To think I might be missing something to have totally had my head turned to Aldi?!

Hits for me from the meat selection :

Kansas smokehouse sausages.
Pigs in blankets at christmas (hard to get because the masses descended and stole nearly all of them before I could get there).
Lamb shanks in red wine sauce.

I also had some great ice cream pots the other day but can't remember the name.

My go to supermarket for price quality variety balance is Sainsbury's. But when i head north im always wowed by booths

I don’t find any difference whatsoever in the fruit and veg from Aldi/Lidl and any other supermarket. I shop at Tesco and Sainsbury’s about once a month and Lidl the rest of the time.

I love Aldi-it’s my supermarket of choice. I buy fruit and vegetables from the market-but I would whichever supermarket I went to.

I can’t get decent fruit or veg from
Aldi or Lidl. Tried different stores locally and it’s all the same, gone rotten within a day. I also find their stores messy and depressing. I don’t buy cheap meat anymore so we buy that for the butchers or M&S. Generally we use home delivery Ocado for weekly shops and some Waitrose bits bought in store to top up, that’s handy as it’s walking distance. We do sometimes go to Tesco and Sainsbury's if we happen to be driving past one. But we don’t want to do multiple shops and the Aldi and Lidl options here just don’t have enough variety. I find all the other supermarkets are all better fruit and veg wise than Aldi and Lidl. Consistently over a 10 year period. Except Asda which has similarly poor fruit and veg and I always regret picking it from there too. No Morrisons here for comparison but I’ve been before when visiting relatives and thought it similar to Tesco.

Waitrose is a bit mental. If you’re not paying attention you could pick up a pack of 4 peaches that cost £4.75. In Aldi I can just chuck whatever fruit I want in knowing that the price will be reasonable. I’m not a super tight budget so I don’t want the hassle of having to look that closely at how much everything costs.

I shop regularly in lidl but can't get everything I need there, so I tend to alternate with Tesco or Sainsbury's. The lidl bakery bread is better than other supermarkets, I also like their chocolate, ice cream, Greek yoghurt and wine better than the Tesco equivalents. Fruit and veg is very hit and miss though.

I forgot to mention:

Aldi triple cooker chips in black bag
Wagu fillet steaks
Organic milk
Sheepskin slippers for men £14.99 at Christmas.
Toilet roll
fresh herbs in pots
Massive peppers and aubergines and onions
great nuts
creme fraiche/ cream all great

If you like it then that’s great , price is not the deciding factor for lots of people myself included personally I don’t find it a pleasant shopping experience so I don’t shop there .

Keep an eye on the prices. Because I shop online & buy mostly the same things each week I know a lot if the Tesco prices. I took a friend shopping the other day as she likes Aldi & doesn't drive (her DH does but has had surgery & can't at the moment!!) & she was very surprised at how many items I said were cheaper at Tesco. Especially if you look at the 'per kg/ml' rate.

I find the fresh produce better in our local aldis than in Morrisons and Sainsburys, I went to Sainsburys on Sunday and half the veg was only fit the compost bin, it shouldn’t have even been on the shelves. About the only thing I regularly buy that I can’t get in Aldi is individual soya yogurts. And it’s a much smaller shops so you’re in n out quicker! I don’t rate Lidl at all.

If you had the time the peefect balance would be:
ALDI: staples like milk, pasta, butter, fruit/veg, cheese, household, etc
ALDI: random one-shot weird and wonderful finds
Standard supermarket: meal plan items you didn't find in ALDI

I do the majority of our weekly shop there, then go to nearby Sainsbury’s for the things I can’t get at Aldi.

I’ve never had any problem with fruit and veg going off. Frankly, I think the other supermarkets club together to come and post on any thread about Aldi to criticise them

Their Specially Selected ranges are always really good.

I would say give it some time. When I changed jobs there was Aldi directly across from my building and it is very convenient. Now little less than 3 yrs later I rarely go….short shelf life/ products I like seemed to be inconsistent in flavor and color/ chicken with alot of fat and needing trimming. I hope you continue to enjoy shopping there but I have gone back to a “regular” store. I also think prices have adjusted and aren’t quite as low as 2022 pricing

Waitrose is just a ruse. I know because I worked there in the past. The fruit and veg is crap. It often has a 1 day shelf life. It’s just food in fancy packaging.

I can afford to shop in WR but I don’t. I go to the butcher, fishmonger and Lidl/ Aldi. I prefer Lidl as I think the fruit and veg is much better. I buy chicken in Lidl.

If you want posh food, M&S is much better than WR.

I find that I can make a recipe and you go round WR and shop, then your main ingredient is missing so you have to go somewhere else. Also, often the fruit & veg has gone off. I made something the other day and it required a red pepper. Got to the pepper sliced it open and it was mouldy inside. So again, can’t be guaranteed to get you to the end if a recipe.

I live alone & buy a lot of veg. I find it doesn't last & I buy as much British grown as possible & theirs often isn't.

I have a weekly Tesco delivery, so don't often shop anywhere else, but I am within walking distance of Waitrose, so get the odd thing there (love their olive bread!! Only first thing in the morning though as it's on an open, uncovered, rack! But the price has shot up recently! I went to buy strawberries the other day & they didn't have a single one!!)

I enjoy a mooch in Aldi or Lidl's occasionally & usually find a couple if random items I fancy trying. But they don't stock many of my staples. (Admittedly quite niche as limited for health reasons)

Yes I agree, my fruit and veg doesn’t last long. Meat is average although I do quite like the chicken. Is the mince still in those horrible squashed packs ?! Everything else is just meh and I can’t get everything I need in there . Plus I find them quite depressing shops ! I tried, I really did, but when Tesco’s started price matching I went back to my home deliveries. So much easier.

Allergies in our family mean we find Aldi / Lidl very difficult to shop at

They are good and do some stuff really cheap.

But lack a full product range. For example they lack frozen mince which to me is a basic staple. I don't like freezing the fresh stuff because it clumps and is hard to separate.

Their meat is generally very good IMO, especially the steak which can be great quality and cheap. Their salmon is great too.

Obviously the lack of in store bakery is disappointing.

I was disappointed recently because we got a new one nearby and I expected a better store with a bigger product range and maybe a bakery but no. Same old stuff new building.

Edit : Oh and finding new bargains/trying new recommendations there is a lot of fun.

Avid Aldi shopper here. I get everything I need there as I'm not bothered with brands and labels. It's also close by and I enjoy rummaging in the middle aisle and checking out the often fabulous bargains in the outdoor plant section. Not all stores have that, but mine does!

Try the new sparkling orange wine. Apologies for giving everyone their new obsession…

Oh OP. This has been common knowledge since circa 2012 ❤️😆

The only reason it wasn't my constant go to when I was living in an EU country is that had very random produce, I think its better in the UK.

But where i was, you might go in thinking you were going to do a stir fry, but there would be no ginger or spring onions. However there would be special offer [insert tinned speciality from a random country].

So basically, you couldn't shop in Aldi AND meal plan. You has to go to Aldi and let Aldis selection dictate your ideas.

Like i say, I believe the selection is more reliable in the UK

I like doing scan as you go at Tesco as it speeds up my shopping trip. Plus my daughter works for them so I get discount. I do my top up shop in Morrisons as my husband works there so I get discount there too. Aldi and Lidl are too much effort for me and I get distracted by the middle aisle in each.

I dont find it that much cheaper and the fruit and veg dont last long.