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Bad marketing: don't use a horse to advertise a butcher shop
I spotted this butcher shop sign near my new home in Santander in northern Spain. What's wrong with this picture? Yeah, the "Equine butcher shop" is using a horse to advertise its product!
Now I'm going to give this hardworking small business owner the benefit of the doubt and assume horse was never sold at his shop. I can't say for sure, though, since the place went out of business before I arrived. I wonder why?
Want to see more embarrassing adverts? Check out this Facebook page dedicated to bad marketing.
I'm curious, has anyone out there actually eaten horse? What does it taste like?
Filed under: Food and Drink, Photos, Europe, Spain
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Andy Jarosz Nov 24th 2011 11:46AM
Many people eat horse Sean. It's a popular dish across much of Europe (but not in UK). I would suppose that this butcher would have sold it freely. Tastes a bit like beef.
Sean McLachlan Nov 24th 2011 12:01PM
I don't think it's popular here in Spain. I never saw it for sale in the six years I lived part-time in Madrid. My Spanish wife has never seen it for sale either. In what countries is it popular?
How is the consistency compared with beef? I would suppose it's gamier.
Andy Jarosz Nov 24th 2011 12:23PM
Hi Sean,
I've learned something there. Have had it in Malta and also seen it on the menu in France and Belgium. I assumed it was more widespread but I've just read up on it and these are actually the main European markets. Also popular in Central Asia.
Gamier is a good description. It's lean and quite stringy - not unpleasant meat but I'm not in a hurry to try it again either.
FredW Nov 24th 2011 1:30PM
It could well have been a horse butcher. I have run across them in Switzerland (Pferdmetzgerei), though I've never eaten horse.
This one:
http://www.gate24.ch/en/Buchs+SG/Heinz-Ulrich-Oettli-Pferdemetzgerei/detail-2964685-2955564.aspx
is on the ground floor of the hotel I use when in Buchs SG.
Jonathan Evans Nov 25th 2011 2:01AM
Well, given that his business is a "Carneceria Equino" which translates to "Horse Butcher" I'm pretty certain he did sell horsemeat. In fact, may well have sold nothing else. This is relatively common (although getting less so) in France - the horse butcher would often have a model horses head to advertise his trade.
Horsemeat is OK, fairly tough and not especially flavoursome. As Andy says, not bad but I'm not desperate to try it again.
Sd Nov 25th 2011 2:01AM
I don't mean to be harsh but his is just ignorant blogging.
From dictionary
e·quine [ee-kwahyn, ek-wahyn] Show IPA
adjective
1.
of, pertaining to, or resembling a horse: a bold, equine face.
Equine Butcher = Horse butcher.
He IS selling horse meat, and there's nothing wrong with his marketing.
Sean, If you had walked into the store and spent 2 minutes with the person in there, you would know this.
Come on now. Seriously.
Sean McLachlan Nov 25th 2011 2:11AM
I don't mean to be harsh but his is just ignorant reading.
Just because a butcher shop is called "Equino" doesn't mean it sells horse meat. There's another butcher shop in my barrio called "Carniceria montañes" and they don't sell mountains.
And how could I walk into the shop when it's gone out of business?
Come on now. Seriously.
Ron Nov 25th 2011 2:02AM
Me, to my German wife, who is a retired chef (European trained) "Honey, do they sell horse meat in Spain? This blogger says that he's never seen them in Madrid nor does his wife remember seeing them"
My wife, "That's nonsense. Spain is known for it's sausages that contain horse meat. At least in Catalonia and Barcelona where I've been... Malaga, Cadiz..."
Me, "Hmmmm.. that's what I thought."
My wife, as she googles countries that eat horse meat, "I'm just googling it and it's mostly the Roman countries... Italy, France, Spain... they eat it... highest consumption is in Italy, none in Portugal, but there is in Spain...."
So there you have it. She says it tastes like beef but better (her beef frame of reference is the grass-fed european type rather than the corn-fed stuff we have here in Texas). It's tougher because the animal uses it's muscles more.
Sean McLachlan Nov 25th 2011 2:12AM
Well, my Castilian wife and I have never seen it. Food can be very regional in Spain. That's one of the great things about cuisine here. Maybe the Catalans have it a lot. Neither of us have spent much time in Catalonia.
tiffany parke Nov 25th 2011 4:51AM
They are giving the message that they don't care it is a crappy ball. That it is all about having a new ball and make more money.
http://sytropinreview.posterous.com/sytropin-hgh-spray-review-get-free-trial-now
Dan Burger Jan 3rd 2012 7:02PM
I have eaten several breeds and cuts of horsemeat. As with any animal, the flavor and texture will vary with age as well as breed and cut. The younger females are almost always more tender. My favorite cut of any mammal or avian will always be the tenderloins. Odd as it may seem, my first horse meat came from an Amish farmer that had to put down a 4 year old gelding,Belgian. That was in Southern Michigan, USA. Not being one to waste meat, he offered me a considerable sized portion of loin in exchange for assisting him in the butchering. Waste not. I served it from the grill to my family without telling them what they were eating, no one had anything to say but that it was very good. It was at least 10 years later that I told them, and of course, they refused to believe me. But, as a hunter and farm lad, I had been bring home roadkilled venison for years and still do. My son actually brought a buck home that was only knocked out in the back of my new Explorer SUV. That was a hoot!!!
Cristina Apr 20th 2012 9:56AM
Hi Sean,
i'm from Santander. A friend of mine is planing a hikking trip to spain and thats why i ended reading your blog, anyways it was funny to see this post as i know that shop, it was located near my grandpa's place.
In the past it was common to eat horse meat, it is a healthy meat and it was cheaper than cow, nowadays that "trend" ended, and, like in other parts of the world, ppl dont like to eat things which look fluffy or pretty anymore, so eating horse meat now it is seen as "omg you are eating a dog!" I'm nearly sure that is the reason why that shop is now out of business.
If i remember correctly it was the only horse butchery in Santander, but it was more common in other places as Palencia and Valladolid as far as i know, so it is strange that your wife didnt know about that, if you are still curious you can try to ask to an old relative of her as a grnadparent or an old uncle.
And thanks for share your experiences in Santander and Cantabria in your blog, there are not so many official webs in english so its hard to explain to friends how diferent is this part of Spain. Its supposed we (Cantabrian people) live mostly from tourism but... well, the language barrier is still there!