My experiences..
Aldi - haven't been to one for at least 7 yrs.Asda - Too big. The one in Leeds had the BEST fruit & veg at great prices, odd because nobody that shopped there bought the stuff.Booths - Never seen one.Budgens - Hampstead one is probably my ideal supermarket. Whitechapel one is 24hrs, free cash machine, reasonable selection for size & Centra - Never seen oneCo-op - Reliably rubbish.Costcutter - Fine for Booze + fags + milk not much else.Dunnes Stores - Never seen oneEurospar - DittoFilco Foods - DittoHaldanes - DittoIceland - Under the impression they sell only frozen foods? I spent 5 mins in one once and realised I couldn't buy half my list so left.Lidl - Foreign cured meats & cheeses, dart boards and cheap fleeces? Novelty value only.Londis - See CostcutterMace - As aboveMarks & Spencer - Fulfills the need for one meal (ltd cooking) + milk + bread etc if needed.Morrisons - On a par with Sainsburys, aisles too narrow.Netto - Been in one (Peckham). Marveled at massive tubs of broken biscuits, rusty tins of tomatoes and RANGE of wine under £2.Nisa- See CostcutterOcado - No experience.Sainsbury's - Regularly shop here. Meets needs (just). Good range, crap fruit & veg.SuperValu - Never seen one.SPAR - As Costcutters.Tesco - Big ones are okay. Metro ones are SHITE because they should be better than a SPAR/Costcutter but they're not.Waitrose - Not that much better than a good Sainsburys except in a posh area. Barbican one is rubbish.Whole Foods Market - Makes my eyes water at the thought of a weeks shopping cost.
― mmmm, Monday, 13 June 2011 11:35 (thirteen years ago) link
Supermarkets are obviously great on the whole, no defending needed imo. Not just convenience & price but they drag quality up ime. Where I live anyway there's no way you'd get krazy stuff like olives, different cheeses or minority soft drinks at all if it wasn't for the behemoths being able to devote a little of their shelf space to such whimsy.
― Ismael Klata, Monday, 13 June 2011 11:36 (thirteen years ago) link
Waitrose - Not that much better than a good Sainsburys except in a posh area. Barbican one is rubbish.
^ this is just so wrong
― just sayin, Monday, 13 June 2011 11:38 (thirteen years ago) link
i mean the part abt 'not much better than a good sainsburys'
Been to a few Centras in Northern Ireland, it's a chain of corner shops and metro-sized minimarts similar to Spar, I guess? Not sure if NI Centra is the same company as the ROI Centra. And the Dunnes in Belfast is a big M&Sish department store which I didn't even realise had a food hall. We have a lot of Dunnes towels which have been pleasingly soft but durable, if that helps.
I don't really like where Waitrose has placed itself in the market spectrum (there isn't one anywhere near us but the last time I went to one some of the prices were crazy - this one was in a well-to-do twee market town though), but the Waitrose/John Lewis group is a workers' co-operative and seems to have started out with good intentions at least
though that thing abt the Co-op underpaying farmers is depressing if true, I have a Tesco Metro and a Co-Op opposite me and thought the Co-Op was a more ethical place to shop, but maybe that is totally misplaced
― sambal dalek (a passing spacecadet), Monday, 13 June 2011 11:45 (thirteen years ago) link
Got to know Booths for the first time on holiday in the Lake District last couple of weeks, with only a Co-op with no parking spaces as an alternative (no alternative): I've never been so completely and professionally stripped naked, robbed of my cash in a humiliating way. They joyously overcharge a bottle of wine you get at an off-license - or any other store in the world - for three, four quid less. Pricing of fresh fish and simple things like milk or bacon too seemed ridiculous. I won't even get into *paying* having to park at their lot (this was touristy Keswick, but still). Bloody Nora.
This was my experience too, and it basically sucked all the soul out of me in the middle of what was otherwise a lovely weekend camping in the Lake District. We figured since we'd been suckered into paying for parking we might as well get a coffee in their cafe while we were there. I can't even think of anything that even comes within a million miles of being the worst coffee I've ever had in my life.
I overuse Tesco due to convenience (also ridiculous amounts of yellow-stickered bargains in our local one), but try to use Morrisons and Sainsburys whenever I'm nearer one of them as I much prefer them.
Our wee Londis down the end of the road is good for the odd bargain, decent bottles of wine and fresh morning rolls.
