Looking at getting groceries on-line. So far I've just looked at Hungry Root and Omaha Steaks. Hungry Root is out as it is just too expensive. Omaha Steaks looks to be in a quite decent price range. Actually it looks like I could do for less than what I pay at my local grocery store but I haven't looked at adding sides yet, just meat. Probably over 15 years ago I was given a gift certificate to Omaha Steaks as a bonus for some computer work and used it. Can't really remember much but then I can't remember anything bad so that is good. If I end up doing it I would probably just order once a month, after a smaller test order, as I have a chest freezer for storage.

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We're possibly going to get lost in translation here, but i've been ordering my food shopping (groceries, i think you call it?) online for more years than i can remember, the one thing i always look out for is a 'quality guarantee' in that if i'm not happy with the produce i can get a no quibble refund, or hand it back to the delivery driver for a full refund of that item (especially if it's a supermarket that delivers)... it doesn't happen often and when it does it's usually due to a short shelf-life because the picker/packer didn't check the dates on the product, or it was damaged in transit.

A by-product of the pandemic has been that a whole lot more specialist businesses other than supermarkets where i live (e.g. butchers, fishmongers etc) opened websites to try and sell their produce because walk-in trade wasn't allowed at that time and they had produce they needeed to sell, or it would spoil.
Trade only businesses also had a tonne of food they couldn't sell because hotels and restaurants weren't allowed to open so they had to find a way to shift their stock or they'd lose the cost of the stock... it was a fire sale if you knew where to look!
Damn there were some good deals to be had back then, in 2020 i bought a 2KG whole beef fillet from a local trade only (wholesale) butcher for less than £77, today it's £135 for 1.5KG on their consumer page!!

If you're new to online shopping for food you'll more than likely get stung a few times but you'll know where to avoid the next time.

Another tip that might help, next time you're out and about, take note of the companies that deliver to your favourite places to eat and check if they have a website you can order their products from (or ask inside who their supplier is).

I know the pandemic is supposedly over but thanks to my job back then i was able to open up a whole world of suppliers that i'd never have otherwise thought about

Omaha Steaks does not fit that description as they have been in business for 5 generations and are family owned.

Anyway I went ahead and put in an order to them. I'm just going to copy paste from what I posted on the aquatics forum I frequent.
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Well I went ahead and did it, placed an order with Omaha Steaks. I was just going to do a small test order but decided to get a decent variety. Years ago I DID order from them and can't recall having any complaints.

At my local grocery I normally spend $360.00-$400.00 USD per month. For all the following I spent $225.00 USD. Numbers don't add up for it to last a month but it will as, on average, I get pizza every other week along with a couple of pasta bowls and 2 sandwiches. Each order does me for 4 days doing 2 slices, half a sandwich and half a pasta bowl. I only normally eat once a day. LOL! Don't start the "eating once a day is not healthy" thing. I've been doing it most of my adult life and I'm 69 with zero prescription drugs and perfect blood pressure.

I'll still be at the local store for veggies and such although Omaha Steaks DOES sell some veggies, but figure on saving at least $100.00 USD per month.

Here is what I got: It is scheduled for delivery next Friday. Takes 2-3 days for packaging. It will come in a cooler/s packed in dry ice. I'll keep a week's worth in the freezer on my fridge and the rest in my chest freezer.
1 (30 oz. tray) Beef Shepherd's Pie <= if this is good there are other 'tray' dinners I may try.
4 (5 oz.) Boneless Pork Chops
4 (4 oz.) Air-Chilled Boneless Chicken Breasts
1 (3 oz.) Omaha Steaks Seasoning <= had to give it a try and it was included in a package anyway.
1 (18 oz. pkg.) Fully Cooked Beef Meatballs
4 (6 oz.) Butcher's Cut Top Sirloins
4 (3 oz.) Kielbasa Sausages
4 (3 oz.) Individual Baguettes with Garlic Butter <= hoping that these are of a good size for the Kielbasa Sausages. Also included in a package.
4 (2.88 oz.) Potatoes au Gratin
12 (4 oz.) Caramel Apple Tartlets
8 (5.5 oz.) Stuffed Baked Potatoes
4 (4.5 oz.) Chicken Fried Chicken
4 (4 oz.) Omaha Steaks Burgers <= free due to my order total.

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Seems to me they do fit that bill, they offer a refund or replacement for whatever reason, i'd be happy with that.

This might be a bit pedantic, but Shepherds pie is made with minced lamb, if it's made with minced beef it's Cottage pie... just saying

Regardless, that is a lot of food... can you ask Omaha to expand to Scotland, please!

Doddie, it is certainly true that many more places were doing online order and delivery since the pandemic - we had the same situation here with suppliers needing to unload food that restaurants would normally being buying for dine-in customers. I didn't generally participate in the online grocery purchasing -- much preferring to select specific items/brands/sizes, etc. and making substitutions as needed rather than have the store make those choices for me. I know many who did purchase online for delivery and many who still do it today.
As Jay noted, Omaha Steaks is a well known business that was doing mail order/catalog sales for many years throughout the US. We do beef pretty rarely and steaks only in the warmer months, so we buy that local. We found a great supplier of locally pasture raised, "organic" beef and chicken here in Virginia not far from home that we're quite happy with.
Jay, that list looks really good and very decent prices! Enjoy!

