Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
My Butler tells me there are items he can only get in Waitrose, the products are good and the experience nicer....
Who am I to deny him?
Do you have a favourite supermarket?
- Thread starter Pale Rider
- Start date
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Who am I to deny him?
Have learnt not to stock up like my parents. Just items that I need for a few days. I do patronise all supermarkets and shops from the office to home. More for variety and bit of excitement. Best discoveries are in the sauce and condiment section - some amazing stuff in Caribbean and Asian stores.
gbb
Legendary Member
- Location
- Peterborough
I tended to assume Waitrose has similar quality expectations as M&S. As i work in a packhouse supplying M&S with their grape and citrus products, their quality requirments far outshine all the others. Taste, sweetness, age, quality, visual, traceability, its all as perfect as it reasonably can be.
Other customers products don't come near.
Other customers products don't come near.
I don't rely on marketing, but direct experience of the quality of products and services.
PaulSB
Legendary Member
- Location
- Chorley, Lancashire
We have two Co-op convenience stores.Wot no Co-op.
Within my 5-6 miles all I have is a Co-op
johnblack
Über Member
- Location
- South Northamptonshire
Locally, Sainsburys and Aldi have been by far the best, no over bearing staff, unlike Tescos which has been awful and Waitrose which seems to be unable to deal with more than 1 customer at a time.
Ridgeway
Veteran
- Location
- Lausanne, Switzerland
We typically use about 7 differentiations supermarkets:
Lidl for veg, super cheap, good range of the basics but short shelf life
Aldi for some dry goods, cereals
Migros for most of the regular foods inc meat
Coop for nicer branded items
Aligro (cash and carry for restaurants like a Macro in UK) where we bulk buy tinned and dried products, sometimes meat if we're feeling rich
Intermarche (France, 30mins away) for most of the meat we buy in larger quantities for the chest freezer)
Tigros (Italy usually once a month) cheese, pasta etc
Shopping is a sport here
This doesn't include all the speciality food stuff we buy less frequently, deli type stuff that i typically pick up when i'm on my travels.
Lidl for veg, super cheap, good range of the basics but short shelf life
Aldi for some dry goods, cereals
Migros for most of the regular foods inc meat
Coop for nicer branded items
Aligro (cash and carry for restaurants like a Macro in UK) where we bulk buy tinned and dried products, sometimes meat if we're feeling rich
Intermarche (France, 30mins away) for most of the meat we buy in larger quantities for the chest freezer)
Tigros (Italy usually once a month) cheese, pasta etc
Shopping is a sport here
This doesn't include all the speciality food stuff we buy less frequently, deli type stuff that i typically pick up when i'm on my travels.
mustang1
Legendary Member
- Location
- London, UK
I shop at a variety of supermarkets. My favourite three are Waitrose, M&S and Lidl.
I also visit Sainsbury's and Tesco. I'd like to visit Morrissons and Budgens but my route doesn't take me that way... i like the variety. But if you're asking for favourites, it's the first three.
I also visit Sainsbury's and Tesco. I'd like to visit Morrissons and Budgens but my route doesn't take me that way... i like the variety. But if you're asking for favourites, it's the first three.
vickster
Legendary Member
Surely you only buy chocolate, holey cheese, Williams schnapps and the occasional cuckoo clock though ?We typically use about 7 differentiations supermarkets:
Lidl for veg, super cheap, good range of the basics but short shelf life
Aldi for some dry goods, cereals
Migros for most of the regular foods inc meat
Coop for nicer branded items
Aligro (cash and carry for restaurants like a Macro in UK) where we bulk buy tinned and dried products, sometimes meat if we're feeling rich
Intermarche (France, 30mins away) for most of the meat we buy in larger quantities for the chest freezer)
Tigros (Italy usually once a month) cheese, pasta etc
Shopping is a sport here
This doesn't include all the speciality food stuff we buy less frequently, deli type stuff that i typically pick up when i'm on my travels.
nickyboy
Norven Mankey
- Location
- You want hills? We got hills
In our fairly modest town we have M&S, Tesco, Co-oP, Aldi and....just this week....Lidl
Mrs N goes to Tesco for the main shop and pops into M&S to buy stuff for her Mum that she can't get in Tesco. I go one evening a week to Aldi to get a bunch of specific things that are just cheaper/better than Tesco. I like Aldi as I don't have to price check anything. I know they're going to be cheaper. I get essentials like litre bottles of vodka from there, and the limes and slimline to go with
Mrs N popped into Lidl and wasn't over impressed. "Same as Aldi" other than the onsite bakery
Mrs N goes to Tesco for the main shop and pops into M&S to buy stuff for her Mum that she can't get in Tesco. I go one evening a week to Aldi to get a bunch of specific things that are just cheaper/better than Tesco. I like Aldi as I don't have to price check anything. I know they're going to be cheaper. I get essentials like litre bottles of vodka from there, and the limes and slimline to go with
Mrs N popped into Lidl and wasn't over impressed. "Same as Aldi" other than the onsite bakery
Ridgeway
Veteran
- Location
- Lausanne, Switzerland
Surely you only buy chocolate, holey cheese, Williams schnapps and the occasional cuckoo clock though ?
Pretty decent list that, just missing some Rösti for my northern brothers
Ian H
Ancient randonneur
I my working days I used to supply packaging & labels to various suppliers of the big supermarkets. Waitrose were the most supportive to their suppliers. Tesco (I never dealt with the bastards, but other firms I knew did) were rapacious. M&S were not too bad. Sainsburys were nearly as bad as Tesco. I recall a supplier of ready meals to Sainsbury telling me how they'd announce that "this product is going on special offer next week, £1 off. so you need to buy the £1 off labels and your contribution to the offer will be 50p an item".
