A butcher’s attempt to showcase the difference between his product and supermarket alternatives has sparked a surprisingly heated debate online — with viewers split over whether the comparison proved anything at all.

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Phil Briggs, who runs the family business behind the Instagram account @briggs.butchers, shared a video comparing two packs of mince side by side. One was supermarket-bought, the other from his own shop — and according to him, the difference was obvious.

“Both are 5% lean mince, yet the difference is simply incomparable,” the caption reads.

The clip leans heavily on visuals, with the colour and texture of the two meats clearly distinct. Alongside the footage, the caption doubles down on the claim with a confident checklist: “Better quality, Better texture, Better taste”.

He also emphasised the price difference, suggesting the upgrade wouldn’t break the bank: “All for just £1.50 extra — and trust us, you will taste the difference.”

The video also drew attention for Briggs’ more blunt language within the clip itself, where he reportedly described supermarket mince as “s**t” he wouldn’t buy “for his dog,” while branding his own product the “Rolls Royce” of mince — a contrast that only added fuel to the conversation.

But while the message was clear, not everyone watching was convinced.

In fact, the comments section quickly filled with criticism, with many viewers arguing that simply showing two different-looking products wasn’t enough to prove anything.

“I didn’t see an educated comparison, you just showed us what it looked like, I’ve seen different grades of beef in many different colours, I’m not saying the supermarket mince is any good but you have to give more context than look at that an expect people to know the difference,” one Instagram user wrote.

Others questioned the lack of explanation altogether, suggesting the video skipped over the most important part.

“Great comparing? Aren’t you supposed to explain why butcher mince is better than supermarket mince. The only difference I see here is the compact packaging and the obvious colour from being compact and freshness,” another added.

Some took issue with how the comparison itself was framed, arguing it wasn’t a fair like-for-like test. Another commented: “You need to substantiate your argument. What the difference. Also comparing your freshly minced beef with vac pack, not apples vs apples.”

For others, the debate quickly moved beyond quality and into affordability — a key factor for many households.

“The problem is when you’ve only got £50 (for example) budget for a week’s worth of shopping, are you going to buy £5.35 pack of mince from the supermarket or £8.50 from the butchers. Yes it’s nicer and supporting local.but that extra £3 is another meal for some families. Tell me the cost of 750g of your minced beef,” one person typed.

Another added bluntly: “The local butcher is simply to expensive, [it’s] as simple as that.”

There was also a noticeable amount of sarcasm directed at the video itself, with some viewers unimpressed by the presentation.

“You done a fantastic job of explaining why one is better than the other,” one social media user sarcastically typed, with another writing: “Possibly the worst comparison vid I’ve ever seen.”

Still, not everyone dismissed the idea outright. Some viewers said the clip had at least made them curious enough to reconsider their usual shop.

“I always buy supermarket mince. Going to give the butchers a try this week and see if the price difference is worth it,” another typed.

And others clearly enjoyed the unintended irony of the whole debate. “Love how impartial and informative this review is,” they joked.

In the end, what started as a straightforward promotional post turned into something much bigger: a discussion about quality versus cost, perception versus proof, and what people actually expect when someone claims one product is better than another.

Because while the butcher’s message was simple — pay a little more for better meat — the response made one thing clear: if you’re going to make that claim online, people are going to want more than just a side-by-side shot to believe it.

Featured image credit: Instagram/@briggs.butchers (screenshots)