THE PRICE of meat is spiralling – what was once a staple in the British diet is fast becoming a luxury for many households.
Beef prices have jumped by 27.5% in the past year, and furious shoppers are dubbing mince the new Freddo due to soaring inflation.
An online forum called Mince Watch, dedicated to tracking the price of mince in UK supermarkets, has even been set up recently by angry consumers on Reddit.
They recently spotted packs of beef mince in Tesco at £10.58 per kilo. Meanwhile, a 1kg pack of 5% fat beef mince now costs £9.62 in Asda and £9.50 in Sainsbury’s.
But you don’t have to go vegetarian for your wallet’s sake, and you can still enjoy a Friday night steak or midweek spag bol without spending a fortune.
If the cost of your weekly food shop has soared, there are several easy changes you can make when buying and cooking meat that will save you cash.
We’ve spoken to chefs and food experts for their tips on how you can save money when buying meat – and you don’t have to swap it for tofu or veggie burgers!
Swap diced beef for braising steak
Buying and cooking meat can be intimidating, so shoppers tend to go for the cuts of meat they’re most familiar with.
But cheaper alternative cuts often have the best flavour, says Calum Scott, head chef at school catering company Olive Dining, which cooks meals for around 150 UK schools.
“These cuts cost less and, when cooked slowly, turn tender, juicy and packed with taste,” he said.
If you’re making slow-cooked dishes like stews, Calum suggests trying brisket, braising (also known as chuck), blade or shin.
“In our [school] kitchens, we often use blade (flat iron) steak instead of diced beef in pies and casseroles,” he adds. “After a few hours of slow cooking, you’d never know the difference except in the budget.”
Pork shoulder, belly and ribs are brilliant roasted or pulled.
Lamb shoulder, neck or breast is ideal for stews and curries.
And whole chickens or thighs are a lot more cost effective than chicken breasts.
You can find many of these cuts in supermarkets, both on shelves and at meat counters, and also from your local butcher.
Supermarket swaps
- 1kg of chicken breast fillets costs £6.49 in Sainsbury’s. But 1.6kg medium whole chicken costs £5.35.
- In Tesco, 300g of diced lamb leg is £7.75. But 300g of diced lamb shoulder is £6.20.
- A beef braising steak (400g) costs £4.59 in Asda, but 400g of tender lean diced beef is £5.22.
Brush up on butchery skills – it could save ££££
Most people buy their meat pre-cut from supermarkets – packs of steaks, diced beef, and chicken breasts or thighs.
It might be an easy option, but it’s definitely not the most cost-friendly, says Nathan Richie, founder of award-winning street food business Big Nath’s BBQ.
“Cutting your own steaks from a larger joint – or finding a lovely butcher who will do it for you – is almost always cheaper than buying them pre-portioned ,” Nathan says.
You can typically get between five and 20 steaks from a joint.
If you normally buy fillet steaks, which can cost over £10 each from supermarkets, look for a whole tenderloin or Chateaubriand.
A whole sirloin or striploin can be cut into sirloin or strip steaks, while a rib roast can give you several rib-eye steaks.
If you’re after rump steaks – which are perfect for casseroles and stews – look for a rump joint.
“Cut the steaks to your preferred thickness – not everyone wants a mega steak, especially kids – why pay extra for cuts that won’t get eaten?,” Nathan adds.
You can also try buying whole chickens or lamb and pork shoulder, and cutting them up into smaller portions.
Nathan says there are loads of great YouTube videos that can show you how to butcher your own cuts at home.
“Just make sure you have a sharp knife and cut against the grain.”
The freezer is your friend
Once you’ve cut up your meat, make sure to freeze the portions you aren’t using.
To stop your meat getting dried out by freezer burn, wrap it tightly in freezer bags, freezer wrap, or airtight containers, and label it so you don’t forget what it is.
According to the Food Standards Agency, meat is usually best eaten within 2-3 months.
Defrost it in the fridge, and use it within 24 hours after it’s been fully defrosted. If you forget to take it out of the freezer or you’re short on time, you can pop it in the microwave on the defrost setting right before cooking.
Butcher vs supermarket – which is cheaper?
Many shoppers assume that buying meat from a butcher is more expensive than getting it from the supermarket.
But there are ways you can get great deals from your local meat counter that can cut the costs of your food shop.
“You can talk to your butcher – they are experts and are literally there to advise and serve you,” says Nathan.
“Tell them what you’re cooking – a stew, a grill, a roast – and they’ll guide you to the right cut and the exact amount you need.
“You can buy exactly what you need whether that’s two chicken breasts, a specific cut for a recipe, a couple of sausages, speciality meat or a larger order to freeze.”
Calum suggests asking your local butcher what meat is best value that week, or if they’ve got trimmings or offcuts going cheap.
Some offer discounts for larger orders. You could even consider splitting a monthly order with friends or family to get a good discount.
If you’ve got big freezer space, Calum also suggests buying from wholesalers like Costco or Booker, where you can find big discounts.
Get the timing right
If you are buying meat from the supermarket, don’t just settle for full price.
“Look out for yellow-sticker discounts and multi-buys and just freeze what you can’t use straight away,” Calum adds.
Most supermarkets put yellow stickers on items in the early afternoon or evenings, but exact timings depend on supermarkets.
Morrisons currently has a 3 for £10 deal on meat and fish, while Iceland has a 4 for £16 deal on meat.
Plenty of supermarkets also have discounts on meat as part of their loyalty schemes, so it may be worth seeing what alternative cuts or brands are reduced that week.
Sainsbury’s and Tesco both have weekly deals on a range of meat and fish for Nectar and Clubcard members.
How to cheat eating meat every day
Meat prices may be sky-high, but there are ways you can still eat meat every day while sticking to a budget.
Calum suggests adding cheap filler foods like lentils, beans and barley to mince dishes, and bulking out casseroles with veg and rich stock.
You could also grate in veg to your mince dishes like spag bol and cottage pie, to bulk them out along with the meat.
He often does this when making school meals, and the kids barely notice.
“At school, we make a beef and lentil ragu that costs less than half the price of the all-meat version and it’s still a pupil favourite,” he says.
He also suggests mixing different types of meat to cut costs without sacrificing flavour.
“Our school burgers are around 60% beef and 40% pork juicy. The pupils never notice the difference, but our budgets do!”
And finally, make sure to use all the trimmings when buying meat.
A Sunday roast chicken can become tomorrow’s curry, stir-fry, soup, or sandwiches.
Pork shoulder can be used to make delicious pulled-pork sandwiches or a pasta bake. And bones and trimmings can make a rich, homemade stock, if you have the time.
Where to find budget meat recipes for free
YOU don’t need to shell out on a fancy cookbook to find budget-friendly meat recipes to make at home.
Many supermarkets, including Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Morrisons, have simple free recipes on their websites. Many of them have budget-friendly sections too.
Websites like BBC Good Food have thousands of free recipes to suit all budgets and cooking abilities.
And there are millions of recipes to be found on Tiktok and Instagram, which you can save or screenshot.
If you have ingredients sitting in your fridge or cupboard and you’re not sure what to do with them, try asking AI.
Tell a chatbot like ChatGPT what ingredients you have, and it can suggest a recipe – so you’re not throwing away the food or buying more.
You could even ask it what sort of meals you could make with the cheapest meat cuts in the supermarket that week.
