Anybody else queueing for the butcher?

[cheesenpickles]

I'm so cold and the queue is moving so slowly. I need wine.

Sod that. Online shopping from bed with a glass of wine on the bedside cabinet works far better 😜

Eat nice butcher’s meat when it is less busy.

Haha! They're family friends though so can't do that. It's worth the queue but they opened later this year and its bottle necked everybody. Usually I'm in and out by 6:05.

No because DH has gone to pick up our butcher and bakery orders whilst I'm mumsnetting busy with other jobs!

@bigbluebus oooh lucky. Dh is working today. Tbh in stood with my fil who is paying (thank youuu!) but he won't go without me.

Hope you get to the front of the queue soon cheese. It's very foggy here so probably quite cold too - although I haven't ventured outside!

Ours wasn't too bad. I'm in Costa now waiting for DH & the kids.
The bakery on the other hand...

I'm collecting the (spare) turkey later, hadn't thought about a queue but I'll expect mulled wine. Right now I've got my pyjamas on, feet up under a duvet watching a b&w film. Just about to venture into the kitchen to tidy up 🥂

Spare a thought for the staff in the butcher and baker. And their families. Their wives and partners will have done all the Christmas prep on their own, whilst they are busy getting turkeys, joints, sausages, bread, pastries, cakes ready.

I speak from experience. In the run up to Christmas DH worked from 5am to hatever time the last person left the shop. And then did deliveries if people hadn’t collected their stuff and he could get in touch with them.

My shop is next door to a very nice Butcher & they have set up a table outside with complimentary mulled wine, sausage rolls, pasties, sweets .... am thinking of going round just to wish them a Happy Christmas .

I don’t know why but I love seeing people queuing outside the butchers at Christmas Eve! It just feels so local and community minded rather than getting something from the supermarket.
Anyway, food shopping and cooking is DPs domain, I’m the present buyer and wrapper.
He is in the queue for the butchers as we speak whereas I’m in bed waiting for some amazon deliveries.
Think I know who did best out of our unofficial arrangement!

'Spare a thought for the staff in the butcher and baker. And their families. Their wives and partners will have done all the Christmas prep on their own, whilst they are busy getting turkeys, joints, sausages, bread, pastries, cakes ready.'

Ok you do realise many, many other workers have been flat out up until Christmas too, leaving one partner to do the Christmas prep on their own?

I’ve queued at Birds the Bakers for an hour this morning! Madness but they are the best!

DH has gone. I’ve got my feet up drinking coffee.

DH is the butcher!

He's been working round the clock the past week, we haven't seen him at all. Can't wait for him to get home this evening so our Christmas can finally begin

I collected mine on Friday as our butcher now has an incredibly organised slot-booking system. I'm sure it hugely reduces the stress for the staff and certainly reduces queuing, but I have to admit I rather miss the yearly tradition of waiting up to an hour outside, the staff's teenagers supplying us with mulled wine and mince pies, everyone chatting about their plans and sharing worries, my going from pregnant to baby to supervising small children as the years passed...

'Spare a thought for the staff in the butcher and baker. And their families. Their wives and partners will have done all the Christmas prep on their own”

Working does not preclude a person from also doing Christmas prep.

Butchers and bakers can also have husbands.

Lol it was a precooked slot. They have Christmas music going and the staff wear turkey hats, they even bring in old staff to help out. We always bung £20 in the box too.

Our butcher is fab and we wouldn't dream of going anywhere else

Anyway, gammon is cooking. Turkey is prepped and in the fridge. Stuffing is made. I've even done the sprouts and bacon.

Just need to peel the potatoes and I'll be golden for tomorrow. Woohoo!

Prebooked even lol