Tesco - Irish Beef better quality.

[Rowland]

different down here most of the pork is foreign lots of irish beef and NZ lamb
I have no objection apart from the British and foreign meat will be in the same wrapping on the same shelf so the shopper has to really look to find the small writing to find out where it comes from
I think they should be made to have the writing a lot bigger and a british flag or other flag of a decent size so the shopper can make an easy informed choice

As they say on catch phrase say what you see .
I only commented on what was on the shelves.
I'd say 80-90% was British, devils advocate here but maybe they can't sorce enough British meat ?
There is as far as I know no law to say that they have to only stock British meat .
As it has been said many times on this forum British farmers can be not as good as they could be at buying British products .

 

[gone up the hill]

I didn't say the meat plants can't sell the stuff, I'm saying TESCO can't/won't well the stuff.

You need to chill out and read my post again Ollie............................ If UK meat plants cant sell the stuff that Tesco doesn't want then neither will Irish plants be able to..

You claimed that Irish plants can supply Tesco with what they want but UK plants cannot, well look at the bigger picture at what you are saying!

 

[ollie989898]

You need to chill out and read my post again Ollie............................ If UK meat plants cant sell the stuff that Tesco doesn't want then neither will Irish plants be able to..

You claimed that Irish plants can supply Tesco with what they want but UK plants cannot, well look at the bigger picture at what you are saying!

You need to step back old chum and learn to read. Turn off 'farmer logic' mode for once as well.

If I am the buyer from TESCO who wants and needs to buy, for example, 5000 steaks of a very specific quality this week, that is what I will do. I won't buy 250 whole carcasses or enter a livestock market and try to find the required products I need, subsequently then to be left with all the other cuts as well. Fudge that, I'm the buyer, the middle man can worry about what is left what concern is it of mine?

I was in TESCO today. The selection of beef products is approximately a third of the available poultry or pork products I would say. Unsurprisingly, the lamb range is even smaller. Both UK and Irish beef product was available, in equal sized and identically packaged products, sold for the same money, only the UK one had a nice red tractor logo on it, and a British union jack.

Now you don't need to be Steven Hawking to realise TESCO are unlikely to be buying whole beasts, they are sourcing the few cuts they want, in the quantity and spec they want, and have utterly no interest in the remainder, for it appears they don't have the shelf space for it. It is no different to KFC who buy millions of chicken fillets yet don't want that many legs and certainly don't want the feet (these are all exported to the Far East as they are a great delicacy there).

What happens to the remainder that TESCO don't want? Who knows, that is for the cutting plant or middle man to worry about. Perhaps they do what I saw in Brazil and export different products abroad to suit differing markets and specifications?

I would suggest TESCO could be obliged to buy from UK AND Irish sources to obtain the required quantities and specification they are looking for. In their view, it is more important to have a completely stable supply, at the right price but which also meets their very straight quality requirements. It would be a brave supermarket buyer I suggest that would ever allow just anything on the shelves.

Again, what TESCO do is up to them, provided they comply with the law I cannot see why anyone here would be complaining about the activities of a legitimate business. I personally don't rate their meat, we go there for convenience and because the fruit and veg range is always excellent without fail. We usually buy our meat and other goodies from the John Thorners farm shop which is fortunately right on the way home. Not cheap but then since we don't buy or eat big sticker meat products that often it makes no difference to the household budget. I also have a number of farmer contracts from which a variety of food seems to result throughout the year.

 

[Woolless]

You need to step back old chum and learn to read. Turn off 'farmer logic' mode for once as well.

If I am the buyer from TESCO who wants and needs to buy, for example, 5000 steaks of a very specific quality this week, that is what I will do. I won't buy 250 whole carcasses or enter a livestock market and try to find the required products I need, subsequently then to be left with all the other cuts as well. Fudge that, I'm the buyer, the middle man can worry about what is left what concern is it of mine?

I was in TESCO today. The selection of beef products is approximately a third of the available poultry or pork products I would say. Unsurprisingly, the lamb range is even smaller. Both UK and Irish beef product was available, in equal sized and identically packaged products, sold for the same money, only the UK one had a nice red tractor logo on it, and a British union jack.