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stephen boots
Microsoft MVP 2004 - 2020
"Life's always an adventure with computers!"

Steve, don't get me wrong, i'm not championing onlne shopping or rubbishing it, it's definitely horses for courses.
I probably got the wrong end of the stick when i got the impression Jay said he was going to try it... not realising he'd already done so.

Personally, having worked night shifts i was always too tired after a shift to care about spending ages walking up and down aisles so when online shopping became a thing i was all over it... i do miss not being able to find new products though so there has been a trade-off, but on the whole i prefer grocery shopping online compared to the hassle of driving to the supermarket, followed by always biting my tongue when arrogant others felt everyone else in the supermarket was only there to be annoyed by them.

Omaha Steaks offer more than the name implies as they also do veggies and even wine along with several potato options. One veggie option I may try is Brussel sprouts with bacon and shallots. I really like brussel sprouts but only with bacon and the Brussels seared which the description indicates. Did you know that brussel sprouts are actually cabbage?

@ Doddie: Ya, I know that shepherd's pie is traditionally with lamb but I really don't care for lamb except in a gyro. I make a version of it with the bottom layer ground beef browned and cooled then mixed with egg to stabilize. Second layer is veggie also with egg to stabilize. The top is taters. I do this in a hinged tube pan so that I can then slice to portion and it all holds together. This stuff is also very good with chicken. I know that it isn't authentic but I like. It is like with stroganoff... I love it and it is usually done with good quality beef and I do it that way. Still I think I prefer Stroganoff with chicken instead of steak. Ever meet a chicken that wasn't happy in a cream sauce?

@ Steve: I am also not a big red meat eater and, as my order shows, is more chicken and pork than beef. Note that there are only 4 steaks in the order. I did get a pack of beef meatballs but I always have to try a meatball source, I LOVE the things.

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I did and like you i love them... i love them so much i've never tried them other than boiled.
My wife hates them so i don't make them very often, every time i do make them i keep asking myself why i haven't i tried them with bacon and some shallots?

I now feel like ' sprouts with bacon' should be on my bucket list!

Oh, Doddie, you MUST try! Cut the sprouts in half and sear till seared on the cut sides. Mix with bacon cooked till just short of crispy and put in a baking dish with a top light layer of cheese and bake till the cheese is bubbly and browned. As to the cheese Bree works really well. It is Heaven on Earth!

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I really don't like Brie, kind of annoyed now because i have a food delivery coming tomorrow but the window to make adjustments so i can add sprouts closed about 5 hours ago which is really annoying because i have a packet of Canadian streaky bacon in maple syrup in the freezer that i know would go well with sprouts, oh well, maybe next weekend if i remember to order sprouts <drooling at the thought!>

LOL! That is the biggest negative of shopping at the supermarket in person. There are way too many inconsiderate and/or arrogant people encountered!

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stephen boots
Microsoft MVP 2004 - 2020
"Life's always an adventure with computers!"

I don't really recall having any experiences like that here. Mayhaps it's a small town thing.

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You are very lucky, then.
We generally don't have problems, either, but there have been a few instances. We actually had a wacko encounter a few weeks back. There was a couple at the bananas and I stood back and waited for them to move before picking a bunch. The guy was very loud and touched every bunch before finally making a selection. They were still in the area when I returned to my cart and my wife. We were looking at some other veggie or fruit when the woman of the couple literally pushed my wife aside to get to the display. For much of the rest of the trip through the store they were often in the same aisle as us -- with the guy being pretty loud and both blocking the aisle while they stopped to make a selection. We managed to keep away from them, but they were pretty annoying.

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stephen boots
Microsoft MVP 2004 - 2020
"Life's always an adventure with computers!"

I've had times when someone was blocking an aisle but I've just said excuse me and they moved their cart and apologized. It must be a 'small town' thing. Even with driving on the road people here are considerate. In most cases, if a driver is in a turn lane with a red light, they will pull up short to make it easier for the people turning in their direction.

Then it may just be an old school western community attitude when relying on your neighbor could have been the difference between life and death. Shoot, in 2023, how many murders were in your area. Here there were two and both in the same instance as far as I can find. Here the biggest crime scene is a couple of cowboys getting into it and starting a bar brawl. Of course there are instances of theft and drug busts but I have never lived in a place with so little violent crime.

It is just an attitude here. I swear that if going down the road, and your car broke down, you could walk up to either the richest looking ranch or the most poor looking trailer and, in either case, be offered all help they were able to offer. If at night you would even probably be offered a place to sleep and a meal.

