Meat Eaters Gulp Record Prices Before U.S. Grilling Peaks

[Purveyor]

By Megan Durisin Mar 25, 2014 12:49 PM ET

Competitive eater and restaurant owner Jamie McDonald had no problem downing almost a dozen 11.5-ounce hamburgers in 10 minutes, or 9 pounds, 7.4 ounces of pulled pork. It’s the cost of the meat that’s making him gag.

McDonald, who used $70,000 of his eating-contest prizes since 2012 to open Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ last June in Windsor, Connecticut, plans to raise menu prices 10 percent to limit the profit squeeze on 5,000 pounds (2.27 metric tons) of weekly meat purchases. His bill reached $12,000 as beef costs jumped 30 percent in six months and pork surged 20 percent in March.

“That’s not going to be the last increase,” said McDonald, 37, known as “The Bear” and the All Pro Eating Promotions title holder in apple pie, fried pies, hamantash, hamburgers, onion rings, pulled pork and (hands free) pumpkin pie. “There’s not really an end in sight yet.”

At a time of year when U.S. prices usually are at seasonal lows, meat is rising faster than almost every other food group, even before the peak in demand for summer grilling. The domestic cattle herd is the smallest since 1951, after years of drought and high feed costs, and the spread of a piglet-killing disease is tightening hog supplies. Cattle and hog futures in Chicago reached record highs this month.

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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-24/meat-eaters-gulp-record-prices-before-u-s-grilling-peaks.html

[NightWatcher]

1. I don't eat meat daily, but I'll save up for a good piece

As Spring comes, I do love to grill some animal flesh.

I'd rather have one good chop or steak a week than 5 cheap pieces of shoeleather steak.