I used to do my fruit and veg shopping in Lidl, but I tend to just use Tesco now. We get everything reduced anyway, as no-one in our wee suburb of Glasgow eats fruit and veg so it's always going cheap.
― ailsa, Monday, 13 June 2011 11:49 (thirteen years ago) link
Oh yeah, them yellow stickers...
The fam was up north a couple weeks ago, and during these times I usually check out the bargs.
One week, my evening meals at home (4 nights) came to a grand total of £2.34 which was a bunch of fish, some salads, a burrito easymeal, and milk(Fullprice)..
― Mark G, Monday, 13 June 2011 12:00 (thirteen years ago) link
Basically the only supermarket in my vicinity is a Tesco and it's one the worst examples i've ever seen. I do shop quite a bit in Aldi/Lidl when venturing further afield.
― Number None, Monday, 13 June 2011 12:08 (thirteen years ago) link
The 4 supermarkets within on-foot grocery-lugging distance of me:
an Aldi - good for brand-x snacks, sauces, cured meats and chocolate - lots of fresh veg too but I don't buy fresh anything here after some unwashably insect-covered broccoli(to me Aldi and Lidl are almost interchangeable, but apparently Aldi has a v good reputation and Lidl a v bad one in Germany?)
an Iceland - mainly frozen ready meals and always full of OAPs and wailing children, but the small non-frozen section is often the cheapest place for everyday branded products (soap, household products, lager, Heinz tins, bread, crisp multipacks)
a Co-op - my main choice, but slightly odd combination of the organic/whole-food/expensive Waitrose market for some stock and the bare basics for others makes it hard to guess if they'll have the product you want or how expensive it'll be
a Tesco Metro - the stock is OK and prices are good but always v understaffed, you always have to use the self-checkout because the tills are rarely staffed, and other obvious cost-cutting measures like the thinnest bags ever
we also occasionally drive to:a big out-of-town Sainsbury's (range and prices OK, food is usually good, experience is about as non-stressful as a giant out-of-town shop can be)a big out-of-town Tesco's (this shop is a scrum and reduces me to an angry wreck every time, so many people driving trolleys like they can't even see you, like nothing must stand between them and the groceries)
― sambal dalek (a passing spacecadet), Monday, 13 June 2011 12:34 (thirteen years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Saturday, 18 June 2011 23:01 (thirteen years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Sunday, 19 June 2011 23:01 (thirteen years ago) link
Tie!
― ...wow! (Le Bateau Ivre), Sunday, 19 June 2011 23:48 (thirteen years ago) link
I know it is lazy observational comedy at its very lamest, but that Tesco "unexpected item in bagging area" voice makes me want to stab people. Except there are never any people around except the very large queue growing behind you and laughing as you keep removing the offending handbag/single banana that's fallen off the bunch or whatever and failing to find anywhere that the stupid automated voice woman will let you put it.
― ailsa, Monday, 20 June 2011 07:49 (thirteen years ago) link
anyone ever get any of the heston stuff from waitrose? normally i cook but today was 99p for two veal burgers with "all the ingredients of tartare sauce", so kind of flavoured with cornichons, anchovies etc...i came here to say how great they were!
might be 3 quid normally...
― When a German communicates, you listen (LocalGarda), Wednesday, 26 October 2011 19:14 (twelve years ago) link
you just waived your right to survive the revolution
― generation lmbo (darraghmac), Wednesday, 26 October 2011 19:42 (twelve years ago) link
f u i am reading beckett and behan at the moment and i love guinness
― When a German communicates, you listen (LocalGarda), Wednesday, 26 October 2011 19:46 (twelve years ago) link
your executors will be reading kavanagh and o'casey and will be sthrong men for the pint of harp
― generation lmbo (darraghmac), Wednesday, 26 October 2011 20:05 (twelve years ago) link
Feel like this whole thread has been a proxy 'what class are you?' poll. (thanks for tip re burgers)
― Ismael Klata, Wednesday, 26 October 2011 20:25 (twelve years ago) link
I went into my first Booths yesterday (Milnthorpe). - they have a juicing machine where you can do your own orange juice and bottle it up
― anvil, Friday, 26 September 2014 18:10 (nine years ago) link
Keep seeing Dunnes Stores bags around Russia. Having investigated it looks like there are off-brand versions too:
http://i.imgur.com/U6CBYyv.jpg
― Rainbow DAESH (ShariVari), Monday, 16 March 2015 11:57 (nine years ago) link
http://www.rte.ie/presspack/files/2012/08/CLOCH-LE-CARN-JOE-LYNCH-RTE-2310_004.jpg
― Junior Dictionary (LocalGarda), Monday, 16 March 2015 12:01 (nine years ago) link
In the absence of a tartare sauce thread (that I could find) I shall report here that M&S own-brand tartare sauce tastes mainly of vinegar with a hint of marker pens
in case that sounds delicious, it was not
― a passing spacecadet, Sunday, 1 January 2017 18:26 (seven years ago) link
mmmm!I did sort of miss my M&S staple foods this year. More than offset by not having to cook anything.
