paulr

Hi, I'd like to start eating better quality food, especially meat and was thinking of getting a garage freezer and ordering bulk form Waitrose. A bit simplistic, but is it really better meat than Morrisons, Tesco etc.

ossett2k2

iTrader: (9)

We have had meat from most supermarkets and found the quality pretty much the same.
We found the best quality and value for meat&veg is found at the farmshops,we use bluehills farm shop in birkenshaw

PaulC72

Scan some of the barcodes, allot of these foods if preprepared are done at the same places.

Fresh meat well you would be better going to a quality butcher.

Skoobie Dhu

iTrader: (3)

We buy our meat from Costco, the quality of the meat (& price) was one of the main reasons we joined.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Anything per-packaged - forget it. No better than anywhere else. Maybe slightly better than Tesco and Sainsburys.

Its better quality if you buy it from their meat counter - so long as you choose the right cuts. I.e if it don't look right don't bother.

Matteeboy

They took the "best" potatoes when we were flogging them.

I highly recommend liking the "Overheard in Waitrose" FB page; proper comedy!

dpb

Applejack shops nowhere else .....





must tell you something

SWRTWannabe

We switched from Sainsburys to Ocado and I thought the quality of meat was better, but still not as good as that from the local butcher.

One positive of Ocado is that they don't employ people to tread on your shopping while it is being packed. I'm sure Sainsburys had such a person.

Chip

Get a good butcher.

paulr

Everyone says that but is it true????

How do you know they dont put rubbish meat into mince?

dpb

What IS rubbish meat

Turbohot

I noticed a Waitrose in Chester on the NYE. It looks quite OCD neat from outside. I'll have to go in and have a gander one day. I mustn't let my schizophrenic Aldi down, though. No way.

the shreksta

iTrader: (20)

If you want quality eggs/meat etc you can't beat a proper farm or butcher

Chip

Yes it's true. The butcher I use usually makes the mince for me whilst I am there.

Chip

Too fresh, not hung long enough, stored at wrong temp, packaged in film , imported then processed in EU, water injected etc etc.

Turbohot

Doesn't our LSharett supply his (his hens', I mean) ethical free range eggs to Waitrose? If Waitrose is ethical, I'm all for at least paying it a visit and check it out. Mind you, my milkman delivers proper free range eggs as well. I like to pay to him as it supports a local fair trade.

Matteeboy

But you get poor butchers/farm shops.

Chip

Yes I am sure you do but with the supermarkets at least you know they are all the same whereas you can search out a good farm shop or butcher

the shreksta

iTrader: (20)

I'm sure you are capable of asking around your local area to find the best

taylor85

iTrader: (5)

My local butcher place delivers , order about 150 quids worth a month from em

Matteeboy

Of course I am but labelling all of them as superior is a bit short sighted.

We get most of our meat from a local butcher. And fish from a fish monger; most of it landed locally the same day.

BoozyDave

iTrader: (8)

and????

I have been working in 'The Real Yorkshire Pudding Company' in Doncaster. they make puds for Tesco's, Morrisons, Co-op, Waitrose, etc

most are made with ingredients from the same bulk containers, but to different recipes. But the waitrose puds have their own ingredients (free range eggs, different oil and some use beef dripping)

I have sample quite a few different ones most are similar, but the best ones I have EVER tasted are waitrose giant puds with beef dripping

the shreksta

iTrader: (20)

Oh ok.............who labelled all of them superior?

PaulC72

It's the point that not always buying them form one place or another makes that much difference - some things are different but allot are bullk made with different packaging like you mentioned.

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

Find yourself a decent butcher, mine sells veg, cheese,eggs and a fair few other bits and bobs, makes his own ham too which is to die for.

Best way to tell if he's good or not is go there on a saturday morning, if there's a long line of people out the door your in the right place.

ScoobyJawa

In simple answer to the OP, no.

LSherratt

iTrader: (1)

That's correct and I can only speak for the egg industry. It's a difficult subject and it's up to you whether you class it as "better" or not. For example with eggs going to Waitrose, farmers can only have sheds with a maximum capacity of 4,000 free range chickens whereas other supermarket contracts are allowed chicken sheds with a capacity of 32,000 chickens in a shed.

On top of this, another condition is that the sheds have to be mobile, so at the end of each flock we have to pull the shed to the other end of the field to fresh pasture and to allow the eroded range to grow back. All other supermarket suppliers have static buildings. This is harder work for us as we have to have more sheds to make up the numbers which obviously involves a lot more work.

The birds also have to have a higher square foot per bird and also more acres per 1000 chickens to roam the range compared to standard supermarkets. The audits are stricter with more conditions and we also get more random spot check audits to make sure that everything is in order.

For feed, recently they've introduced no GM ingredients whereas the other suppliers for the more basic supermarkets can us GM ingredients which is cheaper.

There are all these factors which contribute to the higher price of egg in Waitrose and also we as farmers get paid more than the farmers supplying lower end supermarkets. Waitrose like to state that produce supplied to them comes from family run farms on a more personal level.

You decide...

Chip

You'd better send me a dozen of your finest so I can decide

LSherratt

iTrader: (1)

Haha Forgot to mention that in the grading process, they take out a higher percentage of "second class eggs" which go to other purposes like baking. This means that the visual appearance of the "first class eggs" sold on the shelf looks more attractive compared to that of other supermarkets.

pacenote

Yes good idea.. send some up here too