Now you don't need to be Steven Hawking to realise TESCO are unlikely to be buying whole beasts, they are sourcing the few cuts they want, in the quantity and spec they want, and have utterly no interest in the remainder, for it appears they don't have the shelf space for it. It is no different to KFC who buy millions of chicken fillets yet don't want that many legs and certainly don't want the feet (these are all exported to the Far East as they are a great delicacy there).

What happens to the remainder that TESCO don't want? Who knows, that is for the cutting plant or middle man to worry about. Perhaps they do what I saw in Brazil and export different products abroad to suit differing markets and specifications?

I would suggest TESCO could be obliged to buy from UK AND Irish sources to obtain the required quantities and specification they are looking for. In their view, it is more important to have a completely stable supply, at the right price but which also meets their very straight quality requirements. It would be a brave supermarket buyer I suggest that would ever allow just anything on the shelves.

Again, what TESCO do is up to them, provided they comply with the law I cannot see why anyone here would be complaining about the activities of a legitimate business. I personally don't rate their meat, we go there for convenience and because the fruit and veg range is always excellent without fail. We usually buy our meat and other goodies from the John Thorners farm shop which is fortunately right on the way home. Not cheap but then since we don't buy or eat big sticker meat products that often it makes no difference to the household budget. I also have a number of farmer contracts from which a variety of food seems to result throughout the year.

You make some fair points but I think what gets up farmers' noses is Tesco's seemingly never-ending efforts to undermine the price of British livestock. For instance, following the Horsegate scandal (which they were in up to their necks), the beef price was well up. Tesco, through St Merryn, led the march back down again (source: Robert Forster beef price newsletter, as published in Agrimart).

 

[brigadoon]

So everybody's sure its just a price thing and not quality then?
British beef is the best quality. The problem is according to some Scottish beef is a different and better product. The Irish will tell you theirs is the best, the US will certainly be better (if you ask them) and my Kiwi neighbour says his is best.
That's countries never mind the farm that says their beefs better than their neighbour because they use a different system or breed.
You cant all be right.
So is one better than the other, does the consumer even care?
I don't see how the British beef product can be of consistent quality though with all the different breeds and production methods used.
Maybe it is just a money thing, most things are.

To say that beef or anything else produced in one country is better than that produced in another is such a sweeping generalisation as to be meaningless.

As you say we use such a plethora of breeds and methods that phrases such as British or Irish beef convey very little.

Kinda hard to compare a continental steer finished at 15months with a Dexter 30 months old that can hear a bag rustle at 500 metres upwind.

 

[ollie989898]

You make some fair points but I think what gets up farmers' noses is Tesco's seemingly never-ending efforts to undermine the price of British livestock. For instance, following the Horsegate scandal (which they were in up to their necks), the beef price was well up. Tesco, through St Merryn, led the march back down again (source: Robert Forster beef price newsletter, as published in Agrimart).

If someone is trying to actively control the market then they should be investigated by the OFT or relevant ombudsman as it is in all probability illegal. That kind of activity I would not condone and certainly would never try to defend.

 

[Raider112]

If someone is trying to actively control the market then they should be investigated by the OFT or relevant ombudsman as it is in all probability illegal. That kind of activity I would not condone and certainly would never try to defend.

Well farmers are paranoid enough to suspect that happens, rightly or wrongly and all the noise about partnerships etc. which are followed by shabby practices encourages us to feel that way.

 

[llamedos]

How many Kosher abattoirs are there in Ireland, what happens to the hinds from their lines?

 

[Northeastfarmer]

How many Kosher abattoirs are there in Ireland, what happens to the hinds from their lines?

They end up in tesco

 

[Alicecow]

How many Kosher abattoirs are there in Ireland, what happens to the hinds from their lines?

