Supermarket Cartels Treating Customers With Contempt

The price hike was necessary. Supermarkets are not charities and farmers need to be paid as do the butter makers

Make your own

Supermarkets are not charities. I didn't see any shortage of butter btw.

No shortage of butter here. If you think butter is too expensive you could try an alternative.

Here is an article from 'The Grocer' explaining what has been happening in the commodity (wholesale) market for butter.
www.thegrocer.co.uk/kvi-price-tracker/butter-prices-soar-by-a-fifth-amid-tight-milk-and-cream-supplies/697870.article .

As you will read, the whole sale price of butter has gone up 60% in the past year, so the price rise is not a unilateral decision by supermarkets to up their profits, but their response to rises in the cost further up the food chain.

I read a piece in the news yesterday about hundreds of people being hospitalised because of suffering
from vitamin deficiencies. They said it all starts with the food chain as people can't afford to eat nourishing
foods anymore. The price of free range chicken has risen considerably. Food prices are so much dearer now ,especially for pensioners.

I make my own butter, it takes around 5 minutes, tastes delicious and costs around half the price of supermarket butter.

Junoesque

Did anyone else notice the distinct shortage/absence of butter in the larger supermarkets just before Christmas? Not for the first time I have noticed this sudden generalized ‘shortage’ just before a price hike! Lo and behold it’s happened again before Christmas butter went from £1.69 to £1.89 just when we thought it couldn’t go any higher came the so called ‘shortage’ and yesterday the price was £1.99 !! Call me Mrs Cynical but it’s my belief that it was deliberately held back in order to facilitate
yet another price hike. I for one am getting sick and tired of supermarkets treating us with such contempt. Of course they’ve got us over a barrel and they know it, we have to feed ourselves and our families and if confronted they will trot out umpteen reasons why these price hikes are unavoidable. However in the words of Judge Judy ‘ Don’t pe* up my leg and tell me it’s raining’ Grrrr. Ok rant over best wishes to one and all for 2025.

The energy companies have been operating like this for years. Now it's the supermarkets turn. And let's not forget the water companies.
What riles me is the manufacturers and producers claim they're not making a profit, the wholesalers cry poverty and the supermarkets have the nerve to say they're margins are down to the bone......but then they say "you can always shop around!" and if that isn't contempt then I don't know what is.

God alone help us in April when everything is hiked straight through the roof!

Rip-off Britain alright.

Sago

I make my own butter, it takes around 5 minutes, tastes delicious and costs around half the price of supermarket butter.

That’s interesting, Sago. All the articles I’ve ever seen on making your own butter conclude that, although it’s a nice thing to do it’s really not cost effective. That might well have been before the price of butter had risen so steeply, though.

Can you give us some costings?

Sago

I make my own butter, it takes around 5 minutes, tastes delicious and costs around half the price of supermarket butter.

Ooh😊 Sago do tell!

The only way I know of to make butter is to shake, beat or churn double cream endlessly until it separates the fat from the liquid. I have only ever been able to make small quantities of butter as I don't have a churn and I had to use quite large quantities of double cream to achieve this.

Is there an easier/cheaper method?

I am not sure that vitamin deficiencies come from poverty; more from instant processed meals I would think. I followed a middle-aged couple round Aldi's yesterday and their trolley was stacked high with instant meals, very little fresh food.
I don't know their circumstances and they may well have been stocking up for someone unable to cook, and absolutelynot my business, but with reasonably pr iced fresh meat and vegetables in abundance it seemed an unhealthy and expensive way of living.

eazybee

I am not sure that vitamin deficiencies come from poverty; more from instant processed meals I would think. I followed a middle-aged couple round Aldi's yesterday and their trolley was stacked high with instant meals, very little fresh food.
I don't know their circumstances and they may well have been stocking up for someone unable to cook, and absolutelynot my business, but with reasonably pr iced fresh meat and vegetables in abundance it seemed an unhealthy and expensive way of living.

I completely agree. Very nourishing meals are easily and cheaply prepared from basic ingredients, without all the ultraprocessed rubbish. Trouble is that people in general have become lazy and then they moan when `edibles` are not handed out at charity prices

Time to get some cookbooks from the library junoesque

I buy spreadable butter for eating and unsalted butter for baking. I compared Aldi spreadable to Lurpak and found there was more dairy in the Aldi version than the other, so I buy that. At least it’s not quite so full of chemicals as butter substitute spreads. I’ve noticed butter going up and down in price over the last few years.

