What's the meat / chicken like from aldi? Is it good quality and treated well? I get

irishsid

What's the meat / chicken like from aldi? Is it good quality and treated well? I get my meat from the butchers, but after seeing the price in aldi it's hard to say no (unless it's bad meat).

Gloomtastic!

It was a simple sort of question, no need for the absolute nonsense. Any more and there will be sanctions. We're not AH you know!

The Gloomster!

Gloomtastic!

With my Mod hat hanging up......

I've bought virtually all of our meat from Aldi for the last 7 or 8 years and only once or twice has there been an issue with the quality. Some of the regular foodie posters here, myself included, will mention that the meat was from Aldi as a mark of respect that you can buy top quality produce for a fraction of the price you'd pay at your local butcher.

Not sure how they do it, but I'm sure glad they do! :P

foxatron

I get chicken from lidl and aldi the whole time never had an issue. I get the rib eye steaks in lidl a bit too. Taste great and good value.

DJIMI TRARORE

Not a thing wrong with it,butchers overcharging for the exact same meat

august12

irishsid wrote: »

What's the meat / chicken like from aldi? Is it good quality and treated well? I get my meat from the butchers, but after seeing the price in aldi it's hard to say no (unless it's bad meat).

had duck fillets this evening for dinner, lovely. Often buy the rib eye steak, they are really nice as is stewing steak. Bought stuffed lamb today for Easter Sunday. Will report back here with an update on that. Stick to the quality cuts of meat and bord bia guarantee.

irishsid

Thanks everyone, I'll be trying some chicken thighs tomorrow so, and a beef joint for Easter. ðŸ‘

The beef is grass fed and the chickens free range yeah?

Gloomtastic!

irishsid wrote: »

Thanks everyone, I'll be trying some chicken thighs tomorrow so, and a beef joint for Easter. ðŸ‘

The beef is grass fed and the chickens free range yeah?

With the bird flu scare at the moment, no commercially reared chickens are being raised outdoors.

Whispered

Ive had a few incidents of bad meat from one particular Aldi (the older one in Naas) but I assume it's a storage issue rather than an issue with the meat itself.

I've also heard confusing things about the fish. Something along the lines of it saying its Irish but when you look at the small print it's caught elsewhere then packaged in Ireland. (I could have that mixed up slightly maybe someone else can clarify). Tesco do the same though. I bought "Atlantic salmon" and on the inner packet it was a "product of China". So I'd imagine it's common practice.

rawn

Whispered wrote:

I've also heard confusing things about the fish. Something along the lines of it saying its Irish but when you look at the small print it's caught elsewhere then packaged in Ireland. (I could have that mixed up slightly maybe someone else can clarify). Tesco do the same though. I bought "Atlantic salmon" and on the inner packet it was a "product of China". So I'd imagine it's common practice.

You're correct. It is also sold as "fresh" but has been frozen and defrosted. That's in Lidl, I assume Aldi have similar practices.

dibkins

I don't think the steaks in aldi are anywhere near as tasty as they used to be:/ For a while they had delicious Free Range chicken breaks, skin on and peg bone in, but no longer!

irishsid

dibkins wrote: »

I don't think the steaks in aldi are anywhere near as tasty as they used to be:/ For a while they had delicious Free Range chicken breaks, skin on and peg bone in, but no longer!

But are the every day thighs, breasts, drumsticks, pork chops any good?

Dial Hard

irishsid wrote:

The beef is grass fed and the chickens free range yeah?

All Irish beef is grass-fed, with some supplementary feed in winter.

As has already been mentioned, no EU chickens can be reared outside at the moment. But when that's not in place, Aldi have both free-range and battery chicken, just like any other supermarket or butcher.

MarkR

Nothing wrong with any of it, as far as I've tried. Angus steaks are my favourite. :-)

vicwatson

Gloomtastic! wrote: »

With the bird flu scare at the moment, no commercially reared chickens are being raised outdoors.

I imagine this will change in ROI v soon as DEFRA in GB have relaxed these sanctions

niallam

Whispered wrote: »

I've also heard confusing things about the fish. Something along the lines of it saying its Irish but when you look at the small print it's caught elsewhere then packaged in Ireland. (I could have that mixed up slightly maybe someone else can clarify). Tesco do the same though. I bought "Atlantic salmon" and on the inner packet it was a "product of China". So I'd imagine it's common practice.

Defrosted Cape Hake from Namibia or South Africa, Defrosted Cod from Russia or Norway. Word defrosted doesn't accompany the food name in their advertising so consumers are none the wiser until they maybe (or hopefully not) notice the small print on the pack.

Lidl has made the use of Irish flag on imports a standard now, only country in the EU it's allowed because FSAI are afraid of them, easier close a small curry shop

meeeeh

I am not mad about fish in Lidl and I assume Aldi are similar. There is no comparison with what you get buying from fish monger's or even frombTesco fish counter. I like steaks in both and mince is fine too. I find Lidl often have bigger chicken legs than the butcher I usually go to and I would buy them there for bbqing. I get free range whole chicken in butcher's, it tends to be a bit better than what Aldi have. I don't like the Lidl one at all. The same goes for pork chops, I usually buy them on the bone in butcher's.

squonk

+1 on the fish from Aldi. I've bought it on occasion. It's been ok but nothing to get excited over and I'd sooner buy fish in Dunnes to be honest.

