Can you do a full shop in Lidl?

[birkenstocks4ever]

During lockdown I've been getting Waitrose click and collect because it's quick and the only supermarket I can get a slot for but its costing us a fortune! I'm usually an Aldi/Sainsbury's person depending on how I feel but queues there are massive. We're a family of 4, kids are 11 and 12, are good eaters and I mostly cook from scratch. Can I get a whole typical weeks shopping at Lidl?

I got cauliflower at our Lidl last week so definitely varies by location!

Also, what's the deal at the check out? Is it like Aldi where they expect you to pack at the car or can you do it there? Don't want to get frowned upon on my first visit!

@Snagscardies ours isn't covered but each food item is put in individual bags by someone wearing gloves, except the small pastries that are 3 for £1

It's not as manic as aldi at the checkout. You can pack as normal....

Lover of and complete convert to aldi/ but there are things I can’t get. This week:
Lightbulbs, colour catcher, kids toothbrush/ toothpaste— not a huge list and still worth switching the bulk of your shop but I do need to do a Sainsbury’s top up of c. £10 a wk

Absolutely!! I love Lidl, done a full shop there weekly for about 2 years. I do virtually all my cooking from scratch, only thing I occasionally struggle with is the range of herbs and spices.

Of course you can unless you're inflexible about what you buy, whether due to medical needs or preference.

They might not have less common ingredients, specialist curry pastes etc, but you can certainly buy a variety of food plus spices etc to make a balanced range of meals plus lunch, breakfast, snacks etc.

Easy way round it is to go to Lidl most of the time and just do an occasional click and collect at Waitrose to stock up on things that Lidl don't sell - unless you're buying perishable things that cannot be frozen, you don't have to stick to a 'weekly shop' of things that are to be used this week, you can just buy the things you can't get from Lidl and save them until you need them.

The only problem with Lidl/Aldi is that they only stock 1-2 types of each item and if they run out, they you are stuck. My Lidl sells 2 types of tomato ketchup - heinz and their own brand. Whereas my Tesco sells Heinz bottles in different sizes, 2 types of own brand ketchup, reduced salt. Etc etc. So I know I can always buy a bottle in Tesco.

You can if you are a fairly basic eater. Things like pasta sauce in jars is usually a limited choice - eg just tomato. I prefer Sainsbury's ones where I can get ones with chunky veg or mushrooms in. If I buy a Lidl/Aldi one I would have to add extras to make it actually have flavour. I am a lazy cook and can't be bothered with adding stuff. I want it done for me !

I can’t - I tried a few times and I have to do a doubld DJI each time. Having said that, I’m an adventorous cook, I cook from fresh and meal plan. It doesn’t work for me. DH occasionally goes and buys superfluous cleaning produce and inedible satsumas.

Yes
And at Aldi

But my cat doesn’t like their food he only likes Sainsbury’s, Tesco’s, Waitrose essential or Felix

So I still pop into other shops to pick up a few bits (frozen herbs and chillies, fairy liquid, Tetley tea and PG Tips decaf)

On the other hand a lot of their basics are better quality than equivalents elsewhere. I found it wonderful when I was cooking for a family. You can get everything you need.
Ok you probably can't get things like lemongrass etc but thats not a huge loss compared to how much you save. I find sainsbury s a rip tbh.

Yes.. But probably easier if also did a monthly shop at whatever big supermarket for more unusual or branded items...

We do the majority of our shopping at Lidl, we've started going in the evening at around 8pm. It's much quieter then. They're bagging their bakery stuff now. We can't always get everything we want hence a top up shop is then done in Sainsbury's again in the evening when the crowds had gone.

I can almost do a full shop at lidl but about once a month i go to a different supermarket to get black beans, tinned lentils, tinned salmon, popcorn kernels, fancy sausages and maybe something like dry shampoo or razor blades. But for the most part it's fantastic and you could definitely never shop anywhere else and be fine.

Yes of course you can, even if you are an adventurous cook and cook totally from scratch.
The fruit and veg in my local one is good, they usually have cauliflowers, and in season have petit romaines as well, which are hard to get elsewhere. Better, more variety and fresher than the local Tesco's or Morrisons but of course will vary from store to store
They have a good range of fresh herbs, and an ok range of spices, but bearing in mind how often one needs to buys spices then that can be saved for a trip to local indian/chinese supermarket.
I mostly buy my meat from an organic farmer in the village but on today’s trip to Lidl they had a perfectly acceptable range of fresh meat.

Yes - virtually, and I’m a food snob.
I go there for: pastries (they’re my favourite of any supermarket); bread from the bakery e.g. sourdough; Warburtons crumpets; all fruit and veg, free range chicken, 36 day aged Hereford steaks, lots of interesting cheeses e.g. aged Red Leicester and Gouda, ‘deluxe’ pizzas, Melton Mowbray pork pies, the best dark chocolate ginger biscuits, all baking items, juices, lots of interesting and really well priced wines, coffee and much more.
What I can’t get: some fruit and veg doesn’t appear to have a sell by date and doesn’t seem to last so well; choice of juices; spreadable butter; wider variety of some meat e.g. lamb mince; branded cereal; pet food, baby food.
I go there every week and am really pleased with what I can get an with the prices.

The veg in our Lidl is pretty fucking awful so, no. It's good for everything else but I honestly can't be fucked doing a shop at one place and then having to go to another, especially now when food shopping is not fun at all.

I love Lidl. I always dipped in and out but since lockdown started I've shopped there weekly as it's beside my work and online supermarket slots haven't been available. I spend £60-80 for a family of 4, wine included. Love their antipasta, bakery and cheese, I cook from scratch so range of meat and veg is fine. The only things I haven't been able to get are stockcubes.

I won't be going back to the bigger supermarkets.

We have every supermarket in my town. Lidl is my fav & yes we do full shops there

We usually shop at Ocado but we also love Lidl over Aldi.

I don’t rate the fruit and veg, and their version of crunchy nut cornflakes are shit. But the rest is good and we can get 75% of what we want. What we can’t get we just bulk buy elsewhere.

We do like the bakery and there have been no queues at ours

No, not unless you have very mainstream choices. They stock very little vegan and vegetarian options, Quorn, Tofu etc.

There is very little variety of fruit and veg, the fruit and veg section in my local Tesco is the same size as the entire Lidl store!

I appreciate some people find exactly what they need in the small stores, I just like the variety and huge choice you get in Tesco/Sainsbury.

Of course you can!
DP and I both love to cook and are discerning shoppers, valuing quality fresh produce. Perhaps it is our local Lidls (we have two to choose from!), but we are easily able to meet the weekly needs of our family there.
If you rely a lot on processed foods of specific brands you might struggle, but if you are a competent cook or baker who is able to create meals from fresh produce and regular basic ingredients, you're fine.
When posters say they can't manage a full weekly shop in lowly Lidl because they require specific branded products, they sound so fragile and precious.

Must be different in different locations, Gin. We're in a large city and our Lidl(s) are groaning under the variety of vegetarian and vegan foods (which we buy a lot) as well as great organic vegetables and fruit.

Must be different in different locations, Gin. We're in a large city and our Lidl(s) are groaning under the variety of vegetarian and vegan foods (which we rely on) as well as a good selection of fresh organic vegetables and fruit.