BiLo is going away....

[Gonna Smoke]

Just a little bit of a rant.....

So, here in South Carolina, as well as North Carolina and Georgia, one of my go-to grocers will cease to exist very shortly. BiLo stores are being sold off and the ones that aren't sold will be closed permanently, I have a good friend who is a store manager for them and he explained what was happening. Food Lion and Lowe's Foods are the primary buyers. There was a time when I liked Food Lion, but in a cost cutting measure, they no longer have meat cutters, just meat stockers very similar to Walmart. About the only thing that I can get cut is ribeyes or N.Y. strips. Everything else comes to the store pre-cut and packaged. If it needs to be cut on a band saw, you can forget it. Lowe's Foods pushes only grass fed beef, but I'd like other options. My choices now for a grocery store to buy USDA Choice beef have been reduced to Publix, which if fairly convenient but much more expensive, and Kroger, which isn't as convenient. For beef only, I have a butcher shop that I can use, but it's not real close, either.

For those who are unfamiliar with Lowe's Foods, it was started by the same family that started Lowe's Home Improvement stores....

 

[SmokinGame]

I feel your pain. We are limited in our area, primarily because we are rural. Everything is prepackaged around us. Our local grocery store in our small town will cut something for you, but their meat quality is mediocre and expensive. There is a "butcher" about 10 miles away, but over the past 1-2 years, more and more of their meats are prepackaged and selection is getting smaller. We have a couple meat processers within 30 miles (I take my deer, etc. there) but to get anything "special" I may have to buy at least a 1/4 of cow or hog. Best option for variety and, in most cases, quality is the Sam's Club about 30 miles down the road. I have started doing more on-line orders and having it shipped.

 

[912smoker]

Yep also lost our Harvey's in my area too. Could usually find or have cut what I wanted at one or the other. And they had very good prices. We've got a Publix set to open by the end of the yr but not a fan of them or the Lion.

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Food Lion is the most convenient store for me and when they had a full service meat department, I would shop there. They do sell USDA Choice beef at reasonable prices, but if I can't get what I need cut, then I have no use for them....

 

[JC in GB]

In this regard, I must say I am glad to live in Wisconsin.

There are numerous places to get USDA and farm to table raised meats here.

I wish you luck in finding a place to get what you are looking for.

Is there a Gordon Food Service or other food wholesaler in your area you can use?

I use wholesalers as much as I can to get great pricing on meats. The only problem is I usually have to buy cases and you run out of freezer room fast that way.

JC

 

[SmokinVOLfan]

Food Lion here is somewhat different. They will cut all shorts of roasts and steaks and if you want something special and they have it will help you out. They also cut some pork and chicken. However there is no meat counter you have to ring the bell and ask the butcher if you want something specific. Haven't seen a Bilo around here in 15 years!

 

[Wurstmeister]

Just a little bit of a rant.....

So, here in South Carolina, as well as North Carolina and Georgia, one of my go-to grocers will cease to exist very shortly. BiLo stores are being sold off and the ones that aren't sold will be closed permanently, I have a good friend who is a store manager for them and he explained what was happening. Food Lion and Lowe's Foods are the primary buyers. There was a time when I liked Food Lion, but in a cost cutting measure, they no longer have meat cutters, just meat stockers very similar to Walmart. About the only thing that I can get cut is ribeyes or N.Y. strips. Everything else comes to the store pre-cut and packaged. If it needs to be cut on a band saw, you can forget it. Lowe's Foods pushes only grass fed beef, but I'd like other options. My choices now for a grocery store to buy USDA Choice beef have been reduced to Publix, which if fairly convenient but much more expensive, and Kroger, which isn't as convenient. For beef only, I have a butcher shop that I can use, but it's not real close, either.

For those who are unfamiliar with Lowe's Foods, it was started by the same family that started Lowe's Home Improvement stores....

Our BI-LO stores went away about 2 years ago. Not crazy about Walmart, Sam's Club or Kroger's selection. And can't afford Publix selections. I buy my primal meats and other stocks from the US Food Chef Store in Columbia, cut it (hand meat saw!), vacuum seal and freeze. Time consuming, good arm exercise, and fun. Plus you get a sense of accomplishment when you look at the finished products. With the large amount of meat processing expert videos on You Tube, it's a great learning experience. Our first experiment with different meats, with the wife assisting, was a whole Beef Knuckle. Following a You Tube video on Beef Knuckles, cut it up into 3 major pieces shown on the video, made it into beef stew, steaks, and a wonderful roast that smoked just perfectly. Opens up a whole different world of flavors!

 

[Wurstmeister]

912Smoker - Thanks for the Like. Really appreciate it.

 

[Central PA Cowboy]

Not gonna lie, I love Walmart’s meats. Best ribeyes I’ve had in this area. It’s not expensive either. My Dad is a big steak guy and agrees. But, that’s how business works.

 

[TuckersBarbeque]

I have a Food Lion, Lowes, and a Publix all within 3 miles of my house.
Depending on the meat defines where I"ll go.
Publix has a butcher on staff and they'll cut anything for you how you want; they also carry the beef tenderloins, lamb legs, etc. Food lion is just a stocker that only stocks what i'd call standard grocery meats. Lowes does a little bit better job with selections and thicker cuts, but are primarily just a stocker as well.

 

[Gonna Smoke]

In this regard, I must say I am glad to live in Wisconsin.

There are numerous places to get USDA and farm to table raised meats here.

I wish you luck in finding a place to get what you are looking for.

Is there a Gordon Food Service or other food wholesaler in your area you can use?

I use wholesalers as much as I can to get great pricing on meats. The only problem is I usually have to buy cases and you run out of freezer room fast that way.

JC

Yes, we have a Chef's Store which I would imagine is very similar to your Gordon Food Service. It's a brick and mortar store for U.S. Foods and they sell a lot of primal cuts, but you really have to know what you're looking at. Much of it IS NOT choice or prime, but some is.

Food Lion here is somewhat different. They will cut all shorts of roasts and steaks and if you want something special and they have it will help you out. They also cut some pork and chicken. However there is no meat counter you have to ring the bell and ask the butcher if you want something specific. Haven't seen a Bilo around here in 15 years!

Not sure about Food Lion in Knoxville, but out of curiosity, go back and ask the butcher if he can cut you a 2" thick T-bone or bone-in pork chop. Let me know what he says. I tried to get a 4" thick BONELESS chuck roast cut and was told that they all come in pre-cut so that was not an option...

 

[Wurstmeister]

Just reading these comments shows how things change by region, even with the same suppliers and how subjective results are. One thing is for sure, we all make the best use of whatever is available to us from whatever source we find. Thank you for your knowledge and the willingness to share with us!!!

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Thanks for the "likes", guys.

BiLo was convenient to me and I had come to know the meat cutters. I won't say that they looked out for me, but they knew what I liked and expected. It takes a while to build that kind of relationship and now that's gone.

 

[912smoker]

Yep same here. Knew the guys at BL and Harvey's. Would ask their opinion on certain cuts. We still have a local meat market that get more support from me ....and our sure others now. And a Food World that has a meat cutter that I occasionally use. Just not my favorite store

 

[SmokinAl]

Check out Wildforkfoods.com, I think they deliver up as far as you, but when you get to their site, they ask for your zip code, and then tell you if they deliver to your area. For $29 a year you get free overnight delivery. They have sushi grade salmon I use for lox, USDA Prime meats, and all kinds of beef , pork, & seafood. Everything that I have got from them has been first class. And their prices aren’t much higher than a butcher store, and in some cases they are lower.
Al

 

[912smoker]

Thanks for the info Al ! I'll definitely check them out!