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Original poster

Altercation with butcher

172 replies

CuriousaboutSamphire · 10/04/2020 13:42

DH just came back from our local butcher and is a bit ShockConfused

The man being served ahead of him ordered 20 chicken thighs, 20 burgers, sausages, minter lamb chops etc

The butcher serving him said "that sounds like a BBQ for a large crowd" and got told to "just fucking bag it all up" Butcher refused saying that not only did it seriously deplete his sticks but that he wouldn't be party to someone breaking the lockdown regulations. The man got swearier and was asked to leave. As he left he shouted that he had driven "fucking miles" and wouldn't be coming back.

DH thinks he didn't quite expect the round of applause the butcher got, or the "well fuck off back there, then" that was shouted at him by a man probably in his 80s.

Apart from the obvious twattishness it struck us that Mr Big obvious didn't expect a hick town butcher, or customers, to be quite so capable of saying no!

Quite different from my encounter in the farm shop last weekend. Made me wonder how all those of you living in urban areas are doing - not saying all urbanites are tests more that we know who our local twats are and tend not to let them get ahead of themselves.

I hope you are all managing to avoid such prats, wherever you live!

OP posts:
480Widdio · 10/04/2020 14:45

Excellent,our butcher has done likewise with someone wanting massive amounts of chicken,got a round of applause on the village Facebook page.

LochJessMonster · 10/04/2020 14:45

Your butcher really should have just minded his own business. The guy could have been stocking up or had a large family. Perhaps he gets those comments everywhere and he’s just had enough or being embarrassed?

CV is turning people into nosy, holier than thou idiots.

Original poster
CuriousaboutSamphire · 10/04/2020 14:45

Just in n case that sounds like a huge shop, the in door used to be blocked, used as a window, shelved over. They opened it up again to make queueing easier / safer.

OP posts:
MsTSwift · 10/04/2020 14:47

There should be a word for nutters who cone in to explain away dreadful behaviour of others

Perhaps his dog had just died?
Perhaps he had dementia?
Perhaps he was a giant and would eat all that food himself?

Nope he was clearly just a total knob.

thedancingbear · 10/04/2020 14:50

Perhaps he was a giant and would eat all that food himself?

This is completely unreasonable and sizeist. Sometimes, giantism is not obvious. My uncle was a giant (despite only being 5' 11") and needed 12000 calories a day just to maintain his weight.

not a laughing matter. Give your head a wobble.

Original poster
CuriousaboutSamphire · 10/04/2020 14:51

Perhaps he gets those comments everywhere I Ben the 'fucking miles' he claimed to have driven, that could be a lot of people he has pissed off.

Seriously though, the butcher's original comment was said with a smile, DH said it seemed like it would have been fine had he just laughed and paid. But he chose not to do that!

I suppose it was the stark contrast between his actions and the local response of cheerful helpfulness, shops changing their provision, coming together to do deliveries etc. He just came across as a total twonk!

OP posts:
Deathraystare · 10/04/2020 14:52

Perhaps he was a giant and would eat all that food himself?

Nice one!

Bluesheep8 · 10/04/2020 14:52

Your butcher is a Lockdown Legend! The customer deserved all he got by swearing and talking down to him. Never mind having driven miles on a non essential journey. Lockdown Loon.

lemonsandlimes123 · 10/04/2020 14:54

laiste - your family must be enormously obese in that case as that would be a huge amount even for a family with 8 children.

balonzz · 10/04/2020 14:55

There's something so alliteratively satisfying about the phrase 'Lockdown Loon'.

JudyCoolibar · 10/04/2020 14:57

The guy could have been stocking up or had a large family.

How large would the family need to be to require 80-100 meat items? And why wouldn't he just say that was what he was doing?

Baaaahhhhh · 10/04/2020 14:57

We have a big family under one roof and i'd need that amount of meat for a barbi

What - 80 pieces of meat? I hope you are joking.

P1nkHeartLovesCake · 10/04/2020 15:00

Fair play to the butcher!

