Conventional butcher shops becoming redundant?

GalaxyRyder

It seems most folks are buying pre-packed meats from chain grocery stores.

Price of lamb is positively sideways, I think meat in general has just experienced crippling inflation.

But I bought a new contraption called an "instant pot" recently and it's better to cook large cuts of meat vs small pre-packed cuts, so I needed a couple kgs of pork shoulder and couple kgs of brisket, along with my usual lamb liver.

I could literally only find a handful of butcher shops far and wide, and they mentioned that business for them even is just down.

In any case, glad I could find a store to provide large meat cuts………… but for how much longer??

Allinall

Butcher shops in Dublin seem to be flying.

Often see queues on a Saturday morning.

GalaxyRyder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123491675#Comment_123491675

Judges?

The butcher I attended recently told me that passing through towns and villages, pubs and butcher shops are in steady decline.

Great if true, the above, cause with my new found interest in food prep, I'd hate to think they're becoming a scarce resource.

Was great to be able to get nice substantial cuts of meat like brisket and butts like shoulder etc., as well as good priced liver.

Cost of liver in supermarkets is nuts compared to butcher shops.

Yeah Right

There's nothing I like more than getting decent meat from a real butcher shop. A real one, mind. Last time I went into the Dublin Meat Company and asked him to skin/bone some chicken thighs, he looked at me like I had three heads. He'd a belt full of knives around his waist, a spotlessly clean white uniform and was busy loading pre-packed cuts and trays of mince/chicken breasts into the cooler. If you're gonna pretend to be a real butcher, at least learn the basics.

I'll always, always, always choose an actual butcher over a supermarket. The main issue I have with them is, they open the exact hours I'm in the office. I start work at 9 and finish at half 5. If your opening hours are 9-5 or even 9-6, I can't go to your shop. WFH has been a godsend in this regard, but even still, there's reasons why people get their meat from Tesco/Supervalu, and convenience is numero uno on that list. It's a PITA having to visit multiple shops/businesses, and you can multiply that by 10 when you've kids in tow, so unless your butcher sells cornflakes and washing-up liquid, you have to get your meat in the supermarket.

It's not all terrible, mind. The steaks in Lidl are as good as anywhere.

GalaxyRyder

One thing though, I expected ribs to be a little cheaper than they were.

By the kilo they weren't too far off the cost of other cuts, even though they're obviously at least 50% bone.

Pork and beef ribs, I wasn't sure which to buy.

Apparently they go very well in a slow cooker or pressure cooker (which I am now admiring on my counter top), so gonna have to try them at some stage.

Bogey Lowenstein

The butcher's trailers might be the future. Less overheads and you can cover a greater area and reach a bigger customer base.

I buy from both, honestly.

I will buy whole chickens, ham filet, mince etc from the supermarket, but if I want a really nice steak I get it from my local butcher.

He also does amazing pork chops on the bone. I can't seem to get pork chops on the bone in supermarkets.