Shoot, this town shuts down the main street twice a year to allow horse ranchers to move their herds between high and low pastures using the main street as the easiest route. I can't really explain... It is just a local attitude that you just feel more than know. I truly feel blessed to have found this town. I remember a case when I did a bit of shopping on my bicycle and a lady with a pickup stopped and asked if I was going far offering to toss my bike in the truck bed and give me a ride. I was like a block from home and turned down but that MAY have been a mistake as she was pretty cute.

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That sounds really good, Jay. Yes, I'd say that's a nice, old fashioned small town thing.
Despite moving from NJ where I was in a heavily populated suburban part of the state to VA where it is still suburban, but surrounded by rural areas, it's still heavily populated. For the most part, people are friendly and quite nice, but there are exceptions. And don't get me started on the driving skills.

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stephen boots
Microsoft MVP 2004 - 2020
"Life's always an adventure with computers!"

LOL! That is another thing here. Of course there are exceptions but drivers are mostly polite. Shoot, most will even pull up short in a turning lane to make turns to the street they are on easier to make. Shoot, years ago here I got stuck in some snow that was a lot deeper than it looked. Three different cars stopped and the people jumped out to help get me out. I grew up in a town around the same size but it is just different here; people tend to look out for each other.

I doubt that I need to be but I'm now a little anxious about my Omaha Steak order. All of a sudden the pending payment is gone from my bank account and the amount returned to the available amount. I doubt that there is any actual issue and THINK I've had this happen a couple times before on other purchases. I mean the order is out and on its way for a Friday delivery but I always worry about such things. I THINK what happens is that such a payment is shown as pending and the amount removed from the available balance but there is a time limit on the hold. Some of the better outfits won't actually collect the pending payment until delivery or, at least shipped and the pending time limit runs out. I'm sure that when delivery is made Friday the amount will be resubmitted and payment made but I still worry about such things.

I'm also curious as to how the stuff is packaged. I mean I know that it will get here in coolers packed with dry ice but that would not work with freezer paper or the like. I expect that the items will be in vacuum packs to avoid freezer burn from the dry ice. That is probably a pretty obvious thought but I wonder if each item will be individually packaged or if it will be in groups. It has been enough years since I ordered from them that I can't remember. Would be nice if everything was individually packaged though.

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Typically when i order fresh food here they don't come packed in dried ice packs, they are some form of gel pack that they claim is environmentally friendly and can be re-used... i've no knowledge on how environmentally friendly they actually are but they do take a very long time to defrost at room temperature and seem to do the job well.

Even cutting the packs open and running them under hot water seems to take a long time for them to melt and flush away... i do like the idea they can be re-used though.

Some of the fish i order online comes vacumm packed and some of it doesn't, it seems to depend on the supplier... a butcher i use kind of goes over the top imo with a foil blanket and the gel packs in a seriously heavy carboard box... which is a good thing but can be a pain to dispose of lol

Oh, there is no doubt that it will be in cooler/s packed with dry ice as that is how they ship. I just don't know if each item will be individually packed or in groups. For instance my order includes 4 Filet Mignon ground burgers. I don't know if all 4 will be in a single pack or separate. Doesn't really mater although individual packaging would be more convenient. Just a curiosity thing I'll have answered Friday. Sigh, if not free I doubt that I'd ever get Filet Mignon ground burgers as there is just not enough fat in the cut for a good burger but one never knows and I may be surprised as they seem VERY popular.

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Actually I decided if I'm going to do this I may as well do veggies too. Just ordered the following. Some will be broken down and re-packaged.

1 (22 oz. tray) Steakhouse Broccoli and Cauliflower Gratin
1 (20 oz. tray) Steakhouse Creamed Corn
2 (6.5 oz. pkgs.) Green Beans in Butter Sauce
1 (15 oz. pkg.) Corn & Edamame Succotash
4 (3 oz.) Individual Baguettes with Garlic Butter
1 (32 oz. tray) Family-Size Smashed Red Potatoes
1 (21.2 oz. tray) Root Vegetable Gratin

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First order showed. That's a lot of food.

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It sure is a whole lot of food. And it looks like most is individually vacuum packed.

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stephen boots
Microsoft MVP 2004 - 2020
"Life's always an adventure with computers!"

Sunday lunch at Jay's this weekend, yay!!

Kind of individually packed but not quite. Most of the meat is 2 pieces per pack but they can be cut into individuals and still be sealed.


As long as you like US football and can get here in under 2 days I think you're a bit out of luck.

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I used to quite like watching American Football, never fully understood it though but i worked out enough to make it watchable thanks to playing Madden NFL on the Sega Megadrive back in the 90's (i believe the Megadrive was called the Genesis on your side of the pond?)... the constant ad breaks and stop/start of the sport used to drive me nuts though so it slwowly dropped off my radar... that and when i first started to get into it i chose a team at random to follow, the NY Jets, which really didn't help!

Ah. That's good that you can cut the two packs without breaking the seal. I'm sure that you will enjoy eating all of it!

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stephen boots
Microsoft MVP 2004 - 2020
"Life's always an adventure with computers!"