of land and hand reared a few cows and grew his own veg in his spare time and every year, he would give away a massive 3-5Kg fresh beef joint from one of his cows (that he would get slaughtered and cut up and frozen to last the year) as his "secret santa" along with a load of home grown produce. Well over a fivers-worth, but free as it was all his own stuff anyway. One Christmas, I was the lucky guy to receive said "unknown" gift! It was obvious really when everyone has small parcels wrapped up on their desk and I get a masive TV box.

 

Not sure what cut it was from, but I froze it and whipped it out on Valentines day and cut it into some pretty hefty steaks and had them with the missus with somehome made peppercorn sauce and a bottle of cheeky red. Amazing.

[featured_spectre]

Well that's a standing order set up for every week! Happy days. Also got tips on cooking the meat so it melts in the mouth

[synaesthesia]

Frankly I'm not really that fussed but every now and then a decent treat from a real butcher is always appreciated. However, proper steak is something I'll only eat from the butcher - aged properly, you know where it's come from (all local) and you can trust it a little more when having it rare.