Grocery query - cheap meat

[scooterbug44]

Does anyone have a good local source/been comparison shopping for meat? I don't mind paying extra for the convenience of the 395 or Sandestin Publix, but the recent price hike (basically DOUBLED) is where I draw the line.

I know summer is coming, but seriously! The lamb chops I got out of my freezer for dinner (purchased 4/18 and broiled instead of grilled so I didn't start any fires) were cheaper than the "stew" meat I saw friday and half the current price of sirloin! It is now cheaper to go to a restaurant and order a Ny strip than to buy it raw at Publix!

I've been trying to figure it out, it's not a beef/ethanol/corn issue as all meat has skyrocketed, and it appears to be a local phenomenon. My father (a retired meat packer) has no explanation either (beyond his usual commentary on inflated prices in the area) and he is usually one of the first to hear of major pricing changes etc.

I had a friend on her cell read me the prices at Bruno's and they were comparable to the Publix prices - haven't checked out other stores yet.

Any suggestions for me that don't involve Wal-mart (a.k.a. the anti-christ), vegetarianism, or a chest freezer/meat pilgrimages?

[seacrestkristi]

What about good ole Winn Dixie? :idontno: ;-)or the Carousel?

[Franny]

The meat at the Carousel in PCB is very good..don't about convenience.

[Smiling JOe]

It is a fuel thing for sure. The cost of fuel used to grow the corn feed for all meats, added to the fuel costs for transporting the meats from the slaughter houses, to a distributor, then to the grocery, that is what I believe is driving up the price of all meats. I wrote this a year or so ago in a post on here, after the gas prices continued to stay at double the price. I still believe it to be true. Shipping often cost more than the products when it comes to food.

[beachmouse]

I guess the best thing to do is keep an eye on the weekly sales flyers. Seems like someone's often running some sort of meat special as a loss leader.

[Phoenix Rising]

If you're going to Fort Walton Beach or PCB, you might want to try Sam's club. Also, Walmart usually has good prices because they buy in mass quantity. If you're looking for quality organic free range meats, I order mine online at www.blackwing.com. I keep a small freezer stocked with organic meat from blackwing and the quality is always incredible.

[scooterbug44]

It is a fuel thing for sure. The cost of fuel used to grow the corn feed for all meats, added to the fuel costs for transporting the meats from the slaughter houses, to a distributor, then to the grocery, that is what I believe is driving up the price of all meats. I wrote this a year or so ago in a post on here, after the gas prices continued to stay at double the price. I still believe it to be true. Shipping often cost more than the products when it comes to food.
That was what I originally thought too, but couldn't find any evidence for it. Higher fuel costs would drive everything else up too. They had also been expecting beef prices would go up because of higher feed costs meaning farmers were delivering leaner animals and not fattening them as much at the feed lots. The monthly USDA data on retail meat prices doesn't come out for a couple more days, but prices went down slightly in the previous month and the local prices are still quite a bit higher than the average.

[Smiling JOe]

Higher fuel costs would drive everything else up too.

Higher fuel costs hits the food industry the hardest because of the farmers' have to pay for the fuel to plant and harvest the crops, plus the transportation to a broker, then shipping to distribution centers, and then distribution to the grocery store. Regarding prices of everything going up, a 12 oz bag of Starbucks went from $6.99 to $9+ overnight when the gas prices went up. I see many products with increased pricing, from the food industry to the construction industry. Don't think the that the laborers driving from Defuniak Springs are simply going to obsorb the extra costs of fuel. They will pass it on to the Sub-Contractors, who will pass it to the contractors, who willl pass it to the home-owners, all the while the Gov't is taxing that increase at every level.

[rapunzel]

I have to say I don't agree that the meat price spike is related to fuel costs. I was in New Orleans last week, and the grass fed beef and free range chicken was less expensive at the Uptown Whole Foods than at the Watercolor Publix. I think it's just a case of supply and demand. The demand around here is way up, it's that time of year. Yeah, Publix could anticipate that and keep prices in line, but they have to pay for 6 months of operating at a loss in the off season during the next three months.

When I was little, the first stop on the annual pilgrimage to the beach was a grocery store in Columbus, Ga, where we would pack a cooler with meat and buy a weeks worth of groceries to bring with us. Perhaps Publix is just trying to revive that old tradition?

[InletBchDweller]

I dont know if you have a freezer or not but on 15th street there is a grocery outlet. I (and mr. ibd) have found some WONDERFUL meat there and great prices. :clap_1: They will cut what you want or some is already in the case. It is by far not publix (cliental) but good prices at a fraction of the cost. Last night I had a filet mig. that we bought from there and froze. It was still tender as could be and did not cost me 11-15 a pound.