― kinder, Sunday, 1 January 2017 18:49 (seven years ago) link
two or three times in the last month i've popped into Marks's to ogle their Christmas food and then walked out thinking "i'm not paying THAT"
― Rock Wokeman (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 1 January 2017 18:58 (seven years ago) link
Colman's tartare sauce is pretty good.
― 2017, how bad could it be? (snoball), Sunday, 1 January 2017 21:15 (seven years ago) link
That's what I usually get. Co-op own brand is a lacklustre but tolerable substitute, as is Aldi's iirc though it's been a while. I think the M&S one even cost more than Colman's would have.
Christmas food seemed really expensive this year. Not just at M&S/Waitrose (not surprising) but even the Co-op had fridges full of "luxury" xmas everythings for way more than I could justify spending. I spent the post-Christmas week returning sporadically to eye the reduced to clear fridge but no luck.
(I too went to M&S to ogle Christmas things and buy small boxes of chocolates for random acquaintance gifts, but even the latter were more than I remembered from previous years. Was amused by the little chocolate balls wrapped up like "sprouts" though and bought some for acquaintances who are easily entertained like me.)
― a passing spacecadet, Sunday, 1 January 2017 21:45 (seven years ago) link
asda stuff was good
ya i shopped up in the six counties whit av ut
― loudmouth darraghmac ween (darraghmac), Sunday, 1 January 2017 22:55 (seven years ago) link
I got some half price mixed/stuffed olives for £1.65 at the local co-op. Nice accompaniment to my last dregs of whisky.
The m+s in this shithole was closed down 10 years ago. It had been there since the 1930's as well, somehow. The Jack Fulton's around the corner always had at least 100% more customers. Christ, even Woolworths usually had more customers.
― calzino, Sunday, 1 January 2017 23:10 (seven years ago) link
Jack Fulton's does a tasty bargain now and then if you keep your eye on them
― Rock Wokeman (Noodle Vague), Monday, 2 January 2017 07:50 (seven years ago) link
Just learned Aldi owns Trader Joe's in the US, never knew.
― Lee626, Monday, 2 January 2017 08:01 (seven years ago) link
My nearest shops are Waitrose and Sainsbury's, supplemented by the amazing butcher on Theobald's Road and a couple of good fruit and veg stands. My upstairs neighbour runs the big one on Kingsway that's great for cheap fruit and £1 bunches of asparagus in season. The other is the Asian stall outside Marchmont Street post office with good 50p bunches of parsley and coriander.
― jane burkini (suzy), Monday, 2 January 2017 09:41 (seven years ago) link
I got 15p change this morning despite paying with my card. How does that work?
― koogs, Friday, 26 May 2017 14:17 (seven years ago) link
Did you bring your own bags? I've heard of some places giving you money back if you reuse old bags.
― heaven parker (anagram), Friday, 26 May 2017 15:29 (seven years ago) link
how the fuck did waitrose win this?
― plax (ico), Friday, 26 May 2017 15:30 (seven years ago) link
lol ilx
― The Remoans of the May (Noodle Vague), Friday, 26 May 2017 17:32 (seven years ago) link
I would have to travel halfway to Bradford or to the t'other side of Leeds to find my nearest Waitrose. But I will say their own brand products which I often purchase from Ocado are decent. I could imagine after 5-6 more years of austerity much more of the squeezed middle of ILX would have realised LIDL is ace for cheap fresh produce and booze and their bakery products are rather good as well, Alan.
― calzino, Friday, 26 May 2017 20:55 (seven years ago) link
Co-op are underrated imo.
my parents are middle-class and retired and they do half their shopping in lidl and the other half in m&s food. the two shops are conveniently a stonesthrow from each other. i was legit impressed at the prices in lidl last time i was there. "22p for a tin of tomatoes wtf" sort of thing
― -_- (jim in vancouver), Friday, 26 May 2017 21:48 (seven years ago) link
I live in between (sort of) a Waitrose and a Morrisons, the novelty of Waitrose has long since worn off for me though and you'll invariably find me in Morrisons.
