Staggering cost differences

Mado

henhog wrote:

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?!

Except that I once bought cherry tomatoes at the market in a tray marked M&S...
Sometimes the supermarket only wants the BEST looking. I want the best taste!
It's not always worse... it can be . At times it is just a question of overstock. And apples keep quite well. In fact, the market strawberries are very often better than Sainsburry (OK not better than M&S) but we can have 4 times as much!!!!

maryb

Markets and street stalls are a bit cheaper where we are though not by much and quality is fine as long as you go for what is absolutely in season.

What I find gives the biggest saving is getting sacks of potatoes and onions from the farm shop. Even at the end of the winter I will buy a sack if I am running low because it is still cheaper even if I have to throw away half the sack because it is sprouting

Lemoncurd

There isn't a greengrocer here, I've tried going to our local market a few times recently but not bought anything as the prices were higher than in Waitrose!! no idea why.

Trow

WHat mado says is correct - the supermarkets want fruit and veg within a tight range of colour and size - so although the produce in the markets might be more varying in colour, too big or too small or slightly blemished - the fruit will be just as good. Also, the supermarkets are responsible for a huge dumbing down in the amount of varieties they grow - the varieties they choose (eg elsanta strawberries) look good and keep well - but are by no means the best for flavour or juciness.

If I lived in a locale that had a fruit and veg market I would go and buy all the varieties that the supermarkets don't stock, not only does it take revenue away from the supermarkets, but it also promotes small farmers growing the varieties that would end up dying out if if the supermarkets had their way, and puts more money back into the local area. (whats super about supermarkets???)

Xbigman

I'm with math. Local greengrocer is slightly cheaper than tesco's but the produce is limp at best and they always want to fob you off with the stuff left over from the day before and not the ones on display. Local butchers is worse, he seems to have learnt butchery from a book! As for the farmers market, they think 'organic' is french for 'triple the price'.
Regards




X

Chipps

It sounds as if this depends where you live. We have a Morrisons, a Tesco & a greengrocer, as well as a market on Saturdays and a farmers market twice a month.
Both supermarkets are the dearest, although sometimes they can be cheaper than the greengrocer if something is on special offer. Greengrocers go up to wherever the former covent garden is these days on a daily basis to get their produce, so it should be pretty good.
The Saturday market is by far the cheapest, and the quallity is pretty good, especially if you buy things in season. The only thing about them - and it applies to the supermarkets even more so - is that they don't tend to source locally.
The farmers market is the best for local produce, and also for unusual varieties, especially at this time of year when they have various types of broccoli & cauli, including those lovely lime green spiky cauli-things that look like something from outer space (romanesque?? not sure about the name but they are very pretty!) and unusual types of squash. Queensland blue are very nice.
Also on Saturdays we have the Apple Stall, which is a farm trailer parked in the shopping precinct, it comes from the local orchard & sells all sorts of apples as well as 2 variety of pears. Sadly of course it is only there at this time of year, but lovely while it lasts!
In the next village there is a wonderful farm shop which does a real mixture of local and imported produce, and is the best place to buy sacks of potatoes.

toozie_2

I usually buy mine in Lidl, when the offer of 'Half Price fruit & Veg' is on....which is most of the time in our area.

Far cheaper then the average supermarket, quality does vary though, but then I have had a Tesco on-line order recently where the kiwk fruit were all soft-yuk.

xxbutterflygirlxx

I have found that our greengrocers are about three times what the supermarkets charge, a few weeks ago I paid £4 for half a carrier bag of practically rotting stuff. The street markets are better although I hate going into town when it is busy so usually avoid market days. There is a recently started fruit and veg co-op and I think I'm going to give it a go today. Apparently the stuff can be odd shapes (fine by me) and go off quickly but hopefully that points to less chemicals as it is apparently local produce.

Chipps

Yes, Lidl is good. Trouble is, I only go there about once a month when I go to the big town for the monthly shop - I do a blitz on all the shops we don't have, eg Aldi, Lidl, big Tesco with all the lines in, Wilkinsons, Christian bookshop, market with a cheap magazine & book stall, Boots with a voucher printing machine (and things in stock unlike our local one), etc, etc, etc

ashmit

For anyone who lives in and around Newcastle, there are at least two stalls in the Grainger market that are cheap, pretty well stocked and in which you can pick your own. I hate the ones where the produce on the front is beautiful but they give you bags full of nasty stuff - my DH has been fooled by this before. I've not been so impressed by the street traders here though.