Butchery costs

[willie_gunn]

Absolutely. It's one thing for a butchers shop to add one extra job into their day, but another thing altogether for a one-man operation to set up, do the job, and then do the clean up

And why having just one muntjac or roe in the larder to butcher becomes a bit of a pain, as it's not worth getting the mincer out for that little raw material. You always seem to end up spending more time cleaning up afterwards than you do processing the carcass itself!

 

[J@son]

to skin and butcher the deer

Small point but perhaps worth mentioning that my butcher won't accept animals in fur/feather - so I need to skin before I drop off. Other butchers local to me also require this so I think it's typical.

Our humble effort paled by comparison but was done to a standard we are both entirely happy with. The butcher charged £40 including burgers which when compared with our efforts was a steal! However, pure costs aside, as always we particularly enjoyed our own little “Glen to table” efforts and took great satisfaction from it and that you cannot put a price on.

Exactly my experience. There's definitely pleasure to be had in being able to cut up a carcass yourself but, for me, the realy joy is in picking up beautifully presented meat prepared by an expert.

 

[Foxyboy43]

Next time you're over you could drop your deer off with me in Angus to do if you'd like? I can turn them around in a day or so and store until you're ready. Just a thought, but the offer's there

Thank you for the very kind offer W - much obliged. Hope to be back in October/November so don’t answer the doorbell!!

 

[Woodsmoke]

Thank you for the very kind offer W - much obliged. Hope to be back in October/November so don’t answer the doorbell!!

Be my pleasure

 

[VSS]

For your interest, I thought I'd list what I got from the last fallow I cut up. I'd be curious to know how this compares to what you'd get back from a butcher after paying maybe £40 to have it done:

1x packs tenderloin fillets (2 per pack)
3x packs stewing dice
5x packs trimmed dice
6x packs grade 1 mince (500g per pack)
7x packs grade 2 mince (500g per pack)
5x packs loin fillet steaks (2 per pack)
6x packs haunch medalions (4 per pack)
2x boned haunch roasting joints
2x packs shins/shanks (2 per pack)
1x neck
2x breasts, boned and rolled.

 

[Woodsmoke]

For your interest, I thought I'd list what I got from the last fallow I cut up. I'd be curious to know how this compares to what you'd get back from a butcher after paying maybe £40 to have it done:

I certainly couldn't come close to producing all of that for £40 and be happy with the price. Perhaps, as I've said earlier, if it's being done as an extra job in a busy butchers shop, and by a junior staff member I could see it being viable, but if that's the price I had to charge I'd sooner not offer my services in the first place.

 

[IBD]

I certainly couldn't come close to producing all of that for £40 and be happy with the price. Perhaps, as I've said earlier, it's being done as an extra job in a busy butchers shop, and by a junior staff member I could see it being viable, but if that's the price I had to charge I'd sooner not offer my services in the first place.

Most like you say are commercial meat guys doing it so it’s just an add on bonus that doesn’t take someone very long and have commercial packing machines etc and before end of day / shift clean down.

What would I charge if someone asked me to hang, skin and process a roe.. not sure really.
Guess 2 hours work @£15-20 hour from start to finish but you’d get mince , steaks, fillets trimmed, tenderloins, one haunch boned and rolled and one as steaks.
Would do a good job but not best grade experienced butcher style and wouldn’t be in the commercial see through bags but amateur embossed bags etc

 

[Woodsmoke]

Most like you say are commercial meat guys doing it so it’s just an add on bonus that doesn’t take someone very long and have commercial packing machines etc and before end of day / shift clean down.

