Buying steak from a market butcher
Discussion
We head down to North Weald Market every now and again. The butchers there always seem very busy and I was thinking of picking up some steak next time I head there. Anyone get any idea's of what the quality will be like, as I havent purchased meat from a market butcher before? I usually pick it up from the supermarket
Cheers
Cheers
No idea not knowing that particular butcher, your best bet is to go and have a good look at the quality of the meat yourself, ask where it's sourced from etc. and give it a try. I have always found butchers meats superior to supermarket.
Edited by whitechief on Wednesday 30th September 17:03
I'm not sure about a market stall butcher, but i have a shop,and my meat is scorced as locally as possible,
i know the farms and the abbotior where it is slaughtered.
Hanging the beef for two weeks is the norm,the pork is outside reared,I sell saltmarsh lamb when in season,cook and cure my own gammons.make 12 different types of sausages,the list is endless so i won't go on .
I have worked in the meat trade for 36 years and seen how the supermarkets opperate .
I feel the if you are lucky enough to have a local butcher then please use him,get to know him and his meat, he will always look after you because we need you to keep the high street open. Use him or lose him.
The supermarkets have had their own way by throwing vast amounts of money in what they do,which is killing the high street.
Thanks for taking the time to read my post i'm very passionate about my livelyhood.
i know the farms and the abbotior where it is slaughtered.
Hanging the beef for two weeks is the norm,the pork is outside reared,I sell saltmarsh lamb when in season,cook and cure my own gammons.make 12 different types of sausages,the list is endless so i won't go on .
I have worked in the meat trade for 36 years and seen how the supermarkets opperate .
I feel the if you are lucky enough to have a local butcher then please use him,get to know him and his meat, he will always look after you because we need you to keep the high street open. Use him or lose him.
The supermarkets have had their own way by throwing vast amounts of money in what they do,which is killing the high street.
Thanks for taking the time to read my post i'm very passionate about my livelyhood.
pad58 said:
I'm not sure about a market stall butcher, but i have a shop,and my meat is scorced as locally as possible,
i know the farms and the abbotior where it is slaughtered.
Hanging the beef for two weeks is the norm,the pork is outside reared,I sell saltmarsh lamb when in season,cook and cure my own gammons.make 12 different types of sausages,the list is endless so i won't go on .
I have worked in the meat trade for 36 years and seen how the supermarkets opperate .
I feel the if you are lucky enough to have a local butcher then please use him,get to know him and his meat, he will always look after you because we need you to keep the high street open. Use him or lose him.
The supermarkets have had their own way by throwing vast amounts of money in what they do,which is killing the high street.
Thanks for taking the time to read my post i'm very passionate about my livelyhood.
I have to cycle five miles to my butcher, the meat is tastier, far cheaper and I'm sure it's more natural too. Is it worth the effort? God i know the farms and the abbotior where it is slaughtered.
Hanging the beef for two weeks is the norm,the pork is outside reared,I sell saltmarsh lamb when in season,cook and cure my own gammons.make 12 different types of sausages,the list is endless so i won't go on .
I have worked in the meat trade for 36 years and seen how the supermarkets opperate .
I feel the if you are lucky enough to have a local butcher then please use him,get to know him and his meat, he will always look after you because we need you to keep the high street open. Use him or lose him.
The supermarkets have had their own way by throwing vast amounts of money in what they do,which is killing the high street.
Thanks for taking the time to read my post i'm very passionate about my livelyhood.
pad58
All good points - but - getting over the threshold of a butchers entrance, when used to the anonimity of a soopa marcket is difficult.
Not knowing what you want, not being able to pick up and browse each cut... really makes a difference.
Cost, weight, cut, age etc... All have an effect.
Put it this way:
New customer with £5 in their pocket. Wants a weekend roast cut for 2.
Topside, S/side, F/rib, Rump cut..
Where do they buy it..?
Go to a S/Mkt browse and select then buy.. or
Go to a High St Butcher, show their naievity on cuts of meat.. Not know the costs / weights and even if they can afford it..
I know where the majority would rather be.
All good points - but - getting over the threshold of a butchers entrance, when used to the anonimity of a soopa marcket is difficult.
Not knowing what you want, not being able to pick up and browse each cut... really makes a difference.
Cost, weight, cut, age etc... All have an effect.
Put it this way:
New customer with £5 in their pocket. Wants a weekend roast cut for 2.
Topside, S/side, F/rib, Rump cut..
Where do they buy it..?
Go to a S/Mkt browse and select then buy.. or
Go to a High St Butcher, show their naievity on cuts of meat.. Not know the costs / weights and even if they can afford it..
I know where the majority would rather be.
Edited by bridgdav on Wednesday 30th September 23:31
Colin_147 said:
We head down to North Weald Market every now and again. The butchers there always seem very busy and I was thinking of picking up some steak next time I head there. Anyone get any idea's of what the quality will be like, as I havent purchased meat from a market butcher before? I usually pick it up from the supermarket
Cheers
Have bought some stuff from there occaisionally (I take it you are talking about the guys in the big refrigerated lorries?)Cheers
If so, the guy in the yellow lorry at the entrance to the market nearer the road is generally the best. His stuff is OK but not spetacular - all pretty standard fare tbh. Chicken, pork chops etc are all good and have had a few cuts of rib-eye from him which were very nice indeed.