I don't think there are any. Was talking to my local butcher about having my calf killed & asked to make sure he would have been stunned first and was told that all slaughtering is prestunned here, no market for halal or kosher, no licences would be granted for unstunned. I can't guarantee this information but have no reason to believe it to be untrue.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

I don't think there are any. Was talking to my local butcher about having my calf killed & asked to make sure he would have been stunned first and was told that all slaughtering is prestunned here, no market for halal or kosher, no licences would be granted for unstunned. I can't guarantee this information but have no reason to believe it to be untrue.

I’m fairly confident there’s kosher abattoirs in Ireland...happy to stand corrected

 

[Alicecow]

I’m fairly confident there’s kosher abattoirs in Ireland...happy to stand corrected

I'm only referring to south of the border though.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

I'm only referring to south of the border though.

Ah ok sorry

 

[gone up the hill]

You need to step back old chum and learn to read. Turn off 'farmer logic' mode for once as well.

If I am the buyer from TESCO who wants and needs to buy, for example, 5000 steaks of a very specific quality this week, that is what I will do. I won't buy 250 whole carcasses or enter a livestock market and try to find the required products I need, subsequently then to be left with all the other cuts as well. Fudge that, I'm the buyer, the middle man can worry about what is left what concern is it of mine?

I was in TESCO today. The selection of beef products is approximately a third of the available poultry or pork products I would say. Unsurprisingly, the lamb range is even smaller. Both UK and Irish beef product was available, in equal sized and identically packaged products, sold for the same money, only the UK one had a nice red tractor logo on it, and a British union jack.

Now you don't need to be Steven Hawking to realise TESCO are unlikely to be buying whole beasts, they are sourcing the few cuts they want, in the quantity and spec they want, and have utterly no interest in the remainder, for it appears they don't have the shelf space for it. It is no different to KFC who buy millions of chicken fillets yet don't want that many legs and certainly don't want the feet (these are all exported to the Far East as they are a great delicacy there).

What happens to the remainder that TESCO don't want? Who knows, that is for the cutting plant or middle man to worry about. Perhaps they do what I saw in Brazil and export different products abroad to suit differing markets and specifications?

I would suggest TESCO could be obliged to buy from UK AND Irish sources to obtain the required quantities and specification they are looking for. In their view, it is more important to have a completely stable supply, at the right price but which also meets their very straight quality requirements. It would be a brave supermarket buyer I suggest that would ever allow just anything on the shelves.

Again, what TESCO do is up to them, provided they comply with the law I cannot see why anyone here would be complaining about the activities of a legitimate business. I personally don't rate their meat, we go there for convenience and because the fruit and veg range is always excellent without fail. We usually buy our meat and other goodies from the John Thorners farm shop which is fortunately right on the way home. Not cheap but then since we don't buy or eat big sticker meat products that often it makes no difference to the household budget. I also have a number of farmer contracts from which a variety of food seems to result throughout the year.

Utter Rubbish, you really do hate UK farmers that much you will come out with any sort of old rubbish to defend the supermarket actions.

Don't forget Olllie, the arable farmer aka your customer sells his grain to UK livestock producers, they sell their animals to supermarkets, if the supermarkets stop buying UK meats, the UK livestock farmer will stop buying grain, then your arable farmer customer will stop buying chemicals, hey presto the likes of you are then out of a job.................

 

[M-J-G]

So everybody's sure its just a price thing and not quality then?
British beef is the best quality. The problem is according to some Scottish beef is a different and better product. The Irish will tell you theirs is the best, the US will certainly be better (if you ask them) and my Kiwi neighbour says his is best.
That's countries never mind the farm that says their beefs better than their neighbour because they use a different system or breed.
You cant all be right.
So is one better than the other, does the consumer even care?
I don't see how the British beef product can be of consistent quality though with all the different breeds and production methods used.
Maybe it is just a money thing, most things are.

A beef farmer says;

Doesn't matter as long as it's beef.

Doesn't matter as long as it's Scottish beef

Doesn't matter as long as it's Scottish beef that's labelled as Scotch Beef.

Doesn't matter as long as it's AA Scottish beef that's labelled as Scotch Beef.

Doesn't matter as long as it's AA Scottish beef that's labelled as Scotch Beef that's off an AA bull that was bred by Breeder XYZ.


