While we’re on the topic of tainted food being withdrawn from the shelves of Hungarian retailers, I might as well mention a related incident I experienced first-hand this past Saturday. On the way out to my little countryside spot on Saturday, I stopped by the Tesco in Budaőrs to stock up on various necessities and non-necessities for the weekend. While browsing the meat department I was surprised to find two different stacks of vacuum-packed marha vesepecsenye (beef tenderloin) in the cooler, the second pile being composed of cuts approaching their expiration date, and thus marked down roughly 30%. Intrigued by the notion of getting a relative bargain on this most pricy of beef cuts – the regular price was a daunting Ft 5,499 (€20) per kilo – I chose a bag from this second pile. I chose unwisely.
Now, before anyone calls up the animal rights hotline and reports me, note that I joined the dog in this dubious feast, and neither of us showed any ill-effects the follow day. But unlike the dog, who just couldn’t get enough of the stuff, I couldn’t help but notice that it smelled and tasted more than a little doggie, even after being marinated in five-alarm Jamaican jerk sauce for upwards of five hours and then seared to a crisp on the grill. (The dog took hers with just a pinch of salt and whatever was on the grass.)
While some readers will take this as just more proof of the perfidious nature of Tesco and other multinational hypermarkets, I wouldn’t go that far, especially given all the putrid hús I’ve been sold by small-time Hungarian meat-mongers that wasn’t marked down. Still, for Ft 3,945 a kilo, you’d think they’d make sure they are not caught trying to pass off things that clearly don’t pass the sniff test. Though I know someone who couldn’t disagree more.
I wouldnt eat meat from Tesco.hu if you paid me.
you cant blame foreign companies…Hungarians are the ones
managing the stores…think about it. [go to tesco in England and
see if its any difference. You can go from tesco country side to
city side and see a difference just here in hungary.]
poor management, we have a new tesco and it was in shambles
the day it opened…the manager should be fired, and I will agree
- its the crap foreign stores that do make it to Hungary and dont
train the staff well enough, and dont care. [sorry for that
Hungary, to bad you get the shit of the west first.]
WholeFoods, come on over…truly amazing how life can be a bit
different…not all multi-national companies are bad, but know
this, if your not in the money…you are part of a planned
obsolescence it would seem. [which is a shame the world is as
greedy as it is, there truly is enough of the good stuff to go
around.] – wake up, before its to late.
You are so right Mike you cannot compare Tescos in UK with Tescos here in Hungary and as you rightly say the stores here are ran by Hungarians.
having experienced tesco’s both in Hungary and the UK, regardless of the staff/managers, the quality sucks – there is no other way to have such low prices but to sell absolute rubbish. Whole foods on the other hand, has decent stuff but they sell it at grossly inflated prices (I’ve worked it out that is costs nearly .70 sterling per olive from the deli) while pumping whale music into the ears of patrons.. One exploits those counting their pennies the other the other those who aspire to show off their wealth. Go to a market or baker/greengrocer etc either in H or the UK and you can get decent food at decent prices. And it gives you the best chance at good customer service in Hungary, something we could use more of!