― Punnet of the Grapes (Tom D.), Friday, 26 May 2017 22:00 (seven years ago) link
... the novelty of seeing Charles Dance doing his weekly shop, for one.
― Punnet of the Grapes (Tom D.), Friday, 26 May 2017 22:01 (seven years ago) link
xxp co-op?? Their fruit and veg is always the worst where I am - have had mouldy herbs etc. And mostly overpriced except for the offers on big brands. There are about 4 of varying sizes on my nearby high street and I find them all infuriating
― kinder, Friday, 26 May 2017 22:13 (seven years ago) link
where i am the local co-op is pretty ace for fresh produce, and basics like tinned tomatoes, passsata, cream and minced beef etc. The local Asian supermarket is better, but double the walk.
I bet Charles Dance doesn't ever buy any reduced asparagus - the posh twat!
― calzino, Friday, 26 May 2017 22:20 (seven years ago) link
― calzino, Friday, 26 May 2017 20:55 (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
co-op has this problem where quality is unknowable, I had "posh" chilled pizzas from there that were ineptly bady. Once had a frozen margarita that was oddly delicious, but the other frozen pizzas in the same line were completely disgusting, miserable smear of odd tasting orange tomato sauce. also, often very expensive. not waitrose expensive though.
― plax (ico), Saturday, 27 May 2017 00:19 (seven years ago) link
Do any of you savages actually cook anything other than readymeals? As the resident council estate scratter I'm getting worried!
― calzino, Saturday, 27 May 2017 00:31 (seven years ago) link
I've just been to the local Co-op. They are selling succulent looking 230g packs of Dutch vine tomatoes for 69p. I'll really miss offers like that in the post-Brexit depression.
― calzino, Saturday, 27 May 2017 10:29 (seven years ago) link
Fruit and veg in my local Co-op is perversely expensive. You can currently get a pizza, wedges, garlic bread, frozen corn and ice cream for the price of 12 apples. The bakery is decent and the three-for-£1 Magnum dupes are amazing though.
For all the ethical positioning, the staff at my local one are vocal about hating it and say their benefits / perks are being stripped down. They are also moving towards only selling British meat to capitalise on Brexit sent, which is nagl.
― Wag1 Shree Rajneesh (ShariVari), Saturday, 27 May 2017 10:39 (seven years ago) link
https://s14.postimg.org/m9t9kqva9/IMG_0084.jpg
My other half wants to boycott them over this, not unreasonably. I can't bring myself to go to CostCutter instead tho.
― Wag1 Shree Rajneesh (ShariVari), Saturday, 27 May 2017 10:44 (seven years ago) link
I hadn't noticed the UKIP style marketing tbh.
I just got tomatoes, bell peppers, bananas, asparagus, double cream, passata, tinned tomatoes and a loaf of wholemeal bread. It came to £11 odd, that probably is a few quid more expensive than the same would cost at the Asian supermarket.
I don't believe all the ethical trade posturing for a minute. The staff do generally seem miserable as fuck, but at least they don't look at you like your an alien if you ask if they sell ginger, as happened in the local One-Stop.
― calzino, Saturday, 27 May 2017 10:54 (seven years ago) link
went to big tescos this morning. can manage about 3 months at a time with the local small sainsburys but i do need things only the big tescos stocks from time to time (vitamin tablets, the shampoo i like, the good veggie soap that smells of lemons...)
anyway, sainsburys have prices and then big red stickers with sales prices on them.
tescos now have prices and then big yellow stickers with the *club card* prices on them. very easy to pick something up thinking it's on sale only to have to pay the higher price because i don't have a clubcard (actually, it wasn't obvious to me whether they were clubcard prices or clubcard PLUS prices, their paid discount card thing). there's now a two- or three-layer pricing system in tescos and it's ruined the whole thing for me.
(also, no skimmed milk in anything other than 4-pint bottles. i've noticed this other places too, that skimmed milk is becoming less favoured)
― koogs, Wednesday, 7 July 2021 10:25 (three years ago) link
Totally agree. It makes forgetting your clubcard like a punishment. 'Here's what you could have got...'
― tangent x (tangenttangent), Wednesday, 7 July 2021 10:28 (three years ago) link