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

Murphybear

Rosa_Damascena said:

Brie said:

@andygb
Interesting!  I'm trying to visualise our local Lidls and can't thing that there are any scales available in the veg section like there are in the other supermarkets.  But it would be interesting to see if yours was a one off or whether they are all underweight.  One off is forgiveable up to a point but if it's all of them then that's a very bad and reportable crime I think!!

It shouldn't have passed QC with that kind of underage. Daylight robbery perhaps, but not actually a prosecutable crime?

It is an offence to sell underweight items. The rules are complicated (see on .gov for details). If it happens a lot the penalty can be heavy fine or prison 

pumpkin89

Doc_N said:

Interesting that all those chicken products withdrawn from sale in the last couple of days because of Salmonella contamination all come from the same factory in Hull - but were sold by Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Aldi, the Co-op, Pret a Manger and Marks & Spencer.

I love these people who shop at other supermarkets and look down their noses at Aldi and Lidl shoppers!    

I don't know how many more times it needs to be said - the fact that two products are made in the same factory does not mean they are made with the same ingredients or to the same specification.  I'm not sure anyone looks down their noses at Aldi and Lidl shoppers, rather at Aldi and Lidl products.

Cornucopia

pumpkin89 said:

Doc_N said:

Interesting that all those chicken products withdrawn from sale in the last couple of days because of Salmonella contamination all come from the same factory in Hull - but were sold by Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Aldi, the Co-op, Pret a Manger and Marks & Spencer.

I love these people who shop at other supermarkets and look down their noses at Aldi and Lidl shoppers!    

I don't know how many more times it needs to be said - the fact that two products are made in the same factory does not mean they are made with the same ingredients or to the same specification.  I'm not sure anyone looks down their noses at Aldi and Lidl shoppers, rather at Aldi and Lidl products.

You are right, but I think people find it reassuring when it turns out that an Aldi or Lidl product is made by or in the same facility as a major brand.   

I think many people have a nagging doubt in the back of their minds that there "must be a reason" why some A & L products are substantially cheaper than main brand, and the "factory" thing helps to dispel that, even if the ingredients may well be slightly different.

Overall, though, the only real test is whether you like the products.   It doesn't need a head-to-head test necessarily - the products just need to taste good, and have other markers of quality like good nutritional values and undamaged product/packaging.

Doc_N

pumpkin89 said:

Doc_N said:

Interesting that all those chicken products withdrawn from sale in the last couple of days because of Salmonella contamination all come from the same factory in Hull - but were sold by Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Aldi, the Co-op, Pret a Manger and Marks & Spencer.

I love these people who shop at other supermarkets and look down their noses at Aldi and Lidl shoppers!    

I don't know how many more times it needs to be said - the fact that two products are made in the same factory does not mean they are made with the same ingredients or to the same specification.  I'm not sure anyone looks down their noses at Aldi and Lidl shoppers, rather at Aldi and Lidl products.

The point here, though, is that the recall affects all of these supermarkets, because the products all contained the same contaminated ingredients.

The reality is that although the recipes and ingredient proportions can vary between brands and non brands, they’re frequently identical, and any variations tend to be small.

Aldi and Lidl are almost invariably as good as the brands, but the Tesco cheapo range, designed to match Aldi prices, certainly isn’t. The ingredients they use are invariably inferior to the Aldi products.

A._Badger

pumpkin89 said:

Doc_N said:

Interesting that all those chicken products withdrawn from sale in the last couple of days because of Salmonella contamination all come from the same factory in Hull - but were sold by Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Aldi, the Co-op, Pret a Manger and Marks & Spencer.

I love these people who shop at other supermarkets and look down their noses at Aldi and Lidl shoppers!    

I don't know how many more times it needs to be said - the fact that two products are made in the same factory does not mean they are made with the same ingredients or to the same specification.  I'm not sure anyone looks down their noses at Aldi and Lidl shoppers, rather at Aldi and Lidl products.

Anyone who disparages Aldi's products en masse (I can't speak for Lidl) is either prejudiced or has reading difficulties. The ingredients label tells you what is inside the packet and it is rare to find an Aldi alternative not at least as good as the major brand equivalent. You might not like the taste for example, but that is subjective. As a former Tesco and Sainsbury's customer, I am not sure I could say the same about their own brand products.. 

rhcp

I was watching a youtube video of someone comparing aldi v bird's eye chicken quarter pounders. 

Same ingredients, packaged in the same place, looked the same, tasted the same, only difference was the price!

alsa1

A bit cheeky of Lidl today to be charging different prices at the till compared to the shelves. It seems prices have increased on a range of items but the store staff haven’t changed the shelf tags.

Quilted Toilet Roll £1.59 on the shelf but charged £1.75. A few other items (Greek Yoghurt) overcharged too. Not huge amounts but not great when you get home and it’s too late!

Pollycat

A._Badger said:

pumpkin89 said:

Doc_N said:

Interesting that all those chicken products withdrawn from sale in the last couple of days because of Salmonella contamination all come from the same factory in Hull - but were sold by Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Aldi, the Co-op, Pret a Manger and Marks & Spencer.

I love these people who shop at other supermarkets and look down their noses at Aldi and Lidl shoppers!    

I don't know how many more times it needs to be said - the fact that two products are made in the same factory does not mean they are made with the same ingredients or to the same specification.  I'm not sure anyone looks down their noses at Aldi and Lidl shoppers, rather at Aldi and Lidl products.

Anyone who disparages Aldi's products en masse (I can't speak for Lidl) is eitdiher prejudiced or has reading difficulties. The ingredients label tells you what is inside the packet and it is rare to find an Aldi alternative not at least as good as the major brand equivalent. You might not like the taste for example, but that is subjective. As a former Tesco and Sainsbury's customer, I am not sure I could say the same about their own brand products.. 

I don't disparage Aldi.
I really like Aldi.
I've done the comparison test in a number of items Tesco v Aldi.
I like Aldi but we really prefer Tesco Finest sausages to Aldi Specially Selected. We find them over-peppered with thick skins.
We also think that Tesco pita bread keeps better than Aldi.
It's just a case of comparing and deciding what a you like more.

Anybody who disparages something without trying it must be a bit dim

Or pretentious.

PLRFD

rhcp said:

I was watching a youtube video of someone comparing aldi v bird's eye chicken quarter pounders. 

Same ingredients, packaged in the same place, looked the same, tasted the same, only difference was the price!

Was that The Bald Food Guy ? 

rhcp

PLRFD said:

rhcp said:

I was watching a youtube video of someone comparing aldi v bird's eye chicken quarter pounders. 

Same ingredients, packaged in the same place, looked the same, tasted the same, only difference was the price!

Was that The Bald Food Guy ? 

Yes it was.