They would also demand to inspect the books of their suppliers. Any unbecoming profit would be met with the suggestion that they could reduce their prices.
Interestingly, Halfords were quite as bad. A well-known maker of bikes bits was over the moon to get an exclusive with Halfords. They had to build special display cabinets etc. Next year they looked very forlorn because Halfords had decided they were doing so well they could cut their margins to the bone.
They would also demand to inspect the books of their suppliers. Any unbecoming profit would be met with the suggestion that they could reduce their prices.
Interestingly, Halfords were quite as bad. A well-known maker of bikes bits was over the moon to get an exclusive with Halfords. They had to build special display cabinets etc. Next year they looked very forlorn because Halfords had decided they were doing so well they could cut their margins to the bone.
PapaZita
Guru
- Location
- St. Albans
Sainsbury's, since there was a big one on the way home from work. Having learned the layout of the shop, and our favourite products, it just seems easier to keep using it. Occasional visits to other supermarkets are usually a little disappointing, although I'm sure most would be fine given the opportunity to "learn" them too. Now I'm not passing every day, and we get mostly deliveries instead. It would have been an opportunity to experiment with someone else, but it seemed easiest just to stick with Sainsbury's for those too.
My 2nd choice is Aldi. There's a really handy off road cycle route, practically from door to door. It's certainly different, but I was getting to quite like it. As a bit of a tool snob, I've not yet been tempted by their socket sets or MIG welders. Sadly we've not used them in a while as they don't deliver.
We also like our local independent veg. box company, and the local watermill for flour and bread. Unfortunately there are very few food shopping options on the village high street any more, apart from a tiny Coop, which is handy from time to time.
My 2nd choice is Aldi. There's a really handy off road cycle route, practically from door to door. It's certainly different, but I was getting to quite like it. As a bit of a tool snob, I've not yet been tempted by their socket sets or MIG welders. Sadly we've not used them in a while as they don't deliver.
We also like our local independent veg. box company, and the local watermill for flour and bread. Unfortunately there are very few food shopping options on the village high street any more, apart from a tiny Coop, which is handy from time to time.
I mentioned in another thread that I used to repair electrical kit. One of our occasional customers was a local baker working out of a medium size industrial unit and mainly supplying trade. We always immediately jumped on anything he brought in for repair, and a couple of days later large tray of assorted bread and cakes would be dropped in to us as a thank you.
He mentioned being approached by Tesco and asked to become a local supplier. He said he turned them down as the proposed contract would have meant him shouldering all the risk little or no guaranteed reward.
Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
Tesco for me. I seem to be lucky that the one here is very good. Only downside is that the deli counter has recently closed, but hey ho.
No complaints about their fresh produce - it's rare I come up with a clunker, and the meat and fish off the counter is superb. They've improved their range of continental deli and cheeses as well, which is good. I can't vouch for a lot of their prepared food, because I rarely buy it - I prefer fresh ingredients to cook from scratch with. I buy a lot on yellow sticker, but have no problems paying the full whack.
There's also a Waitrose locally which I'll use for the few things I can't get in Tesco, and there are good Lidls in Cambridge, Huntingdon and March. But alas, each one involves a 40 mile round trip, which is a right royal pain. The local Aldi is small, cramped and pokey and I wasn't impressed with the range of stuff on offer. There is a big Sainsburys nearby too, but it's always very busy and the choices are limited and quite conservative. The big one near Addenbrooke's is much better. Plus I have a Co-op in the next village along. Their stuff is good, but they are about 15 to 20 % more expensive than Tesco. But if all I want is milk and a few gubbins and I happen to be passing, I don't mind if it saves me a trip into town - and they've actually got decent bike racks.
To be fair, there's very little difference between the price and quality of the own brand stuff in Tesco and Lidl. What you do have to watch out for is that the packs in Lidl can be smaller, so there's the perception of it being cheaper. When you look at price per unit weight, it's pretty well much of a muchness. Of course, when you compare Lidl's prices to that of the big brands... It's all in the marketing really.
No complaints about their fresh produce - it's rare I come up with a clunker, and the meat and fish off the counter is superb. They've improved their range of continental deli and cheeses as well, which is good. I can't vouch for a lot of their prepared food, because I rarely buy it - I prefer fresh ingredients to cook from scratch with. I buy a lot on yellow sticker, but have no problems paying the full whack.
There's also a Waitrose locally which I'll use for the few things I can't get in Tesco, and there are good Lidls in Cambridge, Huntingdon and March. But alas, each one involves a 40 mile round trip, which is a right royal pain. The local Aldi is small, cramped and pokey and I wasn't impressed with the range of stuff on offer. There is a big Sainsburys nearby too, but it's always very busy and the choices are limited and quite conservative. The big one near Addenbrooke's is much better. Plus I have a Co-op in the next village along. Their stuff is good, but they are about 15 to 20 % more expensive than Tesco. But if all I want is milk and a few gubbins and I happen to be passing, I don't mind if it saves me a trip into town - and they've actually got decent bike racks.
To be fair, there's very little difference between the price and quality of the own brand stuff in Tesco and Lidl. What you do have to watch out for is that the packs in Lidl can be smaller, so there's the perception of it being cheaper. When you look at price per unit weight, it's pretty well much of a muchness. Of course, when you compare Lidl's prices to that of the big brands... It's all in the marketing really.
