Staggering cost differences

ceegee

Unfortunately we don't have a greengrocer nearby so I have always bought my fruit and veggies at the local supermarket. Yesterday I had to drive somewhere (about 4 miles away) and there was a greengrocer there, so I thought I'd get my fruit and veg whilst I was there. I was almost dumbstruck:

tray of dates......59p greengrocer...........£1.69 in supermarket
6 huge apples.....84p ''.....................£1.80ish '' (small ones,too!)
brocolli..............44p ''.........................70pish ''
bananas.............15p for 3........................lots more ''
punnet of red seedless grapes.....58p............£2.99 in supermarket!!


I have calculated that, even taking into account the cost of petrol, it would save me a fortune if I drove over there twice a week to stock up (parking is free).

I am absolutely staggered by this price difference. I don't think I could bring myself to buy one more item of fruit or veg in the supermarket now. It's just a case of altering how I do things....luckily my work hours are conducive to being able to nip over there a couple of times a week.

It was the grapes and dates that really got me!

moggins

I know, it's completely unbelievable how the supermarkets claim to be the cheapest and yet they hoike their prices up like this. I get all my fruit and veg from the local market and although they don't always have what I want I get by. It cost me £2 for a huge box of apples, £2 for a box of bananas and £1.50 for a huge box of mushrooms which I sliced bagged up into 7 freezer bags and shoved straight into the freezer, won't need mushrooms for a long time now

Gillby1

I feel the same. Although i'd heard it said that greengrocers were cheaper, i'd never bothered going anywhere but the supermarket for fruit and veg in the past. I recently wondered round my local market at lunchtime, and couldn't believe how much i could buy for my money! Corn on the cob is usually £1.99 in Tesco for two, but at the market it's 40p for two. 2 kilo's apples for £1, loads of potatoes for 30p etc...

The only annoying thing is that you can't chose your own, so sometimes find poor quality produce in your shopping.

calleyw

Thats why I have been using a greengrocer for years for my fruit and veg.

And add on the fact that the stuff in the supermarket tends to be two to three days older than from a greengrocers. I heard that on the excellent radio 4 series called veg talk and the two blokes who do the program know what they are talking about as they have worked for the fruit and veg markets in London.

And some greengrocers like one of my local claims to source local when they can.


Yours

Calley

MATH

I've not found this at all and I've tried loads of greengrocers over a wide area. Much more expensive than tesco and practically rotting on the display:eek: I popped into my local fruiters the other day and they had on offer thre varietiues of apple, some oranges and some rather brown bananas. No good at all when you want a pomegranit:o

Al_Mac

Try the butcher, might not be much cheaper, but far better quality:D

I need to at least try a local GG:o

skylight

I too am going to go out of town at the weekend (as we live on the edge, its not that far!)

But the supermartkets definatley do have a hold on this place - tesco (plus mini ones,) Adsa, Morrisons, Sainsbury - we have them all.

But no independent butchers nor Greengrocers!

Will try some this weekend do some serious cost comparison.

(Even the Farm shop isn't priced well).

calleyw

MATH wrote:

I've not found this at all and I've tried loads of greengrocers over a wide area. Much more expensive than tesco and practically rotting on the display:eek: I popped into my local fruiters the other day and they had on offer thre varietiues of apple, some oranges and some rather brown bananas. No good at all when you want a pomegranit:o

I am lucky that I have two. One is slightly more expensive but I use them as the quality of there products seems better.

The other one has a few shops in other local towns and the quality in all of them can be a bit iffy. Went to buy some thing yesterday to find produce that was going over. So went about a mile out of my way on the way home to use the other shop.

Yours

Calley

Magentasue

Cheapest place for me is the weekend market - three miles away and always packed. Cheapest of all at ten to five, Sunday afternoon (closing at five) but ... I don't want to spend me weekends shopping. I like to think on Friday, if I leave the house before Monday it'll be because I want to, not because I have to.

Asda cheaper than Tesco here, and both are cheaper than local greengrocers.

henhog

I totallly agree with MATH, our local green grocer's fruit and veg is far dearer than the supermarkets and really poor quality wise. About fifteen years ago I worked with someone whose husband was very high up in a company that distributed fruit and veg. He said that Marks and Spencer used to choose the best stuff and also pay the highest prices, followed by Waitrose, then all of the other supermarkets. The green grocers and markets used to pick up what was left and pay the lowest price. I'm not too sure what this proves, except maybe in some cases you get what you pay for?!

Mado

MATH wrote:

I've not found this at all and I've tried loads of greengrocers over a wide area. Much more expensive than tesco and practically rotting on the display:eek: I popped into my local fruiters the other day and they had on offer thre varietiues of apple, some oranges and some rather brown bananas. No good at all when you want a pomegranit:o

You are unlucky...
My local market had yesterday...
2 mangoes (nice ) for £1
2 melons for £1 (dunno yet!)
8 cox apples for £1
2 strawberry punnets for £1.50
1 pomigranette for 40p (only wanted 1...)
2 punnets of cherry tomatoes for £1

and the usual suspects pinneapple, bananas, leeks, broccolis, carrots with the green....
Never ever buy fruit and veg at the supermarket if I can avoid.

Not allowed to mention veg talk either. OH takes the michael :rotfl: