What are Belizeans Paying for Christmas Ham This Year?

On Wednesday, a picture of a Christmas ham went viral on social media in Belize. At first glance, it seemed harmless, but people quickly noticed the hefty three-hundred-and-twenty-dollar price tag. This ham, produced by Running W and sold at Brodie’s supermarket for seventeen dollars and ninety-five cents per pound, sparked concerns about the rising cost of ham as Christmas approaches. Today, News Five’s Britney Gordon chatted with a few Belize City butchers to find out what Belizeans can expect to pay for their holiday ham this season.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Every Belizean knows that a true local Christmas dinner isn’t complete without a generous slice of Christmas ham. With the holiday season just around the corner, many are on the hunt for an affordable ham to complete their festive feast. Today, we chatted with the owner of Campos Smiling Meats on New Road to find out what customers can expect to pay.

 

Alyssa Campus, Owner, Campos Smiling Meats

“So this year we’re, thank God the hams aren’t expensive. So we’re doing picnic hams at six fifty a pound. And we’re doing the leg hams at eight fifty a pound. But I mean, if you’re a company and you’re gonna buy, I mean, a nice amount, we could definitely do a wholesale price on that. It’s not a problem. There’s also going to be boneless hams because there’s, you know, some people don’t like the bone and the skin and all of that. We will have those available.”

 

Smiling Meats also caters to those who don’t eat pork by offering turkey ham. The owner mentioned that her customers often opt for picnic hams because they’re more budget friendly.

 

Alyssa Campus

“The most popular one would be the picnics because it’s affordable. They could come in smaller sizes rather than getting the big ones. Like if it’s a family of two, most people would go for the picnics. So we will have those available too.”

 

When we visited Southside Meats on Albert Street, we found their prices to be a bit higher than those at Smiling Meats. However, Ashlee Habet, the Director of Southside Meats, assured us that every purchase can be customized to fit the customer’s budget.

 

Ashlee Habet, Director, Southside Meats

“For the Christmas hams, we have four kinds of hams that we make here in-house. We have two ham legs, bone-in, boneless. We also have smoked pork loin, and shoulder picnic ham as well the hams range, we have a variety of hams that range. So the ham is from eleven to eighteen. However, if the customers do have a budget, they can tell us what their budget is and we can cut the hams to suit their budget range.”

 

Habet mentioned that they offer Christmas hams year-round because they’re a popular and convenient choice for events like weddings and parties.

 

Ashlee Habet

“So for people who like meat, we would recommend the boneless ham loin or the bone-in ham leg, which has a long, narrow bone. The bone will also have the picnic shoulder ham for those who like a little bit more fat, um, and a little bit more marbling in their hands.”

 

While the seventeen dollars may seem too high of a price to pay for ham, butchers explain that it depends largely on the cut and size of the meat.

Britney Gordon for News Five.