The 'Today's Job' thread

[hiluxman]

The visiting different shops is out the window due to the women of the house now having to work. The small independent shops can't stay open late and open Saturdays so it would leave the average family with a very busy Saturday. We have tried all the delivery things in the past like riverford vegetables and the milkman/grocery man but it's is all just far to expensive and usually ends with a lot of waste.
And markets in this country are either farmers markets that require a second mortgage or town centre markets selling watch straps and 10 packs of loo roll for the price of 9.

I live in the middle of a council estate in not a wealthy area. We have independent butchers, bakers ect and all are busy and open Saturday. I work in many areas around the county and all are there, whether it be the wealthy areas or not.

I didn't mention markets, as I do agree they are not worth the cost and/or full of junk. It's just a case of find your local independents and most of all when your eating it you can taste howthe supermarket stuff doesn't compare.

 

[hiluxman]

I also have the milkman, if there's waste then you alter to suit. Comes from a dairy about 7 miles away.

I don't have the hello fresh or riverford stuff ect, as again support local.

 

[Smiffy]

I live in the middle of a council estate in not a wealthy area. We have independent butchers, bakers ect and all are busy and open Saturday. I work in many areas around the county and all are there, whether it be the wealthy areas or not.

I didn't mention markets, as I do agree they are not worth the cost and/or full of junk. It's just a case of find your local independents and most of all when your eating it you can taste howthe supermarket stuff doesn't compare.

We have the independents. Being the surrey hills we probably have more than most. But it would still take an unreasonable wedge of our Saturday to do butchers fishmongers bakery green grocer and still go to a supermarket.
Also again being peak surrey hills, whilst we do have these they are all expensive. Our local butcher is amazing meat but your talking 2-3 x the price of a supermarket. We want to support them but one family BBQ and something nice around Christmas is our limit.
The bakery is better value and I usually will pop in if I'm passing and they are open. But the sweet treats are getting quite dear. £2.50 for a gingerbread man so if I take the kids I'm a diver down straight off.

 

[hiluxman]

We have the independents. Being the surrey hills we probably have more than most. But it would still take an unreasonable wedge of our Saturday to do butchers fishmongers bakery green grocer and still go to a supermarket.
Also again being peak surrey hills, whilst we do have these they are all expensive. Our local butcher is amazing meat but your talking 2-3 x the price of a supermarket. We want to support them but one family BBQ and something nice around Christmas is our limit.
The bakery is better value and I usually will pop in if I'm passing and they are open. But the sweet treats are getting quite dear. £2.50 for a gingerbread man so if I take the kids I'm a diver down straight off.

There's 3 butchers I visit, and they are definitely not 2 to 3 times the price of our local morrisons/tesco..they are say around 1.5 times more expensive at the very most but when you cook the stuff it doesn't srivel up or sweat out lots of rubbish that's pumped in ect. And as I said the taste of proper stuff is worth it.

 

[Smiffy]

I also have the milkman, if there's waste then you alter to suit. Comes from a dairy about 7 miles away.

I don't have the hello fresh or riverford stuff ect, as again support local.

I've cancelled our milkman. They deliver every Tues Thurs and sat so with young kids very difficult to predict. And where £1.50 a pint so 4x the price of lidl. Their groceries came in bundles so prone to wastage and where mega expensive.
Riverford is a set box which is good in practice but poor in reality.
We did hello fresh when they first came out and the discount codes meant you could eat for about £1.50 per person per meal. It was actually very good but only with the discount codes. We did get a code through the door not long back so got a box but they have cheapened the meals right down.

I'm our scenario it is very difficult to beat lidl. And I can't complain about the meat touch as my mate supplies them a far bit.
I would this to change but can't see it happening for a long time yet.

 

[Smiffy]

There's 3 butchers I visit, and they are definitely not 2 to 3 times the price of our local morrisons/tesco..they are say around 1.5 times more expensive at the very most but when you cook the stuff it doesn't srivel up or sweat out lots of rubbish that's pumped in ect. And as I said the taste of proper stuff is worth it.

I am peak surrey hills. Everything has a premium here. I could probably find a better value butcher if I went over Crawley way or maybe down doobins way. We have one in the village and one in two adjoining villages plus several farm shops with butchers. But they don't cater for Normal folk.

 

[V8Druid]

We are all ruined with water filled supermarket bacon. Go get some proper dry cured fat bacon (usually more fat than lean) and fry it off till just before crispy.. then a slice of bread wiped around the pan is about the best treat you can get

then book an ambulance for the trip to hospital when yer gall bladder says " WTF was that ? "

 

[Lancs Lad]

I am peak surrey hills. Everything has a premium here. I could probably find a better value butcher if I went over Crawley way or maybe down doobins way. We have one in the village and one in two adjoining villages plus several farm shops with butchers. But they don't cater for Normal folk.

Therein lies part of your problem.
Without sounding a nob...I'm bloody thankful to live up north at times. My sister lives in yor neck of the woods and always moans about price of stuff.

Eternally grateful for our local farm shop down the lane. Bumper packs of proper bacon .
Someone was raving about how cheap Aldi steak was so I did some comparison to what I'd call proper over the counter ribeye. Was £2-3 a steak more for no vacuum pack and genuine know where it came from stuff.