[scooterbug44]

Increased fuel costs would also not be hitting this area at a disproportionate rate (no major increases reported elsewhere).

My guess is that they are jacking up the prices for the summer/location - that's why I was posting to see if people had any good local sources.

[Smiling JOe]

I've been told that WaterColor Publix is the most profitable per sq ft of all Publix stores. I believe it, because it is half the size of most, and I regularly stand behind people in line whose total comes to over $500. Everything is more expensive in SoWal, however, I recently went to Kelly's Grocery in Freeport, and they had less selection and some of their prices were much more than Publix.

[kathydwells]

If you're going to Fort Walton Beach or PCB, you might want to try Sam's club. Also, Walmart usually has good prices because they buy in mass quantity. If you're looking for quality organic free range meats, I order mine online at www.blackwing.com (http://www.blackwing.com). I keep a small freezer stocked with organic meat from blackwing and the quality is always incredible.

And they freeze it and let it thaw in the store. I will never buy meat from Walmart again. I have had to take back meat 2 out of 3 times when I bought it there. Never again.

[RiverOtter]

The price hike is just karma getting you back for trying to run over cyclists :angry:
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:biggrin:

[scooterbug44]

Thanks RiverOtter! Can always use a chuckle ......... especially at the end of the day when I'm about to go for a bike ride ;)

[RiverOtter]

Thanks RiverOtter! Can always use a chuckle ......... especially at the end of the day when I'm about to go for a bike ride ;)


I do what I can :cool:

[Smiling JOe]

scooterbug44, your title thread reminded me a teeshirt which I saw a man wearing at Artsquest on Saturday. I forget the store name, but the shirt read something like, "Bob's Meat -- You can't beat our meat!"

[Miss Kitty]

scooterbug44, your title thread reminded me a teeshirt which I saw a man wearing at Artsquest on Saturday. I forget the store name, but the shirt read something like, "Bob's Meat -- You can't beat our meat!"

:funn: ...I have been waiting for someone to crack the first one! I immediately thought bad thoughts. :biggrin:

[InletBchDweller]

gutter tramp....:biggrin: :wub: :funn: ...I have been waiting for someone to crack the first one! I immediately thought bad thoughts. :biggrin:

[Miss Kitty]

gutter tramp....:biggrin: :wub:


:clap: ...yes, and and a cheap date to boot!!

[meamea]

Carousel in PCB is good. The meat and liquor are cheaper and they usually have good specials on wine.

[florida girl]

I like Winn Dixie's meat. US Choice. If you go Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday you'll find better specials.

[greenroomsurfer]

Here's a quote for ya from Chris Rock. cornbread, there ain't nothin wrong with that ( the no sex in the champagne rome reference)

[chrisv]

Carousel has great prices on wine, but I don't buy meat from them. I've only seen them selling USDA Select grade, same as Wal-Mart. Select will work for stew meat, but for steaks I'd buy Choice. Bruno's sells Certified Angus Beef which is a name brand choice grade- they have some great sales from time to time. (Yeah, I'm strange. I stop at grocery stores during my day to check out the meat department:biggrin:)

IBD, where on 15th is this grocery, and what is it's name?

[InletBchDweller]

Carousel has great prices on wine, but I don't buy meat from them. I've only seen them selling USDA Select grade, same as Wal-Mart. Select will work for stew meat, but for steaks I'd buy Choice. Bruno's sells Certified Angus Beef which is a name brand choice grade- they have some great sales from time to time. (Yeah, I'm strange. I stop at grocery stores during my day to check out the meat department:biggrin:)

IBD, where on 15th is this grocery, and what is it's name?

it is right by the big baptist church where you take a right turn to go to Uncle Ernies, Hunts, etc. a gas station is in front of it....it is called Discount Grocery

[chrisv]

[/b]

it is right by the big baptist church where you take a right turn to go to Uncle Ernies, Hunts, etc. a gas station is in front of it....it is called Discount Grocery

Thanks, I'll have to stop in!

[scooterbug44]

I've been told that WaterColor Publix is the most profitable per sq ft of all Publix stores. I believe it, because it is half the size of most, and I regularly stand behind people in line whose total comes to over $500. Everything is more expensive in SoWal, however, I recently went to Kelly's Grocery in Freeport, and they had less selection and some of their prices were much more than Publix.

I tried Kelly's this weekend. Their meat is definitely cheaper than Publix by several dollars a pound.

