Teaching new meat customers what to expect

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shaz

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I'm sure you guys go through this all the time. I need to educate some new customers that are splitting a 1/2 steer what cuts are available. I've handled this in the past by dealing with the butcher myself and hauling the customers meat for them. They just pick it up at the farm. I did this to make sure I didn't have problems with the butcher.

I want to get out of that loop and let customers deal with the butcher now that I have 2 that I trust.

So, is there a generic chart or order form that explains cuts? The butcher will guide them to some extent but these customers need to reach an agreement before hand on how they're going to split.

How do you do it without teaching class?
 
One other thing is that consumers need to understand is which steak or other cuts they won't get, depending on how they instruct the butcher to cut up the primal cuts.
You can't have (for instance) 7 steaks if you want 7 roast and can't get top blade steaks if you want a blade roast. Can't get top blade steaks if you want flat irons.
 
The butcher will guide them to some extent but these customers need to reach an agreement before hand on how they're going to split.
Keep it simple.
1. call 1/2s sides of beef, it's self explanatory and avoids "I want the rear 1/2"

2. explain it's custom processing and have each buyer deal directly with the butcher themselves. Processing is between the buyer and butcher, don't confuse it by getting involved. Butchers can explain the options and their fees best.
Plus your liability is eliminated if the butcher screws up.
 
If you are sell 1/2's they should be sides not front /back half
Front half is not equal to the back half
 
Clicking the above long link will result in an 8mb download of the beef cut poster if you don't have protocol in place to prevent it.

It is a very good chart tho and includes some good typical instructions and my antivirus shows it to be a clean and harmless download.
 
If someone Wants a 1/4 beef we call it a split side, the butcher charges $10 each to divide the meat. The front and rear quarters are not the same. Fancy extra is gonna be more.
 
If someone Wants a 1/4 beef we call it a split side, the butcher charges $10 each to divide the meat.
We call them a mixed 1/4, butcher divides the side equally between the front 1/4 and rear 1/4. Most butchers charge $10 per 1/4 for dividing, but I know one who still does it for free.
 
I'm sure you guys go through this all the time. I need to educate some new customers that are splitting a 1/2 steer what cuts are available. I've handled this in the past by dealing with the butcher myself and hauling the customers meat for them. They just pick it up at the farm. I did this to make sure I didn't have problems with the butcher.

I want to get out of that loop and let customers deal with the butcher now that I have 2 that I trust.

So, is there a generic chart or order form that explains cuts? The butcher will guide them to some extent but these customers need to reach an agreement before hand on how they're going to split.

How do you do it without teaching class?
I was a journeyman butcher before going to the oil field.The first thing is it's not an elephant their picking up. On average a 3/4" cut t-bone is about 8-10 a side, rib eyes about the same depending on the thickness of cut cut. Also they need to understand that 60-70% is hamburger.
I haven't seen a butcher cut a crown or pikes peak roast in twenty years.
 
If you are sell 1/2's they should be sides not front /back half
Front half is not equal to the back half
I don't sell anything smaller than 1/2. I have customers who split halves though.
 
All customers that get a 1/2, get the half on the side... not front or back...Each half is cut according to how that person wants it... each can be cut entirely different as it is a completely separate 1/2 that is hanging... they are not attached when it comes to cutting. They then get to decide how they want some things cut... and if you get t-bones you will not get ny strips... and anything with a backbone piece has to be from an animal under 30 months... Fed law on the Mad cow disease thing...
There are lots of charts as several others have said...
Our butcher will split a 1/2 into 2 quarters... but they are cut the same for the half... so one cannot get thick steaks and the other thin steaks.... costs a little to split in 1/4 as they have to freeze it separate and the cuts are split into trays before freezing to make sure they are equally split.
 
Keep it simple.
1. call 1/2s sides of beef, it's self explanatory and avoids "I want the rear 1/2"

2. explain it's custom processing and have each buyer deal directly with the butcher themselves. Processing is between the buyer and butcher, don't confuse it by getting involved. Butchers can explain the options and their fees best.
Plus your liability is eliminated if the butcher screws up.
That's exactly what I'm doing. I have noticed that the people who split a side usually wish they had just bought the entire 1/2.
 
To me this is the worst part about direct marketing is the unreal expectation some customers have. I have one customer that buys a quarter every time I butcher some, he'll either complain of too many roasts and not enough ground or too much ground and not enough roasts, he can't understand that you can't have it both ways.
 
So those selling meat that doesn't go through your hands after processing.
How are you guaranteeing grade and quality?? How are you handling customer satisfaction issues???
Total confidence in the butcher for one. I know that anything that comes off my place will grade some degree of choice.

In the past I've had to screen everything personally. Found this butcher years ago and had no issue but I've got horror stories with others.
 
To me this is the worst part about direct marketing is the unreal expectation some customers have. I have one customer that buys a quarter every time I butcher some, he'll either complain of too many roasts and not enough ground or too much ground and not enough roasts, he can't understand that you can't have it both ways.
You could sell individual cuts but that's a whole different set of problems. I got out of that business in 2008.
 
Unless what ever facility you are using is usda certified you can't sell meat .
When we do it we sell shares or parts of a live animal that we then deliver to the butcher . It is their live animal that is delivered to the butcher . So they contact the butcher For cutting instructions and pay him directly .we usually have butcher dates at the butcher we prefer but they are also told we will deliver to a different one within a certain area but they have to make the arrangements with their butcher
 
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