 

[hiluxman]

I am peak surrey hills. Everything has a premium here. I could probably find a better value butcher if I went over Crawley way or maybe down doobins way. We have one in the village and one in two adjoining villages plus several farm shops with butchers. But they don't cater for Normal folk.

I've said on here before, farm shops are a load of over hype and expense. Sort of a gimmick to extract more money.

It's really a case of finding the true independents, once you find them, it's worth it.

 

[V8Druid]

I've said on here before, farm shops are a load of over hype and expense. Sort of a gimmick to extract more money.

It's really a case of finding the true independents, once you find them, it's worth it.

yep - all the farm shops 'round here are mentally expensive

 

[craig]

I think there are 2 types of farm shop, a small shop owned by the farm to sell their own produce, and a shop on a farm selling other peoples produce at a premium.
The former is a bit more expensive than a supermarket, the latter is a lot more, and their customers like to tell anyone who will listen where they shop

 

[Left hooker]

must be some ''small pump'' to give that sort of head -- that is some steep field

32mm pipe fittings on the pump was told it's on its limit as from the tank above the farm yard it fills also goes out across some more fields to troughs was talking of another pump by tank to lessen the load on this one
before the previous pump to current one now they used to have a large ram pump

 

[DaveDCB]

Our local farm shop is family farm owned, 700 acre veg producer, butchers within it is separate family owned, don’t get me wrong it’s not’ cheap’ but it’s good stuff.. I refuse supermarket crap which just bleeds horrible white jizzum!!

Yesterday £67 got me 22 decent sausage, 12 thick bacon, 10 chicken breast , 2 x 12oz +sirloins ..

 

[TiltyShaun]

On a note of saving money. All though we are fortunate to be able to fatten our own cows, when the freezer is empty we do find the Lidl grass feed steaks quite good value for money. We also use Bookers cash and carry to supply the favourite sausages and bulk buy fresh chicken breasts.

 

[doobin]

Hello fresh is utter wank. Pre-processed crap for people who can’t cook.

We had it once early on in our relationship (she ordered it free with a discount code). I was shocked at the amount of packaging. So wasteful. All whilst proclaiming how much food waste it would save by paying them twice as much per kilo for their pro portioned packs. The quality was awful too. I hate them with a vengeance, they are the worst side of consumerism.

I’m proud to say my other half now happily all the bones from a whole lamb and makes stock, packaged into Chinese takeaway tubs. Takeaway tubs are THE key to keeping everything fresh and organised in the kitchen. Use them for everything from cheese to leftovers. She even put jam in them the other day when she ran out of jars. They stack nicely in the fridge, are cheap, microwaveable and reusable.

Veg we get from Aldi (grow some of our own but only the set and forget stuff like courgettes on an irrigation drip). Meat comes from a farmer friend who does me stuff at cost and I do the same for him with a digger occasionally. Whole lambs were £120 last year! Eggs £20 for 90. 14lb chickens for £15. Venison comes from another friend who uses my workshop a lot when he breaks things, we must have had half a dozen deer last season.

 

[Smiffy]

Therein lies part of your problem.
Without sounding a nob...I'm bloody thankful to live up north at times. My sister lives in yor neck of the woods and always moans about price of stuff.

We really want to move up to herefordshire as we have family in herefordshire Worcestershire and and Gloucestershire.
Ive recently moved to a company that work nationwide although mainly concentrated in southeast they are doing more and more work around the country so hopefully it will be able to happen. It's also a real shame that the working from home thing has screwed up house prices in rural communities. Wish we had gone pre COVID.

 

[Canal Navvy]

We are all ruined with water filled supermarket bacon. Go get some proper dry cured fat bacon (usually more fat than lean) and fry it off till just before crispy.. then a slice of bread wiped around the pan is about the best treat you can get

That is very much the test for proper bacon, if you can crisp the fat while frying the eggs it's good. The white scum makes the eggs stick
I go to the local butcher,Baker, egg producer ........
.. get to meet and talk to a lot of "good" prospective customers , if there is even half a space outside the butchers I'll pull up for a pack of bacon when the digger is on the trailer . Butchers always wave when I go past so even get the promotion without having to buy anything

 

[Mogman]

Collected this beast

From down this lane

Was a bit tight with the low loader on
But got it back to the yard and with a bit of fettling got it all working bar the brakes that need new seals in the master cylinder

 

[Lancs Lad]

That is very much the test for proper bacon, if you can crisp the fat while frying the eggs it's good. The white scum makes the eggs stick
I go to the local butcher,Baker, egg producer ........
.. get to meet and talk to a lot of "good" prospective customers , if there is even half a space outside the butchers I'll pull up for a pack of bacon when the digger is on the trailer . Butchers always wave when I go past so even get the promotion without having to buy anything

Can't beat having a relationship with your "supplier"...
When I say farm shop I mean old school but theyve done well...yes they also cater for the Sunday morning X5 brigade having a drive out...
But we know them well land is just over the way and buy all beef from local mart plus their own that we can see across the fields.
The taste is incomparable to supermarket plus I like to choose my thickness .

Now it feels like bacon time .. pics incoming

 

[Lancs Lad]

Collected this beast
View attachment 72632
From down this lane
View attachment 72633
Was a bit tight with the low loader on
But got it back to the yard and with a bit of fettling got it all working bar the brakes that need new seals in the master cylinder

Serious seat on that harness as well?