It might be worth checking out a Halal butcher if you ca. My wife picked up some cheap, delicious lamb cutlets.

Mmmmm, lamb chops....

There's rabbit and horse and venison as well in our local Co-op.

Have you tried those yet or is what you are really saying is that it's not exactly the same as home?

My local Coop had those too, plus ostrich and duck. I wish I had that choice here in the uk too. I get beef, pork, lamb and chicken. That's it.

Is it a small Coop? The one back home really has no other choice than those mentioned by the OP. The Migros has some rabbit every 2 weeks or so, but that's it!

Hmmmmmm - Ostrich

Lovely meat.

If you're interested we saw a speciality butcher in Glarus offering Zebra

I realize that working people don't have much opportunity / time compared to opening hours for their work and that this has some impact upon how far they're willing to travel but... near me there are THREE Coop locations within "easy" walking distance as well as two Migros, two Denner, a Portuguese butcher and a variety of ethnically owned "lebensmittel" shops.

While at least one of the Coop and one of the Migros shops both close early (630pm or earlier), another Coop location is open until 8pm.

In addition to these shops within walking distance, a short bus or tram ride puts me in easy reach of two Aldi locations that each also are open until 8pm, the Migros at the train station, open until 7pm and the big MParc that is open until 8pm.

That is all without crossing any borders btw. so I find it hard to believe that it would be so different in Luzern.

The variety of meats here is fairly seasonal - you should be seeing some wild meats coming available at the butcher counters within the next couple of weeks.



Meanwhile, with all that said... I do feel you, really. What is on offer here is different than what many of us are used to elsewhere. The trick is to arrange your time so that you can go to a variety of places, maybe not all on the same day... and this takes some work in getting familiar with your nearest 6 - 10 blocks. Next time you're off, just go walking around your "neighborhood" and see what's there. Chances are, there is more variety than you realize.

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The Joys of Opticianry

http://www.leshop.ch/leshop/Main.do?...7_Butcher_Meat

My friend - methinks that online shopping is the way to go for you - have it delivered on a Saturday or in the evening. It may not be totally ideal, but it's probably a larger choice than you'll find in some piddly little local Migros

Alternative with COOP (they carry more brands apparently) - Coop@Home

I'm sorry. I dated a vegan. I know it can be rough, but you really have to draw the line at being proposed to over a Tofurky dinner.

But yes check out the larger stores. And look for the 3 M Migroses if that's your chain of preference. (I always marvel whenever I tell someone about the number of Ms on the outside of a Migros, and the person doesn't already know this...). I myself have sworn off Migros as the scourge of the earth for lack of variety and will only shop at Coop.

Obviously there is variety, you just don't want to pay for it!

Obviously, you go shopping at SOME point...? Try saturday? Then there is even more half-off stuff. I usually buy a load and throw it in the freezer.
And yeah. Importing meat from half around the world, that makes sense.
I refuse to buy lamb from Australia because it's f*ing ridiculous. I'm not a hippie or anything, but is a little social responsability too much to ask for?
If you buy more swiss meat it will become cheaper eventually. The invisible hand is not only for jerking off bankers.

When will you guys get it? It's not the size. It's how you use it!

No argument there.

You stated you liked veggies. So what's wrong with trying what's available? Aubergines (eggplants) from my Weber is one of the best things ever (soak them in olive oil and they will be just as bad for you as bbq rips).
I once bought half a lamb from a local farmer for a very reasonal price. Be a little more resourceful?

I do have several jobs and throw BBQs with my friends all the time.

On second thought, don't thinks so. Not into the whiney type

Support your local butcher's - like the baker's they all have their own specialities and if you buy carefully (special offers, etc) often cheaper than supermarkets. And sometimes, less is more ... we eat less meat since we've moved here, but excellent quality.
In our village there is an excellent Portuguese fish mongers Helm.

Not sure where your "back home" is. I shopped in Volkiland, Volketswil or in the Migros in Uster. In the smaller shops, it might be worth talking to the butcher to see if he/she can order something for you. Or check online for some other choices.

I have only seen Venison once here in my local Morrisons (uk). It was minced and formed as burgers or meatballs. It was yuk.

In the ass of the world I live I have to be lucky the fish is not older than a week old If you want to do a fancy Portuguese dinner for your friends, you have to go for frozen fish, which really doesn't taste the same, even with all the tricks of grandmother Usually end up on the meat, but have to travel to Hinwill for it (no butchery in the small village I live in).

But local bakery gets cleared up of mohnbrötchen (or opium bread as I used to call it) every weekend Bread from bakery is the best

Let's just say I can't wait to move to my new home next year There is a bunch of old styled little shops that I will love invading

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Fighting for Pluto's liberation from the Dwarf League since 2006 @(°.°)=@)x.X)' ' '

so you should be!

I nearly had a panic attack when I ventured back into a US food store the other day. It was overwhelming.

Summary:

Whine, Switzerland is not Sweden!

(also a hint for our US friends)

Wow, i guess i just got pwned. All my base belongs to you.

And in regards to me being whiny, youre in the complains corner, here is where we come to whine.

Now go back to your drum circle.

Ok...

Hey man, I realize that Switzerland isn't the US BUT when something is labeled "American BBQ" I expect it to taste like something from home, not like salt and more salt with a hint of some paprika!

The little jar of "Mexican BBQ" that is together with all the other sauces for fondue chinoise tastes EXACTLY like "Manwich" which is a sloppy-joe making sauce. We will have to query Coconails and Ouchboy how "Mexican" that stuff actually is but the "American" stuff very often is very far from it so I have reason to doubt.



I think the largest part of the problem for many expats who come here to work for multi-national / international corporations is that they have to work the same sort of crazy hours as they do in the US, Aus and UK while trying to LIVE on Swiss time and it simply doesn't work. One or the other should give - personally, I'm in favor of ensuring an improved match-up of working hours to local life hours.

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The Joys of Opticianry

Swiss consumer will import meat for around 1 Billion Swiss Francs on private basis in 2011. In general people eat less meat than 10 years ago because of the high prices. Either the shops cope with reality or they go bankrupt.

Most of the meat I use comes from a "biohof", good meat at reasonable prices (for Switzerland). Sometimes the cheaper parts (liver, ragout) are even tastier then all the steaks and stuff.