[TN2FLA]

Kelly's in Freeport is ALOT cheaper than Publix for meat

[Smiling JOe]

Kelly's in Freeport is ALOT cheaper than Publix for meatSuckers! Kelly's draws you in with cheap meat, but they hose you on the other stuff. :D

[scooterbug44]

I found Kelly's meat, produce, and cheese prices to be significantly lower than Publix.
Alcohol was comparable or slightly higher than Publix.
Specialty/impulse buy items seemed higher.
I don't know how they compared on other items as I don't know those prices off the top of my head.

[SummerAnne]

I don't know about the Freeport location but Kelley's in Niceville... I'll never buy steak from them again. Two different occasions last summer we purchased Ribeyes on sale. Both times the meat was utterly tasteless. I'm not accustomed to having to marinade a Ribeye, I'm used to that cut providing it's own flavor... so needless to say that even though we got the steaks on sale, it was a loss. Last thing I want to do is drown a steak in a sauce to get some flavor.

[kittyness]

I hate to break it to you but "Black Angus" just means a cow/bull that is at least 51% black. The original "Black Angus" designation required cattle ranchers to document that the cow/bull was from the Angus breed. The USDA allows the "Black Angus" designation on any cow/bull that is predominantly black Angus. How do you tell without a DNA test? You can't. They are too expensive so the visual test is allowed. To ensure a tender, flavorful piece of meat, look for marbling. Buy prime or choice grades. Don't worry so much about the Black Angus designation because it can easily still be tough and bland. You take the chance of getting meat from one of those 51% animals. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of legitimate ranchers out there that breed 100% black Angus cattle. But you're not going to get that at one of the mass retailers like Publix or Wal-Mart.

[scooterbug44]

I don't know about the Freeport location but Kelley's in Niceville... I'll never buy steak from them again. Two different occasions last summer we purchased Ribeyes on sale. Both times the meat was utterly tasteless. I'm not accustomed to having to marinade a Ribeye, I'm used to that cut providing it's own flavor... so needless to say that even though we got the steaks on sale, it was a loss. Last thing I want to do is drown a steak in a sauce to get some flavor.
Flavor/age are always a concern when I'm buying meat, but the steak I had last night from the Freeport Kelly's was good. I also got some ribeyes, so I'll have to try those too.

[Smiling JOe]

After eating Prime grade steaks, I don't purchase anything else. Choice might have a bit of flavor, but if buying Select, you might as well break out the A1 sauce, and I don't like A1. Does Kelly's even sell Choice, or is it all Select?

[jdarg]

I'm typing this with BBQ sauce all over my face- went to Carousel in PCB yesterday. They had "extra meaty" babybacks- they are more like pork chops hooked together. $8.99 a rack- bought 2 racks, and I swear they will feed us all week long. They are so meaty that I am stuffed after eating just 2!

And man oh man are they GOOD!:biggrin:

They also carry Crema, so I can make Punzy's green chile dip.:clap:

AND- all my fave wines are cheaper by a couple bucks/bottle!:cool:

[DD]

I'm typing this with BBQ sauce all over my face- went to Carousel in PCB yesterday. They had "extra meaty" babybacks- they are more like pork chops hooked together. $8.99 a rack- bought 2 racks, and I swear they will feed us all week long. They are so meaty that I am stuffed after eating just 2!

And man oh man are they GOOD!:biggrin:

They also carry Crema, so I can make Punzy's green chile dip.:clap:

AND- all my fave wines are cheaper by a couple bucks/bottle!:cool:

You hit the jackpot!! :clap:

[rdelong43065]

Is Carousel on Front Beach Rd?

[InletBchDweller]

On front beach just East of Celedon and Splash.....great meat, wine, gifts, beer, etc.....

[jnh26]

Does anyone have a good local source/been comparison shopping for meat? I don't mind paying extra for the convenience of the 395 or Sandestin Publix, but the recent price hike (basically DOUBLED) is where I draw the line.

I know summer is coming, but seriously! The lamb chops I got out of my freezer for dinner (purchased 4/18 and broiled instead of grilled so I didn't start any fires) were cheaper than the "stew" meat I saw friday and half the current price of sirloin! It is now cheaper to go to a restaurant and order a Ny strip than to buy it raw at Publix!

I've been trying to figure it out, it's not a beef/ethanol/corn issue as all meat has skyrocketed, and it appears to be a local phenomenon. My father (a retired meat packer) has no explanation either (beyond his usual commentary on inflated prices in the area) and he is usually one of the first to hear of major pricing changes etc.

