Good and Bad Buys from Aldi & Lidl *Do NOT Expire Please*

Cornucopia

I'd hope (and would recommend) that people wash any fresh fruit and veg that has been sold loose in shops, as well as anything wrapped that is either marked as unwashed or looks as though it needs it. This is obviously more important for things eaten raw, rather than those that will be cooked.

Fresh Bread has always been subject to quite lax food handling in my experience (displayed on open shelves without being covered or wrapped). I've never been sure whether this is just tradition or whether bread is safe to handle this way. My local Lidl ISB has recently been refurbished, and the storage bins for products are now higher than they were, placing produce out of the reach of the smallest children.

artyclarty

Cornucopia wrote: »

One thing that I do think Lidl will have to address about post-refurb stores is the removal of the small trollies. These would be much more suitable to a store with narrow aisles than the behemoth trollies that they have provided.

Our local store is about 10 years old and just had its refurb too. If anything in ours the aisles have gotten wider, never have I had to usher someone out of the way like I have to in Aldi! We only had one size of trolley until recently. Now the store has its new look we have giant trolleys and tiny ones. I have to get the big trolley as the small ones wont fit my collapsible storage crates into it (when the crate is full I stop shopping!).

I also love the little wheely baskets but the staff seem to dislike them. A friend who works there said hopefully they will be going back to trolleys only in the new year as people keep stealing baskets!!

maman

On the subject of refurbished stores, It's taking me a while to getting used to our local Aldi. One of my biggest moans has been the fact that it's ever so cold in there now, probably because of additional chilled cabinets.


The other thing I haven't liked is the way the fruit and veg is split so I do part of the fresh stuff, then trail around the chillers, before getting to the potatoes and fruit. For Christmas, they have put potatoes at the front of the store with the Super 6, so the law of unintended consequences has improved the layout for me. To coin a phrase, I wish it could be Christmas every day!:xmassmile

charlies_mum

Just been into my Lidl and they are selling potatoes, sprouts, parsnips and carrots for 19p a bag.

mcculloch29

If your Aldi has the cooked meat trimmings at £1.75 for 400g, do keep an eye out for the cooked beef.
It's actually pastrami, and very nice it is, too. They are with the rest of the cooked meat, in black plastic trays, if you haven't seen it before.

maman

mcculloch29 wrote: »

If your Aldi has the cooked meat trimmings at £1.75 for 400g, do keep an eye out for the cooked beef.
It's actually pastrami, and very nice it is, too. They are with the rest of the cooked meat, in black plastic trays, if you haven't seen it before.

Thanks for that. I've tried the ham but I'll look out for the beef.

The problem I find is that the ham trimmings don't keep when opened as well as other packet ham. Do you freeze it? Or just eat it quickly?

buglawton

OH reports today, this afternoon many of our favourites sold out at Aldi and Lidl.
E.g. the 5 bird frozen products - empty freezer.
Big top-up shop needed tomorrow, lucky Waitrose!

mcculloch29

maman wrote: »

Thanks for that. I've tried the ham but I'll look out for the beef.

The problem I find is that the ham trimmings don't keep when opened as well as other packet ham. Do you freeze it? Or just eat it quickly?

They don't keep that well, you are right. I use them up in recipes usually, the pastrami went into a stir-fry. The ham has gone on pizzas and into pasta bakes and risottos in the past.

Stompa

maman wrote: »

The problem I find is that the ham trimmings don't keep when opened as well as other packet ham.

I seem to recall it says on the pack that it should be used within 1 day of opening, which isn't very long!

buglawton

Aldi honeycomb - may look attractive in its transparent bag but avoid, it's like eating a large lump of rock solid sticky sugar.

Also has anyone noticed how easy it is for a £10+ bottle of wine to slip in among the £4.99 ones, only to be noticed when you read your till receipt at home? I do believe Aldi does the shelf and label arrangements with confusion in mind.