Butcher substituted my turkey

[LML1989AL]

Okay, so maybe I’m just wanting to rant.

I received a text (yes, a flippin’ text) from the butchers saying my Christmas turkey has been substituted for 12 turkey breast roulades and my collection time will be between 4pm - 5pm on Christmas Eve

I rang them, as firstly I’d booked the 9am collection (and paid £5 for the privilege) and most importantly I don’t want 12 turkey breast…. After much back and forth (and very little apology from them) I asked for a refund which they agreed to, however was told “this most likely won’t be processed until the New Year”

Please tell me what would you have done, DH thinks it’ll be in my bank my Monday, and I know I can go to a supermarket but I’m still really annoyed, I’ve been Googling ways to cook turkey roulades and when you read they’re often really dry… as was half tempted to just accept them

Is that refund in writing?

The cancellation is in writing?

Just checking...

I was chatting to a butcher a few days ago & he's basically crossing his fingers that his Norfolk Bronze supplier will be able to honour all his orders this year, the Christmas Eve turkey queue is usually a massive affair outside his tiny shop & he needs the trade. Bird flu has ravaged turkey-raising in 2025 & there was another round of culling in November.

This turkey finder tool from the NFU might help you to source a bird direct from the producer if there's one that's near enough for you; https://www.nfuonline.com/updates-and-information/nfu-turkey-finder/ (I'm in a big city & found 2, both a little over 15 mins drive from my place. Fingers crossed for you!)

I've just bought a lovely one from ALDI 😀

So you booked online which means you paid by credit card? Just action the refund via them. Good luck in the supermarkets.

We have a family friend who only does her food shop on Christmas Eve once the bulk of people have left the shops!

For the last two years I've bought a fresh free range chesham bronze dry hung turkey from Aldi, bought one today, £73 so not cheap. Last year's was an excellent turkey, better than ones I've had from the butchers, and I'm fully expecting this year's to be great too.

About 5% of the UK seasonal Christmas poultry flock has been culled so far this year including a few fattening flocks in the last couple of weeks. It could well have been that the turkeys sourced by this butcher were some of those. That said they’ve managed it really badly.

To be fair to them, you have got enough notice to find another turkey. Offering you roulades instead though, was taking the piss!

Call them back, tell them you'll be making a note of this in your review, and do so if they dont' fix it.

Even if they fix it, you should outline exactly what happened in your review, because the problem will only have been shifted onto someone else and they might not have the energy/balls to make a fuss, either by pushing back or by leaving a poor review.

That is a horrible substitution because it adds ingredients. That means it could create allergy conflicts. They would have done better offering plain chicken. At least it cooks roughly the same.

As I said on a thread this week about a birthday cake where the supplier 'accidentally got the date wrong' - there's no such thing as a 'happy-two-days-after-your-birthday cake'.

Suppliers who benefit from the seasonal premium for things like this have a corresponding responsibility to supply the exact item ordered at the exact time they have agreed to deliver it and their business plan needs to include an over order so that they don't fuck this minimum requirement up.

It sounds like they are a butchers in a farm shop. Have they had bird flu? Please be mindful of that possibility - it will be the most horrible and stressful time if that’s the reason behind it.

A sign... Become a animal lover?

Got a lovely Anglian gold free range turkey in Tesco tonight they had plenty, get there first thing!

My husband owns a butchers - depending where you are we could help out, he has two spare! @LML1989AL

Supermarkets have plenty of turkeys ATM. Today I saw some fresh turkey crowns in Aldi with December 27th date on them. I was very tempted to buy one but decided to come home and clear my fridge first then I'll turn it down lower to 5 degrees and get one on Monday morning. I'd never be using that butchers again.

Is your butcher on drugs?
No way would I accept this.
Refund and awful review.

Plenty of turkeys in the supermarket today. I’d be heading to the butcher and waiting until I got my refund tomorrow

There’s been an outbreak of influenza amongst turkeys so you won’t be the first nor the last for this to happen to

Yep. And on that cake cock-up thread the OP got her money back.

This sounds like his supplier has let him down and substituted with the roulades. You ordered a turkey, your ‘contract’ with the butcher is for that turkey, butcher is in breach and should refund you immediately…….waiting until after the New Year for payment to process is bull shit!
I would be in that butchers shop tomorrow asking for all my money back, in cash! Be firm, but don’t lose your cool……..every chance that someone will have a mobile out filming the ‘crazy, meat cleaver wielding woman in the butchers shop’ ……get my drift??
Good luck OP and try not to let it spoil Christmas 💐

That would really annoy me.
fwiw Sainsbury’s do really nice frozen and fresh Turkeys, discounted with a nectar card.
personally, I would look for another butcher and go down there tomorrow and say you need money back today so you can buy the required whole turkey elsewhere

Turkey's rubbish anyway.

I know that's not the point of the thread, but I'd consider it a sign to get a better meat.

This immediate refund and in the shop and you need that money to go and buy a turkey ….

I'm cooking lamb Christmas Eve and duck Christmas Day. 😋

Yep. Freezing fresh turkey does not do any harm to it.