Most large businesses these days treat their customers with contempt!
Last year Hastings was charging me £450 for car insurance which I’d managed to negotiate after checking other providers. This year I had a renewal price of £750! I looked around and found a much better priced replacement. I went with that and called H to cancel. They tried to tempt me by matching the offer and I said no. Cheekily, I received an email telling me they would be taking the new premium by direct debit. Furious, I called them, complained vociferously, thanked their customer service person who had finally cancelled the direct debit! An hour later I received a call from one of the managers. I told her in no uncertain terms how disgusted I was with their business practice.

Anyway, I’m sorry to have high jacked your post! The whole thing makes my blood boil!

If you have a food processor with a plastic “S blade” you just add the cream and salt.
Whizz on high.
It takes about 3 minutes for the fat to separate and the butter to appear..
Place the butter in a colander or sieve and run the cold tap over it to rinse off the buttermilk, ( you can use this for baking).
Now place the butter on some grease proof paper and roll, a little more to squeeze out anymore butter milk.
Put in containers and refrigerate or freeze.

I buy Lidl/Aldi double cream or just grab it if it’s on offer.
8oz beautiful butter costs me around £1

For a treat I buy Jersey cream!

How much cream do you need for 8oz butter, Sago?

Thanks Sago brilliant. It never occurred to me to use a food processor, not that I have one.

Yes, there were shortages of butter here and the price has gone up to well over over £2 for a 200g pack whereas it used to weigh 250g.

However, dairy farmers have been short-changed for years, many gave up, some committed suicide so I am in favour of farmers getting a fair deal and being able to make a living from their hard work.

Nanato3

I read a piece in the news yesterday about hundreds of people being hospitalised because of suffering
from vitamin deficiencies. They said it all starts with the food chain as people can't afford to eat nourishing
foods anymore. The price of free range chicken has risen considerably. Food prices are so much dearer now ,especially for pensioners.

Fresh foods are cheaper than processed foods. They do require more preparation and cooking, yes, but even so, it would work out cheaper.

In many areas there are community fridges where anyone can go and pick up bags of fresh food which is supermarket surplus, donated by growers etc.
People do not need to be recommended by GPs or social workers to use these community food hubs.

And, whilst free range and organic products might be desirable and those who can afford to buy them perhaps should, they are not actually necessary.

Indigo8

The only way I know of to make butter is to shake, beat or churn double cream endlessly until it separates the fat from the liquid. I have only ever been able to make small quantities of butter as I don't have a churn and I had to use quite large quantities of double cream to achieve this.

Is there an easier/cheaper method?

I did once accidentally make butter from double cream, after whipping it for too long in my trusty old Kenwood Chef. It took only a few minutes.

MaizieD

How much cream do you need for 8oz butter, Sago?

Around 300ml carton will make appx 8oz.
I use half a teaspoon of crushed rock salt per 300ml.

I have made it on occasion.
Once accidentally!

Junoesque

Did anyone else notice the distinct shortage/absence of butter in the larger supermarkets just before Christmas? Not for the first time I have noticed this sudden generalized ‘shortage’ just before a price hike! Lo and behold it’s happened again before Christmas butter went from £1.69 to £1.89 just when we thought it couldn’t go any higher came the so called ‘shortage’ and yesterday the price was £1.99 !! Call me Mrs Cynical but it’s my belief that it was deliberately held back in order to facilitate
yet another price hike. I for one am getting sick and tired of supermarkets treating us with such contempt. Of course they’ve got us over a barrel and they know it, we have to feed ourselves and our families and if confronted they will trot out umpteen reasons why these price hikes are unavoidable. However in the words of Judge Judy ‘ Don’t pe* up my leg and tell me it’s raining’ Grrrr. Ok rant over best wishes to one and all for 2025.

Cows produce less milk and cream in winter eating silage etc than when they are outside in the warmer months eating grass.

A decreased supply = higher prices.

Ooh yummy Sago pass me a crumpet…