What would I charge if someone asked me to hang, skin and process a roe.. not sure really.
Guess 2 hours work @£15-20 hour from start to finish but you’d get mince , steaks, fillets trimmed, tenderloins, one haunch boned and rolled and one as steaks.
Would do a good job but not best grade experienced butcher style and wouldn’t be in the commercial see through bags but amateur embossed bags etc

My default is to produce one boned and rolled shoulder, one diced. Breast boned and rolled, neck trimmed and diced, loins are trimmed of sinew and vac-packed (I usually get three 180g sections (ish) that I vac-pack individually. If left to my own devices I tend to seam out one haunch and trim and net the roasts, keeping the trim for mince, and either dice or steak the second, keeping the rump caps for either stir-fry or mince. If I want sausages I bone out the intercostal meat too. Roe tenderloins tend to go in the mince pile too

 

[long_range_rob]

I use my village butcher for the occasional sausage/mince job where I deliver a skinned carcass and he runs off sausages or mince for me. He’s very reasonable but I’ve been buying all my meat (other than venison) from him for 21 years so have a pretty good relationship with him.

 

[gelert]

I am extremely lucky having been brought up on a small holding where we always killed our own lambs, pigs and beef.
I was shown from an early age by a master of his trade how to butcher an animal, then served as a butchers apprentice in my youth.
I have done and shown the basics to alot of people and have never asked for a penny for cutting a beast into primals.
Sausages and burgers require a lot more time and my local butcher charges around the £30 mark to turn a roe into sausages.
I would be happy distance depending to help anybody out.

 

[Woodsmoke]

I have done and shown the basics to alot of people and have never asked for a penny for cutting a beast into primals.

That's commendable. But if you were running a business that practice would end rather quickly, I fear

I'm more than happy to help anyone out too, albeit with the proviso that my time, skill, equipment, and materials are paid for.

 

[SteveW]

I've had a couple of butchers do some for me the first time was 3 muntjac he did a great job cutting and packing all as I asked. He only asked me for £20.00,I questioned was that correct and to take more but he wouldn't, ended up buying some meats off him I didn't really need to make me feel better!
Second guy in my village 3 sika was just before Xmas and he was umming & aahing about doing them for me ,told him from the off didn't want them doing for nothing, so dropped them with a case of beer picked them up a couple of hours later, not exactly how I asked for cuts wise and pretty rushed , again his mate and the young apprentice had done them between them in about hour he only asked me for either 25 or 30 quid so gave them another tenner
I would have no problem paying more as I think it is a great skill!

 

[Gmm243]

I butcher all my own sika but usually send the reds to a local butcher.Looking at this thread he is very good value.
I got 2 red hinds done in Feb.Roasts,stew,120 burgers, steaks,12lb of sausages and some mince.He charged me £70.

 

[Nimrod1960]

I like doing my own Munties and Roes, but no where near as efficient as a pro. Currently mulling over neck shots as engine room shots inevitably render at least one shoulder useless.

I did get a local butcher to do a small wild bore for me he changed £25 but I had to deal with waste via local hunt kennels.

Scott Rea utubes are a good reference , only wish he ran a few hands on courses. There appears to be a lack of carcass handling and butchery courses convenient from the midlands.

 

[willie_gunn]

I like doing my own Munties and Roes, but no where near as efficient as a pro. Currently mulling over neck shots as engine room shots inevitably render at least one shoulder useless.

I did get a local butcher to do a small wild bore for me he changed £25 but I had to deal with waste via local hunt kennels.

Scott Rea utubes are a good reference , only wish he ran a few hands on courses. There appears to be a lack of carcass handling and butchery courses convenient from the midlands.

Not exactly round the corner from you, but I can thoroughly recommend Greg at Lavenham Butchers in Suffolk. He runs a Muntjac Masterclass on a regular basis.

 

[Dave31]

I like doing my own Munties and Roes, but no where near as efficient as a pro. Currently mulling over neck shots as engine room shots inevitably render at least one shoulder useless.

I did get a local butcher to do a small wild bore for me he changed £25 but I had to deal with waste via local hunt kennels.

Scott Rea utubes are a good reference , only wish he ran a few hands on courses. There appears to be a lack of carcass handling and butchery courses convenient from the midlands.

Same problem in Scotland from what I can see. I would like to do a course or at least help out someone with the facilities and some experience when I have a bit more time on my hands.