London Butcher Shuts Down Rib-Eye Price Complaint

Proud Sow, a bespoke butcher at Crofton Road and Dulwich Village, London, responded to an online review complaining about the price of rib-eye steak and it puts the cost of quality into perspective.

The Google review, written by one Vincenzo Taddeo, complained that Proud Sow was charging £45 per kilo for rib-eye steak, which according to the reviewer is 2.3 times more expensive than supermarket chain Waitrose.

When asked why the price difference is so high, the reviewer said that Proud Sow explained the steak was “free-range”. The reviewer saw the price as completely unjustified and wondered if the Proud Sow is just a "pretentious shop owner trying to exploit people’s ignorance about food”.

The butcher posted his response on Instagram where, in the interests of transparency, he broke down the cost of the rib-eye steak at his shop and compared it to the Waitrose product. Quality doesn’t come cheap and when it becomes apparent what it takes to produce a high-quality rib-eye for free-range, low-yield beef farms, it is hard to dispute the price.

The response from Proud Sow has since gained traction on Instagram with the vast majority of comments supporting the butcher. It seems there will always be one to complain, but from the messages of support, it looks like the vast majority of customers are prepared to pay for better quality food.