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

Brie

itsthelittlethings said:

Might take a trip to Lidl this evening to see if those tuna pasta salads are still on cheap and pick one up for tomorrow.

I'll be looking for Rosa's black cherry & sloe jam!!!

Rosa_Damascena

I dropped into Aldi this evening to do a quick top up shop for my parents and came across this on introductory offer of £1.99 (the SEL indicated the usual price will be £3.99).


 Ultra-processed and ultra sweet, it is undeniably delicious.

Cornucopia

New product variety in Aldi:-

Soup in a Cup, Chicken & Veg flavour with Croutons.    It's still probably something of an acquired taste, although I'd say it was the most realistic chicken soup I've ever had from a packet.

4x sachets for 65p

Brie

Sadly no cherry and sloe jam at my Lidls today.

I did note however that they had the pouches of turkey gravy available.  I hate bisto type gravy but don't mind something like this.  So keeping in mind turkey season is nigh I picked up one of the Deluxe brand ones.  It's labelled as "turkey & port gravy with a touch of citrus" selling for £1.99.  

Proceeded to do the rest of my shopping and came across the Potts brand turkey and port gravy in one of the middle aisles.  Also £1.99 but also a brand I've heard decent things about.  So I compared the ingredients - identical - everything the same listed in the same order with the same percentages so I'm guessing both are made to the same recipe and likely in the same factory.    So which to buy?  I picked the Deluxe brand one as it's BBD is in 2027 while Potts is for next March.  Given the likelihood we'll forget that we bought this we may need the extra time to get around to using it.

Brie

OK not Lidl or Aldi but I thought I would slip this in here.....Sainsbugs has a new line of Indian food in their Taste the Difference range.  Very expensive!!  BUT they're having a meal deal.

So 2 mains and 2 sides for £15.  One of the mains we've picked up is a half tandoori chicken which RRP is £10, there's a beef dish for £12 and then some nice looking naans and bhajis, again all above  the normal price you might pay for things.  So about £30 normal price for the lot but costing half that.  And frankly I think it will do us for 2 dinners or 1 dinner and a couple of lunches.   

I did somewhat wonder when we picked it up whether the till would say that the £10 half chicken counted as 2 mains but it didn't.  

They also had their mango lassi on special at £2.50 for a litre.  Saves me having to make my own.

Rosa_Damascena

Brie said:

OK not Lidl or Aldi but I thought I would slip this in here.....Sainsbugs has a new line of Indian food in their Taste the Difference range.  Very expensive!!  BUT they're having a meal deal.

So 2 mains and 2 sides for £15.  One of the mains we've picked up is a half tandoori chicken which RRP is £10, there's a beef dish for £12 and then some nice looking naans and bhajis, again all above  the normal price you might pay for things.  So about £30 normal price for the lot but costing half that.  And frankly I think it will do us for 2 dinners or 1 dinner and a couple of lunches.   

I did somewhat wonder when we picked it up whether the till would say that the £10 half chicken counted as 2 mains but it didn't.  

They also had their mango lassi on special at £2.50 for a litre.  Saves me having to make my own.

Food prices are crazy, yet the supermarkets know there is a demographic that are still ready to spend silly money on convenience - have you seen the prices of M&S Christmas food? Charlie Bigham has also introduced a £30 ready meal, nuts!!

maman

Definitely agree about the crazy prices @Rosa_Damascena but I think the supermarkets recognise that since lockdown people are more inclined to eat and drink at home. If you compare the price of the meal deal that @Brie describes with eating out then, even adding a bottle of wine, makes for probably less than half what eating a similar meal out might cost.

Of course, if you bought the ingredients in Aldi or Lidl and cooked it yourself, you could probably halve the price again and it would be healthier as well as better value for money. 😁

Brie

Must admit the Sainsbug meal deal was realllly nice. So we're looking at getting it again while the deal is still on and chucking it in the freezer.   There's a local Indian place that's very good but their best deal on a Tuesday is £20 for a set meal for 1 and as noted that doesn't include beer/wine.  

Rosa_Damascena

maman said:

Definitely agree about the crazy prices @Rosa_Damascena but I think the supermarkets recognise that since lockdown people are more inclined to eat and drink at home. If you compare the price of the meal deal that @Brie describes with eating out then, even adding a bottle of wine, makes for probably less than half what eating a similar meal out might cost.

Of course, if you bought the ingredients in Aldi or Lidl and cooked it yourself, you could probably halve the price again and it would be healthier as well as better value for money. 😁

I suppose my gripe is that I have eaten out a lot in the past (necessitated through business trips) and I find restaurant food to be consistently disappointing. I'd rather have a small dish of something well made - usually Indian, Chinese or Thai - than spend big and be served a meh main dish. Most British / European restaurants are less than imaginative when it comes to vegetarian food.

Back on track - Aldi has its dupe perfumes back. Not my thing, but at £6 a bargain for fans of these fragrances.

Doc_N

Rosa_Damascena said:

Brie said:

OK not Lidl or Aldi but I thought I would slip this in here.....Sainsbugs has a new line of Indian food in their Taste the Difference range.  Very expensive!!  BUT they're having a meal deal.

So 2 mains and 2 sides for £15.  One of the mains we've picked up is a half tandoori chicken which RRP is £10, there's a beef dish for £12 and then some nice looking naans and bhajis, again all above  the normal price you might pay for things.  So about £30 normal price for the lot but costing half that.  And frankly I think it will do us for 2 dinners or 1 dinner and a couple of lunches.   

I did somewhat wonder when we picked it up whether the till would say that the £10 half chicken counted as 2 mains but it didn't.  

They also had their mango lassi on special at £2.50 for a litre.  Saves me having to make my own.

Food prices are crazy, yet the supermarkets know there is a demographic that are still ready to spend silly money on convenience - have you seen the prices of M&S Christmas food? Charlie Bigham has also introduced a £30 ready meal, nuts!!

There’s a review in The Times today of these latest Bigham ready meals. Ties up with the experience I’ve had of their pies - not good. Anyone who reads the full review would be very unlikely to buy one! It concludes:

“Bigham, like them, is gambling that people will look at the cost of eating in a pub and conclude that one of his meals is far cheaper. Dishes to light a candle for? I’d turn out the lights.”