Do you choose to purchase meat from a Supermarket for convenience/packaging/cost? Does the appearance/smell/sound of a butchers dissuade you from buying products from there? Please explain your reasons and opinions. Can you also provide your age and country? Thanks!

zirconia2672

Question answered by Michael B

I would never buy supermarket meat. The quality is poor, and (for comparable quality) the price is too high. I am also put off by the supermarkets' lack of transparency. I buy from a local butcher who deals only in local meat, raised to high standards (all free-range, slaughtered in a tiny, well-run butchery within 5 miles of the farm, details of sourcing displayed in the shop .... etc. etc ...) and not only enjoy superior flavour and the comfort of knowing that the animals were well-treated when alive, but also personal service. Mark, the butcher, knows what I like - so I now barely need to look at the meat before I buy (though actually I do, being naturally choosy). If I bought from a supermarket I'd be tormented by the thought of a miserable and intensively reared animal trucked 200 miles to die in an industrial-scale slaughterhouse - and all so that I could buy with a tiny increase in convenience. No way!

How do you feel about butchers?

Are you angry at butchers because they slaughter animals for a living? Hmm well put havemoicyonme. Our local butcher is disliked by many people around here for his occupation even though most of them eat the meat that he's selling! It's ridiculous. I was just wondering if that was common. Guess not :-p

xoxshinythingsxox

Question answered by AJS

No - butchers prepare already killed animals for sale (eg jointing it). My great-grandad was a butcher and provided local quality meat without unnecessary packaging / preservatives / added water and at reasonable prices. We can choose whether to eat meat or not - and those that chose to eat it need a way of getting it. ps I have been veggie for 20 years. pps some people have to eat meat (or fish) for their protein, as dietry problems mean they can't eat enough beans / pulses / lentils / soya (eg IBS sufferers) or eat enough dairy and eggs (eg gall bladder problems) to get all the protein they need.

Is meat from a butcher better than the grocery store?

I usually just buy meat at the grocery store but there is a butcher in town and I thought about trying it out. Is meat from butchers usually better? Is it usually from local farms or could it be from anywhere? Also, do they have options of "free range" meat, like free range chicken at the butcher? Thanks for any input also is the meat cheaper at a butcher? also, do you have to tell them how you want things cut ro are things pre-cut?

Baba Booey!

Question answered by Anonymous

I would say it depends on the butcher. The ones I have been to are usually more expensive, but also have a higher quality of meat. I prefer choice and higher grades of beef. Many grocery stores sell less than choice. One good thing about butchers is that they are usually more knowledgable about cuts of meat and they will take the time to help you make the right choices. You'll just have to go and find out about your neighborhood butcher. Just like other business' they are all going to be a little different.

Are you supposed to give tips to the butchers at Safeway for cutting your meat?

If you buy a roast or something and you want to cut it into slices, and the butchers at Safeway does it for you, are you expected to give the person who did it for you a tip?

Quest

Question answered by Digz

I don't think that is necessary; I am a Safeway butcher, and I don't expect tips. :)

Who sells parts of a cow for you to take to the butcher to have cut and packaged?

I've heard people talk about the fact that you could buy half or quarter of a cow from somewhere and then have a butcher cut it up and package it for you. Then you can store this in the freezer and it will last for the year plus it's affordable. My questions are: How to I find the person or place that sells the cow meat? Do butchers really do this? How much is this going to cost? (Say for half the cow done the spine.) How long will the food keep in the freezer? Is there anything else I should know? Thanks for your help! I live in Houston, Tx.

