Has anyone else never used a real butcher?

[Twiglett]

We have a great new butcher that has just opened (and they seem truly wonderful)

Anyway it got me thinking. Up to this point (and I am now late 30s) I have never bought meat from a butcher .. just supermarkets

How strange and slightly sad is that

(I am slightly daunted by all the cuts of meat without labels .. tell me what I should ask for )

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I would love to live near a Butchers, I would much prefer to buy from a Butchers than Supermarket. All the butchers I know are a car drive away, really ought to get into the habbit of going but I am like so many of you, I havent got a clue what I am buying

highlander - we have 2 butchers now in our area cos of tesco/morrisions, when I first went into our one and mum said it was the first time i'd been in he said - come back we're a dyin breed us butchers. bless him, I never buy from a supermarket now too much water and the fat on beef's all worng (cos it's lumped on to the meat and the meat's all bright red - apparently that means it's pumped full of water/air and we think it's better for us that red)

I bet this will make it on to the front page.

Iota.... i frequently get him to show me his pork sausage... and might i add, that it's incredibly filling and somewhat flavoursome!!

just been there now and I got,

4 chicken brests (absolutly to die for and none of ure thin crappy watered stuff 100% meat)

£4 in money of mince
£4 in money of braising steak (ours actually cuts up joints of beef into chunks - didn't realise that, and chuckes the crappy bits away - big chunks as well 5/6 is more than enough per meal)
2 gammon steaks big enough to fill a small plate
1 joint of 'eye' beef ?? (looks nice thou) I've cut it into 2.

for all of that was £29.00 but the meat i've put into portions so will last us the month, then I'll go back about the same time next month to re-fill. still got a load left from last month as PIL were down I got about £60 worth of meat for £45. he's v good my one def recommend him.

how do you know if it's a good butcher, other than looking at how clean it is?

well for me I think he's good cos a) the meat's never been bad - honestly in 6 months of using him, b) it's really friendly c) he doesn't try to rip me off like the other one in town d) nothing's too much trouble for them ie, they'd ran out of diced beef today and I was after more than they had, so he went to the fridge thingy got out another packet of meat and cut three slices off into chunks for me. e) they always have a lovely fresh cooked smell of honey roast ham! lol, and the meat never smeels off or overly pungent, it's a subtal smell, v clean as well. And tbh I was guided by mum she went to both and said the other one was dear but the one I use was v reasonable - does me as she's been using butchers most her of life

my local butcher is very very expensive i simply cannot afford it.