The Country Meat Market

nowadays, we tend to buy most of our meat in big-box grocery chain stores. We don't have to do that, and in fact, some of the dying breed of Country Meat Markets have FAR superior meats. I'll showcase MY meat market (the one I shop at, there is a second good one but it is 14 miles west of me).

White's Country Meats is only a mile from me by road. When I get there, I find a parking place in their huge lot, go in and take a number from the machine by the door. Today, I got #63, and they were waiting on #59. The place was half-staffed at noon, only 5 clerks assisting at the single long meat counter, but I barely had time to admire the contents of the 10 feet of counter dedicated to sausages and bacons when my number was called. I ordered 16# of chicken wings, for the gudwife to make her famous Chinese Chicken Wings recipe for two potluck dinners we are attending this weekend, one small one with friends, and one at my Yacht Club, where we will host the kidz and grandkidz to watch the Christmas Ships parade by on the Rivr.

So, the clerk carefully packs the 4 bags of frozen wings into ONE shopping bag, and tosses in the order of Teriyaki Jerky I'd also bought (yummmmm). I pay and drive the short leg home. After I got home and arrayed the bags of wings in the garage to start to thaw, it occurred to me that this packaging was from another era, and deserves to be memorialized. For your viewing pleasure, a standard shopping bag from Fred Meyer, the local Kroger outlet chain, and next to it, the one from White's Meats:

Note that the grocery-chain bag is not only 25% smaller, it barely stands up when open and empty. The Whites bag is much heavier, AND they double-bagged the order!

Yep, there were young men and women shopping in that store that probably saw that the bags were bigger, and appreciate that, but would be astounded to hear that less than 20 years ago, ALL marketing bags were that big and that stout.

 

 

Comments

[Gerry N.]

Here in far away exotic Mountlake Terrace we have Double DD Meats. The Missus and I have been buying animal bits from them for over thirty five years. They know us by name and get my five landjeager out and into a plastic bag before the door closes behind me. They make all their own sausages and I like to experiment. I've yet to be disappointed. Sometimes I get hungry for boiled beans and ham hock so Double DD is my go-to place for ham hocks, and ham too for that matter. A little bit pricier than the local chain stores but much better meat. Their house made bacon is very spendy, but every once in a while.......

Gerry N.