Doesn't matter as long as it's AA Scottish beef that's labelled as Scotch Beef that's off an AA bull that was bred by Breeder XYZ , then the beef farmer comes over awash with honesty and finally admits......

I don't actually give a f#€k As long as it's my beef

The reality is that people only give a toss about themselves, it's human nature, regardless of how they try to portray themselves as concerned citizens that only have the best interests of the world, environment, the greater farming community at heart.

 

[ollie989898]

Utter Rubbish, you really do hate UK farmers that much you will come out with any sort of old rubbish to defend the supermarket actions.

Don't forget Olllie, the arable farmer aka your customer sells his grain to UK livestock producers, they sell their animals to supermarkets, if the supermarkets stop buying UK meats, the UK livestock farmer will stop buying grain, then your arable farmer customer will stop buying chemicals, hey presto the likes of you are then out of a job.................

Poor GUTH.

I've made perfectly reasonable points. You have no obvious recourse to argue against them, so you are trying to muddy the waters.

Supermarkets do not exist to support livestock farmers.

Livestock farmers do not exist to support arable farmers.

That is the God's honest truth and if you don't like it: tough.

No one is defending supermarkets. I am pointing out that they will do whatever they see fit in their marketplace. As a TESCO shareholder, I would be pretty pee'd if they failed to do this if I am honest.

 

[kiwi pom]

Utter Rubbish, you really do hate UK farmers that much you will come out with any sort of old rubbish to defend the supermarket actions.

Don't forget Olllie, the arable farmer aka your customer sells his grain to UK livestock producers, they sell their animals to supermarkets, if the supermarkets stop buying UK meats, the UK livestock farmer will stop buying grain, then your arable farmer customer will stop buying chemicals, hey presto the likes of you are then out of a job.................

Its not really rubbish though is it, the supermarkets only want what they can sell, why buy a whole beast?
That's why they want to deal with big processors and maybe one of the reasons they buy Kiwi lamb. They deal with ONE processor, order x amount of the exact cuts they require at the standard they require, to be delivered exactly when they want. That's it, they don't care about the bits they cant or don't want to sell that's someone else's problem.
There's a big onion pack house near me (owned by the growers) I believe it sends the best size and quality to The UK and Europe the oversize to Asia and all the crap gets sold cheap to our supermarkets (at least it seems that way)
Supermarkets pay as little as possible for stuff. Show me a business that doesn't.
Take the chip off your shoulder its not an anti farming thing its just how things work.

 

[Henarar]

A beef farmer says;

Doesn't matter as long as it's beef.

Doesn't matter as long as it's Scottish beef

Doesn't matter as long as it's Scottish beef that's labelled as Scotch Beef.

Doesn't matter as long as it's AA Scottish beef that's labelled as Scotch Beef.

Doesn't matter as long as it's AA Scottish beef that's labelled as Scotch Beef that's off an AA bull that was bred by Breeder XYZ.


Doesn't matter as long as it's AA Scottish beef that's labelled as Scotch Beef that's off an AA bull that was bred by Breeder XYZ , then the beef farmer comes over awash with honesty and finally admits......

I don't actually give a f#€k As long as it's my beef

The reality is that people only give a toss about themselves, it's human nature, regardless of how they try to portray themselves as concerned citizens that only have the best interests of the world, environment, the greater farming community at heart.

View attachment 623244

Speak for yourself

 

[M-J-G]

Speak for yourself

I wondered who it would be,

Go on, indulge me, why the exception?

 

[MF 168]

I don't think there are any. Was talking to my local butcher about having my calf killed & asked to make sure he would have been stunned first and was told that all slaughtering is prestunned here, no market for halal or kosher, no licences would be granted for unstunned. I can't guarantee this information but have no reason to believe it to be untrue.

There was cattle killed here (southern Ireland) halal style but it didn't last to long. A good friend was an agent and saw cattle tied facing mecca or something like that and then their throats cut with a flippin sword. Jesus Christ you wouldn't see it on a hollywood movie. Last I heard thats all been banned now and quiet rightly so.