Shoutout to the butcher shops that haven't sold out to corporate rules

I worked at a big grocery store butcher counter for five years. The managers there only pushed for fast cuts to meet sales goals. They would not let us stop to sharpen our knives properly. This made the work risky and the meat look cheap. I quit after they told me to leave extra fat on steaks to save money. Now I'm at a small shop where we take time with each cut. We care more about doing it right than doing it fast. How can any butcher respect a job that values profit over skill?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_terry9d ago

You mentioned leaving extra fat on steaks to save money, which is shocking! Did you ever see customers return meat or complain about the lower quality because of shortcuts like that? I bet working at the small shop lets you explain why a good cut matters, not just sell by weight. What's the biggest difference you've noticed in how customers respond to care versus speed?

xena8589d ago

Back when I shopped at a big grocery chain, they'd hide bruised fruit at the bottom of the container. (Such a cheap trick, honestly.) I once bought berries that looked fine on top but were moldy underneath, wasting my money and a dessert plan. It really shows how rushing things leads to unhappy customers, unlike when someone takes time to point out the good stuff.

paige_kelly5d ago

Ugh, that berry trick is the worst. I always tip the container sideways to check the bottom layer before I buy anything now. For things like grapes or cherry tomatoes, I'll even gently shake the clamshell to see if anything mushy rolls to one corner. It takes five extra seconds but saves so much wasted food and money. Why do they think we won't notice the moldy stuff until we get home?