Avoid the cheaper steak (rump etc) unless you are using it for mincing into burgers or chopping into a curry etc - it can be pretty stringy. Cuts of all steaks are quite often not even (can be half an inch thick on one side and an inch and a half on the other) which is annoying.
Wouldn't touch the bacon, sausages, burgers with yours.
For stocking up the freezer its pretty good though - I bought a case of chicken legs which were a good decent size and weight for £20. When I got home it had 50 legs in it!!
HRG. said:
Ah, but that's the beauty of going the butcher, they are there to help buying numpties. Just ask for "about this much" or "enough to make four" and you get just what you need 
Exactly, when we go into the butcher we don't ask for specific cuts we just tell him what we are cooking and for how many people.I'll never touch supermarket meat again.
mrmr96 said:
If you're after out and out quality then find a local farm shop.
All the ones round this way are a rip off, selling the same quality meat as the butchers but charging 25% more for it, because the shop is in a barn with dried flowers and you get a wicker basket to shop with.pad58 said:
I'm not sure about a market stall butcher, but i have a shop,and my meat is scorced as locally as possible,
i know the farms and the abbotior where it is slaughtered.
Hanging the beef for two weeks is the norm,the pork is outside reared,I sell saltmarsh lamb when in season,cook and cure my own gammons.make 12 different types of sausages,the list is endless so i won't go on .
I have worked in the meat trade for 36 years and seen how the supermarkets opperate .
I feel the if you are lucky enough to have a local butcher then please use him,get to know him and his meat, he will always look after you because we need you to keep the high street open. Use him or lose him.
The supermarkets have had their own way by throwing vast amounts of money in what they do,which is killing the high street.
Thanks for taking the time to read my post i'm very passionate about my livelyhood.
Here, here. Use your local butcher people. Get to know them, ask questions and let them know what you like.i know the farms and the abbotior where it is slaughtered.
Hanging the beef for two weeks is the norm,the pork is outside reared,I sell saltmarsh lamb when in season,cook and cure my own gammons.make 12 different types of sausages,the list is endless so i won't go on .
I have worked in the meat trade for 36 years and seen how the supermarkets opperate .
I feel the if you are lucky enough to have a local butcher then please use him,get to know him and his meat, he will always look after you because we need you to keep the high street open. Use him or lose him.
The supermarkets have had their own way by throwing vast amounts of money in what they do,which is killing the high street.
Thanks for taking the time to read my post i'm very passionate about my livelyhood.
If you are not confident in cuts/breeds etc read Meat by Hugh FW-contains some good information.
Pad, hang that beef just a week or 2 longer
mrmr96 said:
If you're after out and out quality then find a local farm shop.
If you're after out and out quality, buy it direct from the producer. A good producer selling direct will welcome people who are genuinely interested in what they do, and who want to buy the best they can.Failing that a butcher who has contact with his producers and can tell you about them, like the chap above.
Sadly, farms shops are too-often these days outlets for less than spectacular, overpriced meat with no provenance. If you find a good one, they can be great, very close to buying direct from the producer, but in my experience (as a producer) many are no better than supermarkets for their choice of meat supplier - farms shops are a bandwagon that a lot of people have jumped onto in the last 5 years or so, many of whom don't subscribe to the original ethos of allowing the discerning consumer and specialist producer to be brought closer together.
bridgdav said:
All good points - but - getting over the threshold of a butchers entrance, when used to the anonimity of a soopa marcket is difficult.
Not knowing what you want, not being able to pick up and browse each cut... really makes a difference.
Cost, weight, cut, age etc... All have an effect.
Put it this way:
New customer with £5 in their pocket. Wants a weekend roast cut for 2.
Topside, S/side, F/rib, Rump cut..
Where do they buy it..?
Go to a S/Mkt browse and select then buy.. or
Go to a High St Butcher, show their naievity on cuts of meat.. Not know the costs / weights and even if they can afford it..
I know where the majority would rather be.
Totally correct, and it applies to fishmongers, wine merchants, even the meat counters in supermarkets. They should know the product and market their knowledge.Not knowing what you want, not being able to pick up and browse each cut... really makes a difference.
Cost, weight, cut, age etc... All have an effect.
Put it this way:
New customer with £5 in their pocket. Wants a weekend roast cut for 2.
Topside, S/side, F/rib, Rump cut..
Where do they buy it..?
Go to a S/Mkt browse and select then buy.. or
Go to a High St Butcher, show their naievity on cuts of meat.. Not know the costs / weights and even if they can afford it..
I know where the majority would rather be.
But you would ask for advice in a decent wine merchant. So grab your balls and admit your ignorance to the butcher. You need to learn, so you may as well start now.
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