The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: chris3000 on July 12, 2012, 02:52:13 pm
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So, as I am looking at selling sausages I thought I would check out supermarket prices and see what I can do to compare / how to market.
So I went straight for the Free Range sections ..... well, actually they don't exist.
So I went to the posh sausage sections (Finest / Premium etc.) ..... looked at the sausages I usually buy and always thought were free range.
Well they are not!!!! am I the only person who looks at these products with their simple "farm shop" looking packaging + price and assumed they were Free Range??
I really thought I was paying that little bit more not just for flavour (and a bit more meat %) but because the welfare of the animals was better.
After then looking at all our local supermarkets I realise they barely have any free range sausage ranges.
I even phoned my Mum and asked her why she bought the sausages she did and she said because they are 'Free Range' - even though they are not.
I know its a lesson in reading the labels properly ... but still !!!
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It's very very hard to do commercial free range pork in this country. Almost all commercial producers need to finish indoors - and that includes organic ones.
The supermarkets tried to be honest, labelling their pork and sausages, "outdoor bred", but were villified for that. In truth, "outdoor bred" is the best you are going to do on any widely-available product.
If you really want free range (and there are debates that could rage and rage about whether raising weaners and finishing pigs outdoors is better welfare in our wet climate) then you need to be looking for the niche products like Helen Browning's - though I'm not sure that even she can finish outdoors; she may have to bring them in for the last month or so, at least when it's wet - or going to your local smallholder / farmers' market - or, of course, TAS! ;)
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The supermarkets are masters at giving the customer what "appears" to be what they want.