Groceries/Bulk Buying

[Zaz]

Hi guys,
New Hammer resident here -- I hope everyone is doing fine, weathering the recession OK.

We recently bought a house and it came with this big chest freezer in the basement. So we thought we might as well use it for something. Does anyone here buy meat in bulk from a local farmer, like beef or lamb? Does it make sense financially?

In general, any preferences on grocery stores, in terms of price/selection/quality?

Thanks, and good to be here!

[matt602]

If you're looking for meat, the farmers market downtown might be a good option. You certainly know that it's local at least. Not sure about selection or price though.

[adam]

Farmer's market chicken tastes a lot better and is cheaper.

[MsMe]

Welcome to the board Zaz. There are some Costco's around for bulk. And price choppers, metro, etc around the city here and there.

Where did you move from?

[FairHamilton]

If you are buying meat downtown, Reardon's (on King William) needs to be on your list.

[bornagainbiking]

To fill your freezer, there is Costco for bulk.
There is boxed meats on Nebo Road for "Cowboy Steaks" about $54 for 10 lbs but you gotta try them, also they have specials everyweek so good to stock up in the BBQ season.
For Meat try Lococo's at Kenora and Barton. Excellent deals on meat stock up on the peameal bacon large two pack slabs for cheap and will last for months.
The farmers market is great for fresh meats and produce, Hit it first thing Sat morning.
mainly watch your flyers and play the field (No frills, Price choppers and food basics).
welcome and enjoy

[emge]

There's another market near Lococo's I keep hearing has great prices and quality for meat... Highland Country Market? It might be a different one.. I know the name used to have "meat" in it but it was changed to a more general market name a while back?

I'm sure you're aware, but some of those old chest freezers can be real energy hogs - I'd just make sure it's worth the savings you're getting on meat to keep it running, and run it efficiently (full capacity, etc).

[sofasurfer]

We scored some reduced price steaks at Lococo's a few weeks ago, stuck 'em in the freezer... had them earlier this week - they were *really* good! I think they were like 1/2 the original sticker price, but hey, keep 'em frozen and you're good.

We used to have a big freezer in the garage at our last place in the UK, so used to do this all the time. Agree that the energy costs can be an issue, but if you clear up with good deals on higher-end stuff, you can just make sure you compensate yourself properly

And what emge said: keep the thing full. So maybe get those leftovers frozen and ready to take in to the office for lunch - all the better when it's made from great-quality produce scored at a bargain price

[emge]

A lot of times buying bulk meat and repackaging it in meal-sized servings lets you get it cheaper --- chicken thighs or breasts, ground beef etc can all be frozen once they're in containers or ziploc bags, as long as there's no air left so freezer-burn doesn't happen. I also take roasts and cut them up into stewing beef, stir-fry beef or individual steaks depending on the cut - then just freeze the portions for later.

Pre-marinating chicken in a liquid can also help keep it from being freezer-burned if you're going to put it away for a while

[markbarbera]

Black Angus used to be a good supplier of frozen beef in bulk, but haven't placed an order in years. Here's the link to their website:

http://www.blackangusmeat.com/index.php

[Zaz]

Thank you for all the suggestions! Looks like we have a lot of places to check out!

Originally Posted by MsMe

Where did you move from?

We moved from Toronto, High Park area. I'm commuting all the way to Mississauga, but it's worth it! I started looking for something close by, however the job market is pretty quiet, so I'll just stick to what I have for now..

Cheers!

[highwater]

If you're into organic, there's Morden's in Dundas.

http://www.mordensorganicfarmstore.com/index.htm

[emge]

highwater's comment reminded me -- if you buy a large order from a butcher, often you get incredible discounts, even on very, very good meat.

My grandmother used to own a beef cattle farm in St. Ann's (organically raised, unbelievably good quality meat), and a lot of meat was sold when 4 people at the butcher each ordered a quarter-cow, or two ordered a half-cow. After she passed on, we'd still order meat of the same quality from that butcher for a great price by ordering a half or quarter at a time.

It's likely more in the $3-$4 range now, but 5 years ago you could get the same beef from the same type of farmers for about $2.50/lb, cut and wrapped (it was $2/lb for the beef, another 50c/lb for the cut and wrap). The taste alone is way above most stores.

Another bonus of getting it directly from a butcher is that they'll customize portion size, the cuts you want (what % is steaks, roast, ground, stewing beef, ribs, etc.) and whether you want to take or leave the organ meats, soup bones, and all that other fun stuff.

Soup chickens (stewing hens) weren't that expensive either - turkeys were expensive compared to the grocery store, but the quality was miles ahead.

I'm not sure who a good local butcher is (some of the aforementioned ones, I"m sure), but if you really want to stock that chest freezer up, that may be a good option.

[highwater]

Cumbrae's in Dundas is organic but very $$$.

[emge]

*bump: I talked to my parents about the butcher they use, and the same one still has very, very good prices and excellent beef.

it's all to-order and comes by the quarter-cow, half-cow, etc - once he gets enough orders to make up a full cow, it's butchered, cut and portioned to one's specifications for pick-up.

If anyone wants his information for ordering/more questions, PM me. I believe June is the next time a few cows will be ready to go.