Which Supermarket?

sundin13

I'm doing my best to be an ethical consumer, and Asda/Tesco/Sainsbury/Waitrose haven't had a penny out of me in months - but it's hard work.

Realistically, with three small kids and a full-time job, I need the convenience (and the cheapness) of a supermarket of some kind - although I'm trying to use the local shops as much as I can.

Does anyone have any thoughts about which supermarkets can give me the convenience, without the guilt. We only have little tiny Co-ops around here, so they're not going to work, and my budget doesn't stretch to M&S for anything other than fish.

Any tips?

Sundin13

starlite_2

I would saywaitrose (though overpriced!) or co-op,but whichever one, it's a lot more to do with whatyou buy rather than where.

It's obviously impossible to shop entirely ethically, so just be pleased you are doing what you can!

There's an interesting article on this here..

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2092-2114205,00.html

Ken68

I like Lidl, because they don't accept credit cards, and they don't issue plastic bags, and the prices are cheaper than Tesco etc.
Not sure how ethical they are otherwise, tho staple foods at a low price are available, e.g. oat flakes at 25p for 500gr and long life milk at 35p per litre for those not using a fridge. And every so often they do half price veg and fruit, not on my list because I grow my own.
For meat eaters they also do half price events.

SusanCarter

I decided to check out Lidl because everyone seems to reckon it's really cheap but on my shopping list, it was only marmalade and yoghurt that came out cheaper. Quite a few things were equal in Lidl, Sainsbury's and Tesco and overall I found Sainsury's is the best price. The difference seems to me to be just that Lidl only has one range which is Basics/Value whereas the main supermarkets have loads of other stuff too. Another point about Lidl is that all the stuf seems to come from abroad which means lots of fuel used for transport. If you go to a major supermarket, you can be selective and try to buy things which have been transported for shorter distances. I think Waitrose is good for trying to provide produce with minimum "food miles".

Ken68

I have never done a physical comparison of the different supermarket prices. Tesco have started doing a brown bread at 28pence which I like.
At a recent Tesco seminar, I asked about the firms 'food miles' policy, but got the usual bla bla. When I suggested that their local suppliers, like the potato people, supply the local stores direct , they were adamant that all produce has to go to the main warehouse, and then shipped back. Have heard good things about Waitrose and Co-op.

lynzpower

Waitrose or co-op really for me, but due to there being no co-op thats much more than an offie round here & me being on a budget, Im using tescos, until I start getting my meat & veg boxes delivered that is!

pollys

Have you considered using a delivery service. Suma for example will deliver or you can collect if you live locally (minimum spend and most things have to be bought in bulk) which means that only fresh food has to be shopped for. I do this but it has taken awhile to get my 4 children to accept that ketchup, cornflakes and beans don't have to come in the familiar packaging and they might taste a bit different but my 14 year old did confess that they actually taste better.

I too have changed the way I shop and avoid supermarkets, but we do eat differently and I no longer buy the leading brands preferring the locally produced (where available) organic, fairly traded products.

caroline1973lefty

NOT Asda. All the big four supermarkets are pretty bad in terms of environmental impact, but Asda is also notoriously anti-trade union and (as wal-mart) one of the largest donors to the election campaigns of George Bush, according to the Ethical Consumer.

caroline1973lefty

More constructively, is anyone on here living in E17 area and interested in starting a food co-op?

pollys

Caroline1973lefty if you contact a wholesaler they may already have a list of people in your area who are part of a group or are wanting to set one up. When I contacted Suma they asked me if I I would be willing to start a group and could they pass on my details to other interested people. Might be worth a try.

Linda32

starlite wrote:

I would saywaitrose (though overpriced!) or co-op,but whichever one, it's a lot more to do with whatyou buy rather than where.

It's obviously impossible to shop entirely ethically, so just be pleased you are doing what you can!

I would agree with that, you can only do as much as you can, to suit your circumstances.