Sainsburys meat counter lamb "shoulder" fillets

[zygalski]

Ok so Moroccan lamb tagine was on the cards tomorrow, the idea being to use my new slow cooker.
I approach the meat counter & spy lamb neck fillets.
Strange... they're labelled lamb shoulder fillets but look identical to neck fillets.
I ask the guy behind the counter & after a moment he admits that they're neck fillets that have been "re-branded" as shoulder fillets.
I shrug & ask for 2 decent sized fillets. Enough for 2 good sized adult portions.
£8:50
Eight-pounds-fking-fifty!!!
I do a double-take. I'm sure for some reason a bead of sweat has appeared on my brow. Usually these are about £5:50 or maybe £6 for 2.
"Is that ok?" asks the meat man. "Erm no, not really. You can have them back" is my fairly measured (imo) response.
I reckon that the meal I had planned for 2 would cost about £15 for all the ingredients.
Just a heads-up.
The fillets which last week were known as neck seem to have increased in price by about 50%
What a total rip-off...

[calibrax]

Where was this?

Sounds pretty typical to me, seen it before... Lamb shanks used to be a really cheap & tasty meal, and the moment they became fashionable the price trebled.

[zygalski]

Not to name & shame, but the rip-off Sainsburys store in question is West Green, Crawley.

[Shaw Tarse]

calibrax said:

Where was this?

Sounds pretty typical to me, seen it before... Lamb shanks used to be a really cheap & tasty meal, and the moment they became fashionable the price trebled.

I blame tv chefs

[zygalski]

The stty in-house steaks they sell are so cheap you can get 2 large sirloins for the same price as 2 average sized lamb neck fillets. Is it me or is that totally bonkers?

[dazco]

What is a neck fillet?

I used to buy neck to make hot pot but you would be hard pushed to get any kind of fillet off it.

I thought.

[zygalski]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/lamb_neck
or #8 here:

There you go...

[buckline]

calibrax said:

Where was this?

Sounds pretty typical to me, seen it before... Lamb shanks used to be a really cheap & tasty meal, and the moment they became fashionable the price trebled.

Funny, my old dear and I were talking about this the other day. She used to get shanks for around 50p each about 20 years ago as a cheap meal to feed a family.

They were, at last check in Sainsbury's, around £4.25 each

[Shaw Tarse]

buckline said:

calibrax said:

Where was this?

Sounds pretty typical to me, seen it before... Lamb shanks used to be a really cheap & tasty meal, and the moment they became fashionable the price trebled.

Funny, my old dear and I were talking about this the other day. She used to get shanks for around 50p each about 20 years ago as a cheap meal to feed a family.

They were, at last check in Sainsbury's, around £4.25 each

At 50p each that long ago, she was paying too much.

[Pferdestarke]

There's a major Sainsbury's near us and I can rarely buy acceptable meat and veg from there. It is utterly rubbish and I'm not joking. It seems a ripe tomato for reasonable money is too much to ask too!

[mattdaniels]

zygalski said:

Crawley.

You have my sympathies

[Kneetrembler]

Pferdestarke said:

There's a major Sainsbury's near us and I can rarely buy acceptable meat and veg from there. It is utterly rubbish and I'm not joking. It seems a ripe tomato for reasonable money is too much to ask too!

Nor Fish either from Sainsbury's on the Isle of Wight, where it should in theory be good it is dried out, or certainly seems that way.

[Du1point8]

I suggest you migrate to waitrose and look for their forgotten cuts range.

Or get yourself down to a good local butchers as they might not have put the prices up... yet.

I like to pick up cheek, short ribs and cuts that no one eats... plus mutton. Just cause they are all so damn tasty.

[Cheese Mechanic]

Has anyone else noted how everything ( Beef wise) in Supers seems to be termed "steak" ?

In Tesco the other day (Yes, I know) the reduced cabinet , exhibited "casserole steak" Eh?

Others variations on "steak" that I've never heard off. They taketh the pith , methinks.

[NormalWisdom]

I think lamb prices have risen quite steeply of late - Only now buy supermarket lamb when on half-price else go to a local halal butcher and buy mutton (which is much better for slow cooking).

[Dr G]

I wherever possible avoid buying meat in the supermarkets; always feel like I'm being robbed when half its weight in water cooks out.

Local butcher sells nicer cuts and is cheaper anyway.

[James1760]

I noticed a simlar increase in Tescos at the weekend. I normally get the neck for Currys and is typically around the 2.50 mark for a decent size fillet, In tescos they were close to £7 for 2x small fillets.

As someone has posted before, it will be down to TV chefs.

[Marf]

zygalski said:

Not to name & shame, but the rip-off Sainsburys store in question is West Green, Crawley.

I use the meat counter there every week. Usually to buy a decent inch+ think sirloin cut fresh for me.

Usually around £7 or a fiver if it's on offer.

Paid £22 for a large piece of fillet for xmas lunch from there too.

I've not found it expensive as the quality of the meat is high.

[jep]

NormalWisdom said:

I think lamb prices have risen quite steeply of late - Only now buy supermarket lamb when on half-price else go to a local halal butcher and buy mutton (which is much better for slow cooking).

Was quoted £90 for a half of lamb the other day, so you're right that the price has gone up significantly. However I do think that the celebrity chef has a lot to answer for, in terms of making what were cheap cuts more expensive, thanks to promoting a more economical cut to cook with.

Thankfully I have a hogget fattening up nicely on a mates' farm, and it only costs me the feed and slaughter/butchering.