Supermarket beef vs beef from the butchers

spongebob89

I always just bought my beef in the supermarket for convenience and price but two people told me its much tastier out of a butchers, your opinions have you noticed a big difference? Is it much pricier too?

Kovu

For most items I've found a butcher to be cheaper than a supermarket, not dearer.
There may not be a huge difference in the quality but it depends on the butcher and what he buys. Beef from a yearling heifer will taste a lot different if you compare it to a 30 month old steer. Also the difference in mince is unbelievable, because scraps of steak, round etc are all in together, rather than just the scrappy ends that would normally be used. He can also tell you exactly where your meat comes from and how long it has been hung etc.

The best advantage of a butcher is the help they can give you with recipes or certain strange cuts you may want for a particular dish. You won't find tongue or beef cheeks in Aldi! They can also debone and cut a roast to size or cut you one thick steak or two chops instead of having to buy a pack.
Plus you can walk out with bags of bones for stock/dogs, any butcher is glad to give them away, means he has less to dispose of at the end of the week

JONJO THE MISER

Never buy meat in a supermarket only exception being Aldi steaks in the vacuum seal box.
Butchers always better quality and cheaper and you can haggle.
Support your local butcher, we dont want to turn out like north America where there are no butchers and all sub par meat sold in giant box store supermarkets.

seventeen sheep

If I'm going for supermarket meat, I find Supervalu meat tends to be better than Tesco or Dunnes. We generally just stick with the butchers though, we have a couple of good ones locally and there are generally good deals on. Supermarket meat always seems to be a lot more watery and less fresh than meat from a butchers, you can definitely taste the difference. I'd use it the odd time with jarred sauces etc, but definitely not if when I'm cooking a proper homemade dinner ... the time and effort of preparation would be wasted if I were using substandard meat!

kenco

SuperquinnValue used to be ok for meat but over the last year or so the quality has dropped and the prices have increased.

They can be good value for the day to day meat with their special offers, etc but for the weekend dinners I go to a Butcher. Would love to say they are local but not a million miles away either. Without doubt their beef, pork and lamb is cheaper than the Supermarkets and much better quality. All of the above comments ring true. I made a passing comment to this butcher about the distinct taste from their steaks and he spent a good 10 mins telling me the providence (half the family are butchers the other half run the farm). One day the kids were with me and I was getting burgers. They wanted the bigger more expensive ones and he told them to go for the standard in house made ones and if they didnt like then he would give them the money back (needless to say that hasnt happened!)

I like my Roasts and Im fully converted (as is my wallet!).

sligono1

The chances are your local Butcher is either buying from local farmers or off a quality supplier the supermarkets are buying off the the big meat processors and all sorts of rubbish quality animals are been pushed through the factory's

RINO87

Butcher wins hands down. Plus lots of them do the weekly deals or freezer specials now. Really unbelievable value!

vicwatson

Aldi all the way for me, considering that almost all beef comes out of one place in Ireland, AIBP in Tipperary it doesn't matter where the heck you buy the meat, I buy it where it's cheapest and imo that's Aldi

sligono1

You don't have much of a clue so mate it's far from all the same

vicwatson

sligono1 wrote: »

You don't have much of a clue so mate it's far from all the same

1. I'm not your mate

2. How do you know how much of a clue I have or haven't ?

Back it up man.;)

Kovu

FWIT, other factories supply carcasses to Aldi and it's processed in Tipp, Dunbia Slane being one.

sligono1

Vicwatson To say meat for the nation comes out of one processing plant now come on

enricoh

the missus got mince from the supermarket n it was tastless sludge n stewing steak that u'd lose a filling on.
local butchers is miles tastier, savage burgers n steaks. n i reckon cheaper too.
when the total price is say 21euro he leaves it at 20 too, a nice touch

the beer revolu

It really depends on the butcher.
To suggest that all butchers sell better meat cheaper than all supermarkets is ridiculous.

Find a good butcher and if you're happy with their product and price support them.
There are probably more rubbish butchers than good ones in the country.

hfallada

My local butchers like to call himself an "Irish Craft Butcher". But I dont trust him with the origins of meat. He says his chickens are Irish on the wall. But I asked him one day where the chicken breasts were from and he said Ireland and the Netherlands. I then asked him ROI or NI. He lost his **** saying what difference did it make and I said because, its the difference between supporting the ROI economy or NI economy by buying them

spurious

Some of the reputable factory shop butchers (like FX Buckley's in Rathcoole) are very good value for freezer-filling.

Scruffy...The Janitor

vicwatson wrote: »

Aldi all the way for me, considering that almost all beef comes out of one place in Ireland, AIBP in Tipperary it doesn't matter where the heck you buy the meat, I buy it where it's cheapest and imo that's Aldi

My local craft butcher has his own abbatoir and buys from local farmers. I can literally trace every mouthful of meat i eat from farm to fork.

Very often I would go in with something in mind that I want to cook but not be 100% on what cut of meat exactly and how much of it I need. I do like to use a lot of the lesser used cuts of meat and they're always more than happy to chat and suggest particular cuts for certain dishes or cooking methods. If they don't have a cut of meat I'm after on display, they'll go and get one from a carcass.

You just don't get that level of knowledge or cutomer service in somewhere like aldi or lidl. I find the butcher is very competitive on price and far superior in meat quality but even if it was a little dearer I would happily pay for the services of his craft.

If you think aldi meat is as good as a butchers then I honestly think you just haven't found a good enough butcher.

al22

Neigbour works at the local meat processing factory.
Deef comes from a lorry loads from one supplier.
They cut it, do mince etc for a few shop chains
Dfference - packaging and lables only, and different prices for different shops.
Meat is from the same butch consignment and generally the same.

drumswan

the beer revolu wrote: »

It really depends on the butcher.

14 posts before someone states the obvious.

"The butcher" as a concept doesnt guarantee better beef. The generic Irish butcher seems to only sell very fresh, non-aged, bright red beef. In the city anyway.

Can anyone recommend a butcher that does aged beef around Dublin 6?

Alun

the beer revolu wrote: »

There are probably more rubbish butchers than good ones in the country.

This is certainly my experience.

drumswan

Alun wrote: »

This is certainly my experience.

Agreed.

the beer revolu

Also, if a butcher has meat cut up with sauce in trays - move on.
The closest any decent butcher should get to ready meals is a fresh burger!

I have great time for my local butcher. His meat is top quality. He's very creative in his cuts and always likes to discover new cuts. He actually knows how to cook meat (lots of butchers don't). He's sound, as is his mum!

But I still do, on occasion buy steaks in supermarkets - usually if on offer. The premium steaks in supermarkets are usually pretty good these days but price is on a par with a quality butcher if not on special. Cheaper cuts are nearly always cheapest in the butchers.