Low Price Supermarkets- good quality?

[PM34]

Friends have been raving about Lidl for ages, but I've yet to bite the bullet. What is the quality of the meat and fish like? I know it's cheap, but is it cheap for a reason? Not sure where they source stuff from. Any thoughts anyone?

[Old Cogger]

Friends have been raving about Lidl for ages, but I've yet to bite the bullet. What is the quality of the meat and fish like? I know it's cheap, but is it cheap for a reason? Not sure where they source stuff from. Any thoughts anyone?

 

better and fresher same as theirs & Aldi!s Vegetables

 

only trouble with Lidi is they are trying to up market the frozen foods and cost escalates, no better in quality than old lines they use to sell cheaper, Aldi is now my frozen food store or Farm Foods.

[snowdragon]

TBH I do not find them cheaper then say Asda or Tesco and in-fact some of their things are dearer. I prefer Farm-foods or Iceland for frozen food

[hightail]

They're still the best deli in town where I live. Also love the fresh baked bread/cakes. I lived in Germany for six years so I recognise a lot of the stuff not necessarily common to Brit supermarkets and they are good value as is the fruit and veg. I don't suppose they can be just as cheap when they're bringing in lines to appeal specifically to local tastes.

[hightail]

Not sure where they source stuff from. Any thoughts anyone?

My aged dad does love to treat himself to a fillet steak once in a while and the Lidl meat is fully labelled - can be traced from farm to shop.

[honeybee13]

I shop in Lidl, I think most of their prices are very good. Like anywhere that you shop, you need to know what things cost so that when there's the odd item that's too expensive you can leave it.

 

HB

[tobyjugg2]

Aldi's meat and tinned stuff is brilliant and noticeably cheaper than pretty much all the rest. Same for boxed/packet cereals/rice/pasta etc

Their Tinned stuff is as good as premium but at tesco/Asda/Morrison saver budget 'brand prices.

 

Fruit and veg not so good in Aldi as our local Tesco, and Tesco is also better fruit and vegwise than our local morrisons

 

Farmfoods is great for the frozen chicken, burger etc and I find far better than Iceland.

[Nystagmite]

I shop in lidl and love their fresh fish

[Guest]

I shop in lidl and love their fresh fish

is it actually fresh though, or like some other supers (tesco/waitrose for eg) where some of the fish has been 'previously frozen' (also like some of their bakery stuff)

[snowdragon]

Where I live there is a Large Tesco, a large Asda, an Aldi, Farmfoods, Iceland, B & M, Home Bargains, Family Bargains, Fultons, that all sell food of some description and then about 2 miles away is an Lidl! .

I do not go in Tesco much as find them expensive now and not much selection .

[Sparks_]

I shop mainly at Aldi, I find the meats both raw and deli very good, especially the special offers, most tinned goods and cleaning stuff is fine. The fruit and veg tend to go off faster than other suppliers but thats nbot a problem if you plan your menus, I do find the potatoes tasteless though...I buy from M&S for them and for oranges as well...Aldi's tend to be a bit tough and too acidic for my tastes

[maroondevo52]

The co-op are bandits, worst bakers on the planet.

[martin2006]

My better half is a deputy manager at aldi, a few of the everyday items are dearer but generally speaking, most of aldi stuff is as good as branded stuff.

 

Since using aldi i begrudge paying tesco and asda prices, my shopping is always a good 50% cheaper.

 

Only real issue i have is frozen section needs to be bigger

[Old Cogger]

The co-op are bandits, worst bakers on the planet.

 

 

CO-OP nothing like the original store, use to shop as a kid for an aunt who was bed ridden with cancer every Saturday morning, then use to do my Mothers shopping after that was in early 50s, remember mums dividend No still.

[maroondevo52]

CO-OP nothing like the original store, use to shop as a kid for an aunt who was bed ridden with cancer every Saturday morning, then use to do my Mothers shopping after that was in early 50s, remember mums dividend No still.

 

Their prices are like a yo-yo, up and down every couple of weeks !!

[snowdragon]

Co-op are very expensive. I used to work for them so know!

Also when lived in Cambridgeshire the co-op was only place in the village where I lived and it cost me a lot to shop even for the basics

[maroondevo52]

Co-op are very expensive. I used to work for them so know!

 

I only use them now to top up my gas

[martin2006]

Change to utilita marooned, smart meters and top up from yr pc/phone

[Nystagmite]

Only real issue i have is frozen section needs to be bigger

 

I agree with you. I shop in both Lidl and Aldi. (only because they're both within 5 minutes walk) They both don't have a huge amount of frozen stuff.

[hightail]

I don't think frozen food is just as popular on the continent as it is here - or it wasn't when I lived there. Desserts yes but not so much other stuff.

[honeybee13]

We seem to have lost the OP since their first post yesterday.

 

PM34, what do you think so far please?

 

HB

[Mr.P]

Friends have been raving about Lidl for ages, but I've yet to bite the bullet. What is the quality of the meat and fish like? I know it's cheap, but is it cheap for a reason? Not sure where they source stuff from.

 

Well.... Based on the reports that came out after the horse meat scandal, the meat could be sourced from just about any eastern bloc country with no guarantee that it is what the packet claims it is. As for the fresh fruit & veg, I can usually find the same stuff elsewhere for a similar price or slightly cheaper. Most of the time, it isn't worth going out of my way to either Lidl or Aldi just to save a couple of pennies.

[tobyjugg2]

I can usually find the same stuff elsewhere for a similar price or slightly cheaper. Most of the time, it isn't worth going out of my way to either Lidl or Aldi just to save a couple of pennies.

 

I agree, but I do my main shop at Aldi tins, meats, potatoes and drop off at Tesco/morrisons as passing for other stuff.

Tesco is far to unreliable in even having stock of 'good value' items to rely on buying there, and Morrisons prices are up and down like yoyo's even more than Tesco.

Aldis prices are constant and you know what you get.