Some of our readers have sent in recommendations for good butchers and fishmongers. Let us know if you try these out!
From Alice-Mary
Not a great fish cooker myself but the housemates have a lot of good things to say about the new ‘Sea Pearls‘ fishmonger on South Richmond Street in Portobello – bright clean place with fresh and tasty fish at very reasonable prices and apparently the guys running the place are nice too. It’s been fish for dinner and fishcakes for supper here in our house.
From Frugalista
The Dublin Meat Company: a direct selling craft butcher from factory to public. I availed of the offer of 10 good sized chicken fillets for 10 euro and 2Ib of round steak mince for 5 euro. These are big savings v Supervalue or Tesco. I also bought homemade chunky burgers I think they were 6 burgers for 4 euro – they were devoured at tea last night enjoyed by all, great quality. It was easy to find and accessible. Btw it is in Artane off the Malahide road, in Dublin.
From Cathy
There’s a great butchers beside Tesco in Greystones that offer 10 chicken breasts for €10. They also have really good mince…
Monday 16 February, 2009 at 3:46 pm
I recommend the butchers on the main st in Rathmines – the meat is fantastic, cheaper than the supermarkets and the service is friendly and helpful.
Monday 16 February, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Good does not necessarily equal cheap when it comes to meat, for me… I shudder to think where those 10 for €10 chicken breasts came from.
Lidl are introducing free-range chicken in their UK outlets – hopefully they’ll follow suit over here soon, should help drive free range prices down across the board.
Monday 16 February, 2009 at 4:10 pm
I have to agree with Cathy’s comment.. I got my Christmas Turkey from that butcher and it was the nicest one I ever had !!
Monday 16 February, 2009 at 11:10 pm
I would highly recommend Ennis butchers, Rialto. You could do your weekly shop with them if you wanted. They have everything. Reasonably priced, good quality and very efficient.
Monday 16 February, 2009 at 11:39 pm
Ennis is my local butchers as well, Orl! And they do very nice chicken fillets for €1.50 each, so 10 for €10 isn’t that much of a stretch, especially if the butchers are larger and have a higher turnover.
Tuesday 17 February, 2009 at 10:29 am
has anyone tried KISH fish in smithfield ? i always see the vans and mean to check it out ..
Tuesday 17 February, 2009 at 10:30 am
Hi Guys,
talking about cheap meat. there is a meat factory shop in finglas on the north road and the value is brilliant. i went there on saturday and its like really cheap. i got 4 fillet steaks and 10 large chicken fillets for only €7.49 (!!!!) for only €10. they have loads of stuff and its really lovely. i was sceptic about the “cheap” steaks but they are savage! who ever wants to save money on meat try it out. they have a website (www.gahanmeats.ie) but I wasn’t able to log on. dunno why. but i’ll be definately goin back for more meats.
Tuesday 17 February, 2009 at 10:48 am
I would like to recommend Courtney Meats In the KCR Industrail Estate. the food is really nice and good value. On saturdays they have a chef there and you can sample the food they cook.
Tuesday 17 February, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Anybody know if any of these butchers (or others) do organic meat? I’ve bought Superquinn’s own-brand organic chicken pieces twice in the past two weeks and have had to bring them back both times because they stank – literally.
OK I know this is the cheap eats blog and organic meat can be pricey, but when it comes to food – and meat in particular – I always question why something can be so cheap. I agree with Catherine (above). Quality is what counts.
Tuesday 17 February, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Hi Gordon…we love quality food, and think it’s worth spending money on, but also hate being ripped off.
I think local butchers only seem too cheap if you’re used to paying Superquinn prices. That’s shocking about their organic meat!
My local butchers’ chicken breasts are really good quality, I notice a big difference between them and the more expensive ones that Centra sell.
Tuesday 17 February, 2009 at 2:47 pm
I should have clarified – I’d much sooner put my trust in a local butcher than a big supermarket. My point about the meat was a general one, eg if you see a whole chicken for anywhere between €3 and €5 you can be sure it’s never set foot outside a battery. Keep up the good work on the site!
Tuesday 17 February, 2009 at 10:59 pm
Gordon my friend Ronan raves about the organic butchers Lalor’s in upper Rathmines. I’d say it’s little pricey but worth it for special occasions.
Wednesday 18 February, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Feck just for special occasions tob! Lalor’s is so fantastic I go there despite living in a different county. A bit pricey alright but always great meat and fish and all the trimmings. And the staff are lovely. They’ll sort you out for odd requests like suet, etc. and there’s toys for kids to occupy themselves.
Wednesday 18 February, 2009 at 3:37 pm
Hi Gordon,
You can try Downeys Org butchers in Terenure, though I find them surly, and prefer to go to O’Tooles Org Butchers, also in Terenure and in Glasthule (may be an outlet near Ringsend too). They are fervent about quality, and happy to talk about where the meat comes from, how its reared, and the difficulties in sourcing organic meat (particularly pork) in Ireland.
Other great shops, though somewhat off the beaten track (ie Kildare) are Nolans Butchers of Naas and Kilcullen (non-organic though), and Castlefarm Shop near Athy, where their organic chickens are worth driving for, and their cattle are looking in the window at you, as you buy a fillet of their sister.
I have also heard of Farrellys in Delgany; Goodherdsmen and Hickeys in Tipperary, and many others in the culinary powerhouse of Cork.
Wednesday 18 February, 2009 at 6:31 pm
My mother swears by O’Donovan’s in Rathgar but, for my money, it’s Ennis in Rialto all the way. Even their mince is high quality – ground round steak instead of the mixture of horse buttock and sawdust you might get from a supermarket.
Wednesday 18 February, 2009 at 7:50 pm
Brendan’s butchers at 4 Anges Rd on the Crumlin Rd are offering their customers good choice and value.
For just five euro you can choose from 6 Chicken Fillets or 8 Lamb Cutlets or 4 Stuffed or Marinated Pork Chops or 5 Centreloin Lamb Chops or 1kg Bacon Joint or 6 Frozen Southerned Fried Chicken Fillets or 5 Gigot Lamb Chops or a shoulder of Bacon or 3 Ham Hocks.
Brendan’s also have 10 pork chops for 10 euro
Saturday 21 February, 2009 at 10:05 am
i would highley reccomend brendans on agnes road in crumlin village… they have fast,friendley and quality service. The meat is top notch and the prices are very low. Also there are constantley diffrent deals which are hard to say no to.. great reccession buster if your looking to save a few shillings
Wednesday 25 March, 2009 at 10:34 pm
I find CourtneyMeats on Ravendale Road great value and good quality meat better than the supermarkets
Wednesday 25 March, 2009 at 10:35 pm
for got to say its factory shop and they have oened 1 in Meath Street
Monday 30 March, 2009 at 5:54 pm
iv been shopping in both cosgrave butchers in the ashleaf shopping center crumlin and the omni park for a couple of years now and can only say good things about both shops, they excel in quality price and customer serivce.
ps. i often use my George Forman grill as a gauge to see how much grease is in my food. 4 dennys sausages almost filled the grease dish, while 4 cosgraves sausages produced only a quarter of than in the dennys!
Saturday 6 June, 2009 at 7:01 pm
i would highly recommend DOCKERY MEATS butchers i strokestown ,we were passing through going home to mayo .he had a special on `10 BURGERS,5 LAMB CHOPS, 4 STRIPLOIN STEAKS AND A LARGE CHICKEN FOR 27:99 great value good quality and very efficient
Wednesday 31 August, 2011 at 9:01 pm
recommend beast butchers, holyrood, sandymount. no idea where the meat comes from but it’s good.