Good and Bad Buys at Lidl and Aldi stores (***Please don't expire***)

Doc_N

maman said:

That's interesting. While I understand that some people need deliveries I can't otherwise see the advantage of the price match. Why would I shop in Sainsburys for a few items at Aldi prices when I can go to Aldi and get my whole shop for a good value price? 🤔

Why indeed? 

We shop at Tesco at the moment only because we have to - using Aldi price match items where possible to reduce the cost.  The  Creamfields Aldi Price Match double cream, for example is no different from the Tesco double cream. The only difference is the price.  Many of the other Aldi Price Match items are noticeably inferior to the Tesco branded version, and the Aldi version. Not just to the taste - but by the use of noticeably inferior ingredients. 

As soon as I can I'll be back to Aldi/Lidl for pretty much everything.  Unlike in the old days, way back, their own brand products are in no way inferior to branded or other supermarket own label products. No need to shop anywhere else, apart perhaps from the occasional Waitrose order for things they don't sell.

High time Lidl and Aldi ditched all the daft made up names for their own label products and emphasised their own names - times have changed, and most people see those names in a very positive light.

harz99

Doc_N said:

harz99 said:

Pollycat said:

Running the risk of going off-topic, the last 2 lots of new potatoes we bought from Tesco were pretty poor too.

When I opened the plastic bag, they were wet through and at least 3 potatoes out of the 2 bags were rotten and mushy.

They didn't last anywhere near as long as they usually do either.

I stopped buying veg or fruit from Mr. T when they abandoned the best before dates. The drive for less and less plastic use has meant that packs have got smaller so they only just hold the weight of produce required, but the blurb on the outsides hasn't reduced so it is very difficult to see all the actual contents clearly. 

I’m stuck with Tesco now, simply for the deliveries. Apart from being more expensive, the produce is no better, and the removal of dates from some products gives them carte blanche to palm off poor quality stuff.

What’s also very noticeable is that the Aldi price match products are almost always of much poorer quality. The fruit, for example, is class 2, rather than class 1.

The price match is a Tesco con, and I’m surprised they haven’t been picked up on it.

Agreed with the price match, sometimes the weights don't even correspond so you have 750g bags of spuds supposedly matched with Aldi 1000g ones etc. 

Pollycat

briskbeats said:

With veg like carrots, potatoes, leeks. I take them out of the bag and dry them with a paper towel as they are wet in the bag. This applies to all supermarkets.

Me too.

I store my potatoes in Primark brown carrier bags.

harz99

Pollycat said:

briskbeats said:

With veg like carrots, potatoes, leeks. I take them out of the bag and dry them with a paper towel as they are wet in the bag. This applies to all supermarkets.

Me too.

I store my potatoes in Primark brown carrier bags.

I don't have enough for that, a 1kg bag does us for 3 days! 660g would get lost in a Primark carrier, LOL. 

68ComebackSpecial

Pollycat said:

Running the risk of going off-topic, the last 2 lots of new potatoes we bought from Tesco were pretty poor too.

When I opened the plastic bag, they were wet through and at least 3 potatoes out of the 2 bags were rotten and mushy.

They didn't last anywhere near as long as they usually do either.

For new potatoes I swear by the Maris Peer variety in M&S - available in miniature, baby and regular size and they can keep for weeks in the fridge. I've used some this week with a use by date in June and they were absolutely fine - garage fridge got a bit disorganised and I had been using them out of date order.

Pollycat

OH buys Venezia from Tesco for new potatoes.

They are very nice boiled/steamed and great for wedges.

He buys Maris Piper for mash, pommes savoyard/dauphinoise etc.

The poor ones he bought didn't feel like Venezia, the skins were rubbing off. I'd thrown the plastic bag away so couldn't check.

And they didn't taste that great either.

The only time we're in town near a M&S is when we're on the bus so lugging potatoes to the pub and back home on the bus wouldn't be our choice.

Rosa_Damascena

Potatoes are one of those foods that I don't buy regularly (on account of the fact they need cooking ). Its easy to forget how good a decent potato tastes.

pumpkin89

maman said:

That's interesting. While I understand that some people need deliveries I can't otherwise see the advantage of the price match. Why would I shop in Sainsburys for a few items at Aldi prices when I can go to Aldi and get my whole shop for a good value price? 🤔

Because, like me, your nearest Aldi is an hour's round trip whereas Sainsbury's is 2 minutes away.

Most towns and cities have easy access to an Aldi but the region where they are weakest is the South East, which is Sainsbury's heartland.

PLRFD

I think the quality of spuds in general has gone down recently for whatever reason,I’m now sticking to Albert Bartlett as a good all rounder they seem to be quite good quality wise.

Rosa_Damascena

pumpkin89 said:

maman said:

That's interesting. While I understand that some people need deliveries I can't otherwise see the advantage of the price match. Why would I shop in Sainsburys for a few items at Aldi prices when I can go to Aldi and get my whole shop for a good value price? 🤔

Because, like me, your nearest Aldi is an hour's round trip whereas Sainsbury's is 2 minutes away.

Most towns and cities have easy access to an Aldi but the region where they are weakest is the South East, which is Sainsbury's heartland.

I just don't find Sainsbo's merchandise even vaguely appealing unless it comes garnished with a yellow sticker.