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

Doc_N

Rosa_Damascena said:

Rosa_Damascena said:

Brie said:

@Rosa_Damascena
was it you that commented last year about coffee creams in Iceland?  Well whomever it was, they're back!! (the coffee creams I mean) £2.50 Whittakers.

Credit to someone else for that find - but I do love a coffee cream 

Lidl has increased the price of their shortbread fingers from 85p to 95p  . If I were an optimist I would expect this is just for Christmas but somehow I doubt it.

Redeemed myself by visiting Aldi and buying my favourite shortbread fingers at 85p . I also bought a nice winter candle (510g jar) found in the middle aisle for £2.99, and 2 packs of their extra special mince pies whilst on offer (a just-about-tolerable £1.49/6 rather than the usual £2.49). Shortbread aside, it went to my parents and I was able to serve them a pie each without even thinking about warming one up for myself.

Of note I overheard an elderly couple instore saying that Lidl had become too expensive. I hadn't actually noticed until I fancied a shortbread finger

Interesting point that, and you can certainly see where they're coming from. I used to reckon that the 'gap' between Aldi/Lidl prices and Tesco's was around 20-25% overall, and around 35% against Waitrose. Probably still right for Waitrose, but I'm not so sure about Tesco. Competition has brought main supermarket prices down, and I suspect their new popularity has allowed Aldi and Lidl to increase their margins.

harz99

Doc_N said:

Rosa_Damascena said:

Rosa_Damascena said:

Brie said:

@Rosa_Damascena
was it you that commented last year about coffee creams in Iceland?  Well whomever it was, they're back!! (the coffee creams I mean) £2.50 Whittakers.

Credit to someone else for that find - but I do love a coffee cream 

Lidl has increased the price of their shortbread fingers from 85p to 95p  . If I were an optimist I would expect this is just for Christmas but somehow I doubt it.

Redeemed myself by visiting Aldi and buying my favourite shortbread fingers at 85p . I also bought a nice winter candle (510g jar) found in the middle aisle for £2.99, and 2 packs of their extra special mince pies whilst on offer (a just-about-tolerable £1.49/6 rather than the usual £2.49). Shortbread aside, it went to my parents and I was able to serve them a pie each without even thinking about warming one up for myself.

Of note I overheard an elderly couple instore saying that Lidl had become too expensive. I hadn't actually noticed until I fancied a shortbread finger

Interesting point that, and you can certainly see where they're coming from. I used to reckon that the 'gap' between Aldi/Lidl prices and Tesco's was around 20-25% overall, and around 35% against Waitrose. Probably still right for Waitrose, but I'm not so sure about Tesco. Competition has brought main supermarket prices down, and I suspect their new popularity has allowed Aldi and Lidl to increase their margins.

What concerns me is that with Aldi at least, there are more and more recognised major brand label items appearing on the shelves, which inevitably means higher prices, and allows higher increases on own brand products as they still look a good buy in comparison.

Rosa_Damascena

One thing about Lidl - the big party cakes they sell for £4.79 are not nice. Yesterday I bought a Deluxe chocolate cake and tub of Deluxe Madagascan vanilla ice cream for around the same price which easily fed the same number of people but was a better quality celebratory dessert. I'm not that fond of chocolate cake which is just as well as I didn't get a piece

andygb

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.

Asda has these on offer at the moment and they are one of the best supermarket curries I have found - £10.46 for two mains and two sides.

https://www.asda.com/groceries/chilled-food/ready-meals/bom-bahia-by-asda

andygb

Earlier this year, I bought Aldi's fillet steak which was really excellent. Last week, I bought their Wagyu burgers (2 for £3.99) and they were possibly the best burgers I have ever tasted, so moist and flavoursome. I had then with green beans, Lidl beef dripping chips and a Sainsbury's pepper sauce. I have a couple of their Wagyu sirloin steaks in the fridge for this week.

GlasgowExpat2

Purchased a box of the Aldi Specially Selected Belgian Milk Chocolate Flaked Truffles 🤢. Very synthetic taste, think I’ll stick with the M&S ones 

HouseMartin567

HouseMartin567 said:

JingsMyBucket said:

HouseMartin567 said:

My favourite non-traditional mince pies are back in Aldi: caramelised apple crumble, and Millionaire’s crumble.

If I recall correctly, last year they were £2.50 for 6 (41.6p each). Now they are £2.29 for 4 (57.2p each). A 37.5% increase is galling. Not galling enough to invoke abstinence, but enough to limit my intake - so not necessarily a bad thing!

@HouseMartin567 do these have the usual dried fruit mince pie filling as well or are they just mini apple crumble pies? If the latter, I’ll definitely pick some up. Neither of us really likes heaps of dried fruit and we tend to swerve Christmas puddings, mince pies, fruit cakes, etc. 

If I recall correctly there is a small amount of mince pie filling but the overriding flavour is the caramelised apple. I will pick up a box with my weekend shopping and report back.

I forgot to report back on the Aldi Caramelised Apple Crumble Mince Pies. Overriding flavour is definitely cinnamon. I like the crunchy texture that the crumble topping gives. Very sweet, but enjoyable. Tad on the expensive side. Still have the Billionaire Crumble ones to try (although I recall liking them last year!).

Rosa_Damascena

andygb 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.

Asda has these on offer at the moment and they are one of the best supermarket curries I have found - £10.46 for two mains and two sides.

https://www.asda.com/groceries/chilled-food/ready-meals/bom-bahia-by-asda

You guys need to invest in an Instant Pot /  PKP. I am have transitioned from convert status to evangelist!!

Brie

Rosa_Damascena said:

You guys need to invest in an Instant Pot /  PKP. I am have transitioned from convert status to evangelist!!

what's that?

Rosa_Damascena

Brie said:

Rosa_Damascena said:

You guys need to invest in an Instant Pot /  PKP. I am have transitioned from convert status to evangelist!!

what's that?

One of these, it does everything in minimum time, minimum fuss, minimum smell and minimum cleaning up afterwards. Ideal for curries: