‘Only $529 per kilo’: Expensive Woolworths item divides shoppers

The hefty cost of a new luxury food item at Woolworths has left customers divided – wondering who would pay nearly $50 for a packet of meat.

The hefty cost of a new luxury food item at Woolworths has left customers divided.

The hefty cost of a new luxury food item at Woolworths has left customers divided.

Charcuteria NOEL’S Round Platter Bellota Ham – one of the most expensive meats in the world – has landed on shelves at select locations of the supermarket giant, for a humble $45 per 85g packet. If you were to buy an entire kilo of the meat, it’d be $529.

The Spanish-cured ham – or jamón – is created from Iberian black-skinned pigs, who eat mostly acorns, giving the ham its special flavour. The meat has been considered a delicacy for centuries, and is rated on the purity of the pig’s breed, its feed, and ageing lengths of up to five years or more.

“For only $45 you can buy yourself some new ham at Woolies, all the way from Spain,” TikTok user @nectoriouspapi said, in a video of the “exceptional ham” on his local grocery store’s shelves.

“I’m not paying $45 for no ham, will you?”

The hefty cost of a new luxury food item at Woolworths has left customers divided. Picture: TikTok

A kilo of the cured meat would set you back more than $500. Picture: TikTok

“We’re not hamming it up, but Iberico ham is a unique product that comes from Spain and is created under very specific conditions,” a Woolworths spokeswoman told news.com.au.

“This product from Noel is only available for a limited time in 40 NSW and 40 Victorian Woolworths supermarkets, but we do cater for a wide range of budgets and have a number of other cured meats on offer for every occasion.”

According to the ham’s packaging, the meat “is the result of the purest tradition of charcuterie”.

“It is our most precious jewel. Strict selection from the best Iberico pigs reared in semi liberty and fed on grass and acorns. This is the only way we can be confident of our hams, which we subsequently cure for 36 months,” the description reads.

The meat ‘is the result of the purest tradition of charcuterie’. Picture: Calum Robertson

The ham is cured for three years before it’s packaged and sold. Picture: TikTok

“Patiently and without haste, just as we have been doing for the last 75 years, each ham has been perfectly cured to obtain its best flavour, aroma and texture. All this to achieve a ham that can be enjoyed with all five senses, capable of turning every occasion into a special moment.

“A perfect gift and an exceptional dining experience, ideal for sharing with those you love.”

Viewers were split over whether or not they’d fork out the cost. Picture: NCA NewsWire/David Crosling

In the comments of @nectoriouspapi’s video, viewers were split over whether or not they’d fork out nearly $50 for a packet of cured meat.

“Nope,” one wrote, another adding: “Omg no way.”

“Only $529 per kilo!” a third quipped.

“No one has the money to buy that,” a fourth person commented.

While a fifth wondered “how isn’t that locked down” – referring to some supermarkets’ occasional decision to put pricier items under lock-and-key to deter shoplifting.

Others, however, pointed out the price was justified, referring to the quality of the product.

“It’s Jamon Iberico ham … it’s considered the most expensive ham in the world,” one wrote.

“I’ve bought it before, not from Woolworths though. It’s well worth a taste [and is] not something you buy all the time.”

Another described the meat as “ultra premium”.

“That’s the wagyu of pork,” a third said.

“It’s Jamon Iberico, it’s not ‘ham’. That’s like saying a Kobe steak is just ‘a steak’.”

Originally published as ‘Only $529 per kilo’: Expensive Woolworths item divides shoppers