Julie

Question answered by pixieotr

if you have slaughter or packing houses in your area, you can call them, we used to buy from a packing house or raise our own and sell 1/4 or half to family. It used to be a common practice, they ran ads in the paper every Sunday for 1/4 1/2 and whole beef I am not sure what the cost would be now , but you can bet it will be about $3.00 per pound or so, guessing the average cow weighs 800 pounds, you would pay for 400 pounds, but it would depend on the weight of the cow it will keep for 1 year in the freezer keep in mind, when you buy part of a cow, you need to know if you are paying for the cow on the hoof [live] or hanging weight [slaughtered, gutted and skinned] if you buy on the hoof, the price per pound will be a lot lower, but you will loose all the weight of the gut skin head and other parts not used. if you buy hanging weight, make sure it is only YOUR half that gets weighed after the cow is split, so you don't get jipped when you go to have the meat cut, the butcher will ask you how you wat it cut., some will explain the process, but what he is asking you is how thick you want your steaks, you will get all the cuts, such as brisket, roast steaks, flank steak ,neck roast, ground beef. you will need to decide what cuts of meat and roast you want and how much you want ground into burger, personally I don't very often use flank steak or brisket, so I have some of it ground and mixed in with the hamburger your hanging weight will be higher than your cut and packaged weight, expect to loose about 20% to excess fat and bone. the leg bones can be saved if you or friends have large dogs. remember, buyer beware, not all meat houses will sell you good tender meat, make sure to ask for high quality corn fed beef. the $ is higher, but you will be happier with the quality and flavor. you can also buy 4-H cows and find someone to share the cost, they are sold at 4H events at auction and provide the best meat. also, is there are feed lots around, you sometimes can buy ready for slaughter, but again, you will have to find someone to share the cost. have the packing house freeze the meat for you, it does not freeze fast enough in a home freezer and you can run the risk of spoilage by packing your freezer with unfrozen meat as the stuff in the middle won't get frozen for 3-4 days or more. make sure you have a freezer large enough to accomidate the meat, find out about how much cubic feet you will need before hand usually a 17 cf freezer will hold 1/2 cow easily if it is empty

How would I go about getting training to become a butcher?

I am 15 years old and there are several supermarkets with butchers, and a large Meat Locker in a nearby town. Hope that helps.

Tom

Question answered by chefgrille

You might (might) be able to start working at 15 if you have a work permit. But I'm pretty sure you won't be able to do any cutting until you're 18. But if you can swing a job cleaning and sweeping and mopping, you can listen and watch to what the butchers are doing and pick up on it. Even at 18 depending on where you live, they may say you have to be a journeyman and send you to different stores to gain experience. It's like an apprenticeship. Good luck, my cousin did it when he was 19 and now he's an assistant butcher at a supermarket.

Where can I buy a big box of a butcher's lemon pepper seasoning?

Long shot i know but does anyone on here work or know anyone who works in a butchers? I'm after a big box of the lemon pepper seasoning that they use. I tried the supermarket ones and they're just not as good. I've also asked the butcher himself but for obvious reasons he won't tell me but i do usually get an extra fillet thrown in if i smile the right way so all's not lost;). Anyway, thanks in advance x

themasokiss

Question answered by jean h

my butcher sells me the stuff he uses if I want some, have you asked him to get you some? he should do really

what is the difference between a slaughterhouse and a butcher?

I am trying to find out if there is any humane slaughterhouses and butchers. However, how is a slaughterhouse and a Butcher the same/different should be the first question.

myvavys

Question answered by I don't know

i have the idea of what you are looking for, I think! I think a humane slaughterhouse is where they kill the animals, such as cows, hogs, etc. I think a butcher is like someone who works in a grocery store kinda like Kroger that cuts the animals up into steaks, roasts, pigs ft that is pickled, etc.

How much does a filet mignon cost for a grocer/butcher?

How much does a filet mignon/tenderloin cost per pound for a grocer/butcher? It other words, how much do grocers/butchers mark up filet mignon to make a profit? Any rough estimates?

HKR4444

Question answered by Luv2Cook

Depends on the store you shop at and the quality of meat they purchase. For example, the local safeway store charges approximately $11.99 - 13.99 per pound. AJ's on the other hand charges $29.99 a pound but only buys the best angus beef. Then I buy them when they are on sale, generally have to buy an entire tenderloin roast - bough one recently it was $4.99 a pound. While I paid $36 for it I also saved $45. The reason, if you can buy an entire roast the price is generally between $8.99 - $9.99 a pound. The reason, the butcher doesn't have to cut the meat into steaks therefore no markup. So the long version - sorry but the mark up is between $3 - 4 per pound at most supermarkets.

If you order a free-range chicken from the butchers?

Then how do you tell if it really is free range? Would butchers be honest and sell you a genuine one, or just pass anything off as free range, when in fact, it's not? Are butchers able to buy in free range chicken? Is is 'safer' to just go to the supermarket and buy a labelled one?

Tesco - very little help

Question answered by a beautiful lie

Trading standards laws make it illegal to advertise a product as something different to what is being offered. Like free range eggs it says it on the packaging and I would assume the packaging in the butchers chicken will say those words. I know everyone is concerned about battery farming due to the cruelty and the risk of bird flu. But the butchers are independent meat retailers and their meat is usually better quality.

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Debate: why do you choose to buy meat from a supermarket compared to a butchers?