Otherwise I buy ALDI's stewing beef and it's fine. Their steaks are very nice. I couldn't fault them at all. The duck breasts are lovely and their children Chen thighs and diced chicken is grand. The diced chicken in Dunnes has bigger pieces but I happen to like the ALDI version.

Bateman

Another vote for the Aldi steaks

I have a couple of butchers handy on my walk to/from work so for convenience sake I use them a fair bit.

Fish - would always buy from specialist

odyssey06

Worth going to ALDI for:
+1 Steaks (especially the vacuum packed Ribeyes)
+1 Chicken Thighs
+1 Ham Fillet
+1 Smoked Salmon
+1 Specially Selected Angus beef mince

It's grand but wouldn't go out of my way for it:
+0 Lamb
+0 Duck

I'd look elsewhere:
-1 Whole Chicken (it just didn't seem to have any flavour)

Elemonator

Got steaks in Aldi on a recommendation, they were great.

I would imagine they are cheaper because stuff in packaged here/economies of scale?

I'd pass on the recommendation.

Neon_Lights

I don't know what everyones on about here it's absolutely rancid, not at all fresh and most of the time near gone off.

You're definitely best off sticking to the butchers, both in terms of the environment and the quality of meat you're getting.

odyssey06

Neon_Lights wrote: »

I don't know what everyones on about here it's absolutely rancid, not at all fresh and most of the time near gone off.
You're definitely best off sticking to the butchers, both in terms of the environment and the quality of meat you're getting.

Nonsense. Are you seriously suggesting that every butchers in the country is better than every ALDI?
I hear the sound of an axe being grinded.

I've looked into the windows of some butchers I wouldn't even buy meat for a dog in them.
Some butchers are fantastic.
There's no such thing as "the butchers", there are just hundreds and hundreds of different butchers, getting meat of different quality, and price, from different sources.

Neon_Lights

odyssey06 wrote: »

Nonsense. Are you seriously suggesting that every butchers in the country is better than every ALDI?
I hear the sound of an axe being grinded.

I've looked into the windows of some butchers I wouldn't even buy meat for a dog in them.
Some butchers are fantastic.
There's no such thing as "the butchers", there are just hundreds and hundreds of different butchers, getting meat of different quality, and price, from different sources.

No but im suggesting that a quality butchers is far superior to the toxic meat glue rancid off cuts they serve in Aldi.

Packed Supermarket meat is mostly crap and absolutely terrible for the environment both in terms of packaging and how the animals are reared. You don't get meat cheap without cutting corners.

sf80

I used to get chicken, but I gave up because the quality was inconsistent. Most of the time it was grand, but occasionally it would be inedible it was so tough.

RasTa

Their slave whole chickens are tasteless disgusting things. Fish is also tasteless.

Cakes and Ale

Been buying Lidl free range whole chickens for a good while now and there's no complaints in my house when they're roasted. Wouldn't touch any of the other whole chickens though. The only thing I've tried is the spatchcock which wasn't bad but still lacking a lot in flavour and texture.

Have recently bought lots of lamb from both Aldi and Lidl (steaks and chops) and everything was very tasty. And of course the steaks are generally very reliable.

odyssey06

Neon_Lights wrote: »

No but im suggesting that a quality butchers is far superior to the toxic meat glue rancid off cuts they serve in Aldi.
Packed Supermarket meat is mostly crap and absolutely terrible for the environment both in terms of packaging and how the animals are reared. You don't get meat cheap without cutting corners.

Oh so now it's a quality butchers. What % of Irish butchers would you say are quality? And are the rest served toxic rancid meat and destroying the environment while they are at it?

You're making some serious claims about supermarket meat.
Please provide some serious evidence that ALDI are using toxic meat, glue or rancid cuts.
Put up or shut up.

In the interests of honest disclosure, are you or a family member employed by a butchers or have any business relationship with one e.g. supply a butchers from your farm?
I have no connection to ALDI other than as a consumer.

For what it's worth your blatant agenda against ALDI is spectacularly unconvincing to me.

Cantona's Collars

odyssey06 wrote: »

Oh so now it's a quality butchers. What % of Irish butchers would you say are quality? And are the rest served toxic rancid meat and destroying the environment while they are at it?

You're making some serious claims about supermarket meat.
Please provide some serious evidence that ALDI are using toxic meat, glue or rancid cuts.
Put up or shut up.

In the interests of honest disclosure, are you or a family member employed by a butchers or have any business relationship with one e.g. supply a butchers from your farm?
I have no connection to ALDI other than as a consumer.

Just came across this thread by accident, beef is butchered and packed in Clohamon in Co.Wexford by Slaney Group. More is sourced in their sister factories nationwide.AFAIK the lamb is coming from another one of their factories too.So to the ones who seem to believe that the meat comes from a shed in a far flung country,they couldn't be more wrong.

RasTa

I also steer clear of butchers who offer all that pre packed crap in a marinate at 3 for €10. Usually old meat

AlanG

niallam wrote: »

Defrosted Cape Hake from Namibia or South Africa, Defrosted Cod from Russia or Norway. Word defrosted doesn't accompany the food name in their advertising so consumers are none the wiser until they maybe (or hopefully not) notice the small print on the pack.

There is a good argument to be made that fish frozen on the ship minutes after being caught in far off waters and then defrosted once landed is fresher than fish sitting chilled in the hold of a trawler in the Irish sea for many many hours (or days) and landed "fresh".