The man was rude to a simple comment, I wouldn’t of served him for the rudeness alone never mind the fact he was almost certainly going to break lock down.

A shop doesn’t have to serve anybody, they can refuse if they see fit 🤷🏻‍♀️

Original poster
CuriousaboutSamphire · 10/04/2020 15:00

The guy could have been stocking up or had a large family

That got me thinking again. We did a large shop at a local bakery. We must have bought 60+ items. The difference was we phoned ahead and explained that we were collecting for a few neighbours who would happily contact them and pay separately if that was required. When we got there one woman in the queue made a comment and I explained that we were collecting for a few people. Others in that queue said that they were too.

It's all in the attitude of the shopper, I think!

(I'd explain, I also volunteer / work in our local food bank, I do a lot of picking up and delivering for them at the moment as I am self employed and have absolutely no work booked. So, as I am out already, I also shop for neighbours who can't get out.)

OP posts:
TheVanguardSix · 10/04/2020 15:00

We have a big family under one roof and i'd need that amount of meat for a barbi.

Don't be rifuckingdiculous! Nobody needs 20 burgers. Your toilet doesn't need the aftermath of you and your family consuming that much food. That's just gross, man. How selfish to even consider that you need this amount of meat.

BrightYellowDaffodil · 10/04/2020 15:00

If it had been for an innocent reason such as he lived in a commune or was buying for the local care home he would have explained it in a calm way his reaction proves he was bang to rights!

Yup, that about hits the nail on the head. Billy Big BBQ got what he deserved and I dare say the butcher won't miss him as a customer.

Was in a supermarket last night and a man was being abusive to the till operators and the security guard who was single-handedly managing the number of customers in the shop. He was made to apologise.

Original poster
CuriousaboutSamphire · 10/04/2020 15:02

That last bit didn't really help did it? I made myself sound like Mother bloody Theresa.

I just shop for a few people, that's all!

OP posts:
morecoffeerequired · 10/04/2020 15:02

Your butcher really should have just minded his own business

It is his business. It's his shop.

He is more than within his rights to serve or not serve whoever he likes, and judging by what the OP says, he is pretty much single-handedly making sure a whole village gets fed.

Xenia · 10/04/2020 15:10

It is quite hard. Some people have 7 adults in a family who can only get out once a week or are buying for 4 house bound neighbours.

PrivateD00r · 10/04/2020 15:10

The butcher did good. As did your dh and all others in the queue who supported the butcher. Well done!

Original poster
CuriousaboutSamphire · 10/04/2020 15:11

He's not that good Smile

We have a few pubs, cafes etc all doing food boxes, take away deliveries etc. The butcher is in the middle of town and has a good sized cold store and small commercial kitchen. We (food bank) have appropriated part of both.

All if the market towns and most of the larger villages, those with shops, round here are doing the same.

Is it much different in towns and cities? Our nearest has a large Muslim community and the mosques are coordinating food deliveries. I have seen mosques in Birmingham are doing the same but haven't seen what's happening anywhere else.

OP posts:
TheArchSorcererofContwaraburg · 10/04/2020 15:12

I'd have told anyone who ordered me to 'just fucking bag it all up' in my own shop to get out. He's under no obligation to serve rude arseholes.

vanillandhoney · 10/04/2020 15:13

I'm torn here.

He could be doing a big monthly shop, for example. Maybe he has a big family or is shopping for neighbours as well as buying for a BBQ.

He shouldn't have sworn but I don't like the way society is going where we think it's acceptable to tell people what they are allowed to buy. If the shop had a limit on the door that's one thing, but it didn't.

-removes fence post from arse-

Greggers2017 · 10/04/2020 15:16

While that is a lot of meat, my SIL has 8 children, that would be a normal order for her. I don't think the guy should have been rude at all but he may have been embarrassed x

TheArchSorcererofContwaraburg · 10/04/2020 15:16

We have a big family under one roof and i'd need that amount of meat for a barbi

No one needs a bloody BBQ just now. Hmm

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