Anyone completely given up supermarket meat?

[AnduinsGirl]

DP and I have been buying more and more meat from a local farm shop as we've found it so much tastier and better quality. It's definitely pricier but to counter that we've started having a meat free night or two a week, which we're also enjoying.
He's away this weekend and I treated myself to a great big bacon sandwich this morning with Tesco bacon and God it was disappointing! I think I'm about ready to give up on supermarket meat and buy it all from the farm shop. Anyone else done this and noticed the difference? It means that great big roast leg of lamb type Sunday lunches won't be a weekly thing, but I kind of hope that will make them a bit more special...

[gowgow]

Not really an option for me, there's no butcher or farm shop within easy reach. I do buy the premium supermarket meat though.

I tried Donald Russell twice, but was disappointed as the quality wasn't much better than Sainsburys & their prices are a lot higher.

[magimedi]

Yes, for sometime now. I use a local butcher who can tell me exactly where the meat comes from. We eat a lot less meat but what we eat is so good.

[Pipandmum]

We use a local butcher (we live on an island). Can’t say I’ve noticed a huge difference in flavour but I have noticed if we don’t eat it in a couple days it goes bad quickly - you’d think it would last longer being ’fresher’. I don’t think the bacon is local but they make their own sausages.

[Fishcakey]

Supermarket all the way. Can't afford anything else and no butcher near me anyway.

[Sandybval]

Co op meat is nice.

[ClownTent]

I don't eat supermarket meat anymore and we haven't for about two years. We are skint anyway, so the vast majority of the time we eat vegetarian meals at home, but I try and go once a month to the butchers and spend roughly £30/40 and stick it in the freezer.

[MustardScreams]

Yes! Tried a special offer on Farmison and now can never go back to sad plastic-wrapped meat. It’s expensive, but it means we eat less and when we do have meat it’s that much more special.

Recently had 100 day dry-aged sirloin steaks and they were incredible.

[BertrandRussell]

I don’t buy supermarket meat. We don’t eat much anyway and I would rather buy what I know for a fact to be high welfare. But we live in the country so it’s easier. Check with the farm shop about the source of its meat though-it’s not always what it seems.

[BrightYellowDaffodil]

Yes and no - I only buy meat from Waitrose because their ethical and welfare standards are higher. I do have a local butcher but, whilst the meat is all British, that doesn't necessarily guarantee good welfare standards beyond the legal minimum.

[Greenteawhisky]

I get my meat from Daylesford either at the farm shop or via Ocado. The burgers are incredible and the chicken is the best I’ve ever eaten. I use every scrap and the chicken is too expensive not to make a stock with the bones each fime.

Tesco and Asda meat is very watery however not everyone has the option to buy alternative meat so I hope there is no judgement here.

[Mrsducky88]

Yep, for about the past year. The occasional time I have picked something up from the supermarket but it’s rare. Find some things a lot more expensive (lamb and whole joints) but burgers, sausages, mince, chicken about the same price or cheaper. We have cut down on the amount of meat anyway. Much nicer to know where the meat is from and it being local. Tend now to go around once a month and then freeze most of it

[mamaraah]

No because our local butcher is expensive and pretentious. Advertisements like 'local organic ice cream served here' and 'local prize winning cheese right this way' put me right off 😂😂😂 I mean who goes to the burger to buy ice cream and cheese anyway?
I buy supermarket products but not a lot. The odd packet of sausages ( the kids don't like posh bangers) and chicken thighs. I might buy lamb once every two years, minced beef once every six months or so. We never buy steak or the like.

[Bloodybridget]

We've been getting nearly all our meat from Field and Flower for the past few years, it's grass fed, high welfare, locally raised and slaughtered etc. Occasionally get something from local farmers market which is also very good.

[Nuttyaboutnutella]

I haven't bought meat from a supermarket in about 10 years. Was vegetarian for 10 years, and now only use a local butcher. They rear their own cows and pigs, lamb/chicken from the farm next to theirs.

It's a family business who've been known in the community for a couple of generations. All their meat is high welfare, grass fed, free range, etc. It's like a proper old school place. They know all their customers. I used to work nearby so went weekly but am now on maternity so do a monthly order. They always remember me when I ring up, ask about the kids, etc. They bag everything up exactly how I want it, label everything, offer cheaper alternatives or better cuts depending on what I'm making, happily make flavoured sausages to order (with a bit of warning) and help me take the box to the car. They're brilliant! The quality of the meat is far better than anything from my local Tesco. Wouldn't go anywhere else now.

[rupertpenryswife]

I use field and flower to, it of course does work out more expensive but, I like knowing where the meat comes from and it's not pumped full of anti biotic and water, the taste is amazing to.

We don't have loads of money but it's an expense I am willing to make, we have smaller portions and more meat free meals.

[drspouse]

Pretty much, yes. There's a butcher's stall at the market on a Sat and I take my tupperwares to him handily saving both plastic and food miles.

[Hairwizard]

Yip we use an organic farm shop for veg milk and sausages/burgers and local butchers for steaks joints etc. Might buy the odd bit of mince in tesco for spag bol or chilli.
Yes it costs more but we are fortunate we can afford to and def can taste the diff too.

[bk1981]

We've just started this... Trying to alternate each night between a meat or vegetarian meal with all meat coming from our local farm shop. It's definitely more expensive but way better quality and taste and hopefully better animal welfare too! We're hoping that the cheaper veggie meals will balance out the cost of the more expensive meat.

[Freaking0ut]

I buy mince, sausages and whole chickens from our local butcher. The meat comes from local farms which I like. However, he can’t source free range chicken ‘parts’ like breasts and thighs, so I buy those from the supermarket. Overall we are trying to cut down on our meat consumption.

[lazylinguist]

I bought all my meat from the butcher's this week for the first time, partly because I know it will be better quality, but also because I'm fed up with my recycling being full of those unnecessarily huge plastic trays that supermarket meat comes in. I must admit the cost at the butcher did make me wince a bit, but I'm going to reduce the amount I buy.

[falcon5]

Small farmers near us tell me when slaughtering. Generally buy half an animal at a time.

[PutBabyInTheCorner]

Only use our local butcher but we only eat meat once a week.
Surprised at other posters as we've always found our butcher much cheaper than supermarket.

[Clutterbugsmum]

Unfortunately we don't have a butcher or farm shop near us, so we have to buy from a supermarket.