I had a friend on her cell read me the prices at Bruno's and they were comparable to the Publix prices - haven't checked out other stores yet.

Any suggestions for me that don't involve Wal-mart (a.k.a. the anti-christ), vegetarianism, or a chest freezer/meat pilgrimages?

Being a super shopper..I would reccommend The Fresh Market's meats. You pay about the same as you would at Publix..but are getting the choice of cut you'd prefer.
There meats are wonderful & delicious.
The carousel has cheap meat but you'd be better off buying it at Wal-mart. Not that great.

[jnh26]

Flavor/age are always a concern when I'm buying meat, but the steak I had last night from the Freeport Kelly's was good. I also got some ribeyes, so I'll have to try those too.

be weary of Kelly's. Not the best place to shop. Overpriced & most time out of date...

[Tootsie]

be weary of Kelly's. Not the best place to shop. Overpriced & most time out of date...

jnh26, not sure about your experience, but I've always enjoyed meats from carousel, and have heard really good things about kelly's over the years. in fact, both places have good reputations for meat.

when it comes to steak, we go to modica market for a nice fresh cut. but if in the carousel or kelly's vicinity, I wouldn't hesitate to buy at either of these places.

just my experience.

[scooterbug44]

be weary of Kelly's. Not the best place to shop. Overpriced & most time out of date...

That's where my discerning eyeballs come into play! No gray/aged meat for me!

When I was there, their butcher was cutting/packaging fresh. I found some things there that were great deals, other things you were paying more because it wasn't a staple item, but an impulse buy.

[drsvelte]

I haven't found meat prices in SoWal to be much different than Baton Rouge. We had rib-eyes from Publix about two weeks ago and they were quite good. On the other had, some boneless chicken was inedible.

We've purchased veal and chicken cutlets from the Fresh Market and they were excellent. Prices not appreciably higher than Publix. This would be my source of choice, but simply getting there is a pain.


Corn prices have surged because of the various ethanol mandates. From less than $2.00 a bushel in 2005 to over $4.00 earlier this year. This despite more corn being grown than at any time since WWII! I think higher beef prices (at least for corn fed cattle) will be here for awhile.

[yippie]

I know some of you may think I am an idiot, but did you know recently Publix has added their "Greenwise" brand of meat?

They have done that with all their stores, and it IS double or almost double of the regular beef.

I found myself gawking at the prices and one of the workers pointed out I was looking in the Greenwise section. Greenwise = meat with no growth hormones, etc.

Could you possibly have made the same mistake I did? In the last couple of weeks, the Greenwise section has gotten smaller, because people were not willing to pay the price.

[Smiling JOe]

I bought a Greenwise whole chicken last week, and roasted it. It was delicious! I notice that the price per lb was twice that of the steroid Publix brand chickens, but they were also half the size. Today, I bought the Publix steroid beefy whole chicken to compare, and I'll try to remember to post here again, after I taste the difference.

[Indigo Jill]

After eating Prime grade steaks, I don't purchase anything else. Choice might have a bit of flavor, but if buying Select, you might as well break out the A1 sauce, and I don't like A1. Does Kelly's even sell Choice, or is it all Select?

SJ where are you buying your Prime cuts? Prime is restaurant quality, and very hard to find retail - I think Larder was the only place locally I ever saw it.

[Smiling JOe]

SJ where are you buying your Prime cuts? Prime is restaurant quality, and very hard to find retail - I think Larder was the only place locally I ever saw it.Who said that I BUY prime cuts. I just cook and eat Prime cuts. :cool:

[scooterbug44]

I know some of you may think I am an idiot, but did you know recently Publix has added their "Greenwise" brand of meat?

They have done that with all their stores, and it IS double or almost double of the regular beef.

I found myself gawking at the prices and one of the workers pointed out I was looking in the Greenwise section. Greenwise = meat with no growth hormones, etc.

Could you possibly have made the same mistake I did? In the last couple of weeks, the Greenwise section has gotten smaller, because people were not willing to pay the price.

The thread was started because I was appalled by a sudden price leap on their regular beef - almost double on most items, making it close to the price of Greenwise at the initial time of posting!

Meat is one of the few grocery items I monitor pricing on - wine is another, which is why I am constantly laughing at the "value savings" where the wine has mysteriously gone up in price so that w/ the discount it is the regular price :roll:.

[yippie]

Destin Ice House sells Prime Beef. Certified Angus, aged, Prime. As far as I know it is the only place in town that sells it.

Now, there ar a few other places that sell Certified Angus, but it is not considered prime.