Have been quoted £70 by butcher for a goose - is this about right???

[Tinker]

Seems steep. Am I out of touch?

LOL at thisis

Hi Tinks. Our goose last year was £50, so I think they are expensive but £70 does seem a bit steep. I would definitely shop around and I think it may be one of those meats where cheaper isn't necessarily poorer quality either. Isn't goose pretty much free range by definition? Have a vague sense that you can't really keep geese in factory conditions because they peck you and fly away? Could be wrong though as farming is not my strong point...

God, it was delicious though. Wish we could have it again this year. Unfortunately father in law has Roman emperor aspirations and is desperate to try one of those bird inside a bird inside a bird things and they have ordered one from M&S and are bringing it over here. I'm feeling terribly negative and food snob about it all and am worried I won't like the stuffing. I am a horrible person. They cost an arm and a leg and they've paid and father in law is v v excited so I really must stop being mealy mouthed.

We have been quoted between ten and 11 pounds a kilo and we normally get one for 4 1/2 kilos so 70 does sound steep to me .

I paid about £70 for a goose to feed 5 last year. I think it was about 12lbs in weight. It only just fitted in the oven, but didnt leave much in the way of leftovers as the carcass is big in relation to meat iyswim. It was scrummy, but cant justify spending the same amount this year.

oh no you can make geese miserable and keep them in big sheds and dose them with antibiotics and all the horrible things we do to chickens... Definitely NOT free range, unless they say they are, and even then they'll have spent a good chunk of time mostly indoors in the last few months, in order to fatten up (I think, from talking to a free range goose farmer last year)...

Goose is a lot more expensive than turkey cos you get less meat per pound in weight of bird, if you see what I mean - lots of bone, lots of fat. So even a pricey turkey is more economical. Goose is lovely though!

Thank you people. We (well, he) has shopped around and we've got one £10 per kilo, I think. And we're getting a 5 kilo one - still free-range, lovely butchers.

Scummy - I do fancy that bird in a bird in a bird thing. Love the whole notion of completely feasting til I burst at xmas. Please report back

Glad you have found a reasonable goose.

Thanks for your wise words on the multi-birds. I will report back!

I was just about to say that £70 sounds about right to me, for a non-supermarket one that is (and this is the one time of the year that I will go all out and buy our meat from the butcher's as it makes a huge difference). That could be where I live though, and I'm glad you've found a reasonable one! We had goose last year and it was amazing - never want to have turkey again LOL.

Scummy, I had to laugh at your "Roman Emperor" description and I must admit that I agree with your gut feeling. Will be curious to hear if it lives up to the hype though.