Christmas is on the way, and money is tight, so we might not want to splash out on all the priciest foods. Buying unbranded products is a reasonable compromise, but one money-saving measure that many of us make is buying meat that might not be good for us.

However, food experts in Gloucestershire say that it’s important to eat organic meat instead of processed.

They say that unprocessed meat is much healthier for both people and the environment.

“Organic meat is free from manmade fertilisers and pesticides,” said Oliver Antonious, who’s a dietician in Cheltenham. “Organic meat is also more sustainable for the environment and I would urge anyone to try organic meat because it’s better for their health.”

One local butcher he says he takes care of students around Cheltenham by offering deals on organic meat and cooking instructions to those on a tight budget.

John O’Connor, who owns The Butchers’ Block, said “Even if we have students come in who cannot cook, we can provide food bags so they can just pop it in the oven. We also provide marinading meat as well so students don’t get bored of the same taste over and over again.”

However, butchers can be more expensive, which can discourage people from spending the extra money for organic meat.

“Supermarkets are doing us an injustice by selling meat way cheaper than we can even purchase the meat,” said Mr O’Connor. “Markets are usually governed by what the supermarkets want and take.”

He believes that it’s worth paying the extra money for unprocessed goods.

“If you look back to the chicken scandal that went down a few weeks ago, you will know why the supermarkets can charge what they can charge, because they’re cutting up the juice into the bone.”