to be annoyed at service at Tesco?

[gabsid]

Today I went to the meat counter at Tesco and asked for 1.5-2kg of rolled lamb shoulder?

The 'butcher' (?) showed me a small piece of lamb on display and said that that is what they had. I told him that that piece was too small, he put it on the scales and said: that's 1 pound 6 ounces.

Then I repeated that that wasn't enough and that I was after 1.5-2kg! Only then he bothered looking in the fridge behind him, pulled out a reasonable piece of meat and said: that is the biggest we have.

He put it on the scales and it weighed 1.680 kg! Bingo!

But it felt a bit like pulling teeth. Either he had no idea what a kg was or he just couldn't be bothered serving a customer. And that was the second time I felt that way at the Tesco meat counter.

I feel I really should make the effort and find a good butcher again! Our old butcher/farm shop sadly closed down, but they would show you a whole piece of meat, cut off what you want and thin roll it in front of you, so I exactly know what I was buying.

You just can't get away from bloody Tesco anymore!

[snooter]

Don't buy meat at Tesco - find a local butcher on a high street near to you & they will be delighted to serve you what you want, to the nearest gram - you might have to wait while they dismantle a lamb or something but the meat will be excellent & you will most likely not be disappointed. Apart from mince & sausages, I haven't bought supermarket meat in over ten years.

[snooter]

Didn't read to the end - I see your butcher closed down - you must find a new one, or use a farmers' market or something - I bloody hate Tesco

[WinklyFriedChicken]

I get all my meat delivered by Aubrey Allen, they're online and deliver nationwide and the meat is superb. Fuck Tesco.

[Toombs]

I'll whole heartedly endorse Aubrey Allen, reliable and delicious.

[Boomerwang]

It's probably cheaper at the butchers too. Hunt down a new one and get a load of meat at once, then freeze it.

[Shakey1500]

Meat is SO overpriced and poorer quality in supermarkets. Luckily we've a local butcher and a farm shop. Their chickens are bloody lovely, you can taste the difference (no pun intended) immediately. YANBU

[TwickOrTweasels]

I'm not sure they are actually trained butchers. At my local Tesco, the "butcher" is also the "fishmonger". I think they may just be people trained to use a set of scales and small carrier bags (happy to be proved wrong).

I think as far as (normally priced) supermarkets go, Morrison's is the best for fresh meat counters.

[Tw1nkle]

I'd love to use a butcher - but are they more expensive than Tesco?
(I'm on a budget!)

[flow4]

Or there's always vegetarianism!

[Toombs]

Tw1nkle, a lot of the time they're not. A decent butcher will also give you the cut of meat you want rather that what they've got and it won't be pumped full of water to bulk it up.

[applecrumple]

IMO butchers are always cheaper than supermarkets as their meat is of a higher quality & therefore better value for money.

[legoballoon]

The service in Tesco, IMHE is pretty rubbish. Massive queues at the tills. Staff on fish and meat counters unable to give much in the way of recommendations or cooking advice. I buy from Waitrose or the local butcher - our Waitrose employs a chap who was a butcher. Both are good for advice on cuts, cooking etc.

[ZombTEE]

My butcher has fantastic deals on meat all the time. I almost never buy meat from the supermarket any more.

And it's so much nicer than the packaged stuff.

[Viperidae]

Our local butcher is miles dearer than the supermarkets and DH and I cannot taste much, if any, difference so I buy all my meat at Costco and find it very good.

Just looked at the Aubrey Allen site; the smallest, cheapest turkey is £64!!! I think I'd choke on it at that price.

[Tw1nkle]

I might have to give them a try.
I've NEVER been to a butchers though! I really wouldn't know what to ask for - how bad is that!

[gabsid]

Twinkle - try it, you just tell them what you want to cook and for how many and they will recommend the best cut and how much you are likely to need. Easy!

I must check out the Aubrey Allen site.

However, we live fairly rural and in the local paper the farm shops always advertise - I just have to make an effort to find a new one that is not too far away. We also live near a city but can't recall a butcher anywhere - but they must be out there.

[gabsid]

Just looked at the Aubrey Allen website. That shoulder of lamb I bought today at Tesco would have been about the same price at Aubrey Allen, however I have never thought of ordering meat over the internet.

[snooter]

Donald Russell has a good reputation for buying meat on-line - I haven't tried it myself though.

I often buy really cheap cuts at the butcher that I just don't ever see in the supermarkets, like shin of beef - brilliant for casseroles.

[mutny]

We use a local butcher as supplier for our restaurant and at home. Loads cheaper. Loads better Quality. If a local butcher is more expensive and no better, i would say somethings not right.
some 'local' butchers are not butchers at all. The are a middle man. They will buy the meat like a supermarket does and just sell it on.
the Tesco butcher probably knew there was more in the fridge, but they have to try and have as little wastage as possible. The land that was out would probably have had to be binned if not sold, whereas the one in the fridge wash fresher and he could have sold that the next day, iyswim.

[5Foot5]

"some 'local' butchers are not butchers at all. The are a middle man. "

Agreed. We used to have a Dewhurst in town which masqueraded as a real butcher but really they just sold the cuts that had been delivered to them and didn't really know much about what they were selling. DH once tried to get a rib of beef on the bone and the butcher tried to tell him that you can't get those anymore. DH asked him if they were growing cows without a rib cage now then and just got a blank look!

[Soditall]

We swapped to a butcher a few months ago and I would never swap back.Our butcher is amazing the meat and poultry not only tastes better it's also cheaper and they deliver for free if we are short of time.

[HauntedLittleLunatic]

I buy most of my meat at the butcher.

I find that I end up adding a lot of oxo/bisto to dishes I cook with supermarket meat just to give it flavour.

[GhostofMammaTJ]

Our 'best' local butcher recently gor prosecuted for saying all his meat was local when it waa in fact brought in from miles away.

[missuswife]

I second using a local butcher if possible. My grandpa was a butcher and they know their stuff. Plus the major supermarkets don't seem to carry any roasting joints bigger than 1.5 kg which is not enough if you have family round for Sunday lunch plus want leftovers--seriously, who cooks a whole roast to feed like 3 people?! If I'm going to put in the time and effort then I want leftovers. And they never have brisket in, my favourite cut.

Also, if you have a good relationship with your butcher and ask nicely, sometimes they will sharpen your knives for you.

[gabsid]

Oh, I have to be careful when selecting a butcher it seems. The butcher I loved but closed down was a farm shop out in the sticks, but they just did meat and sausages from their farms and they had the most brilliant meat.

Years ago there was a small butcher in our village, but I only went there twice or so. They didn't seem to have much and once I got a very old piece of meat I wasn't sure I wanted to eat at all - at Christmas!!!