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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think the big supermarkets in the uk are a bit sad?

56 replies

MousyMouse · 02/09/2012 21:25

freezing my arse off camping in france. a different variety of grapes, peaches, wine even though one turned out to be chateau migraine , tomatoes.
did a shop today at a big supermarket and I'm depressed...

OP posts:
Iwillorderthefood · 02/09/2012 21:26

French supermarkets are gorgeous.

Original poster
MousyMouse · 02/09/2012 21:26

oops, left one important detail out: we sampled at least one variery daily.

OP posts:
floradix · 02/09/2012 21:27

They are shite.

Who wants an entire wall of toothpaste and perfect but tasteless tomatoes. The bread is shite too.

Caerlaverock · 02/09/2012 21:28

I love that French supermarkets mist the lettuces

Original poster
MousyMouse · 02/09/2012 21:29

the kids had fun picking out the most weird shaped tomatoes. one apparently looked like dc's french teacher :o

OP posts:
floradix · 02/09/2012 21:32

I have never seen a French supermarket but now yearn for misted lettuce.
Tesco don't mist their lettuce. Envy

Himalaya · 02/09/2012 21:32

I agree. It's depressing isn't it. French and Italian mini-marts have better veg, fruit, meat, bread, cheese than great big uk supermarkets with aisles and aisles of different crisps.

Our local Morrisons has started misting the lettuce and selling all kinds of fancy mushrooms though Smile

CaliforniaLeaving · 02/09/2012 21:34

UK supermarkets are brilliant compared to what we have here, and UK food is cheaper too. It's all High fructose corn syrup and a million preservatives here.
Tomatoes are tasteless here too.

TalHotBrunette · 02/09/2012 21:43

I love UK supermarkets as I am far from a foodie and can think of nothing worse than flitting from shop to shop hunting out the freshest veg/bread/cake. If it's in date and reasonably priced and I can make a meal out of it then it's coming home with me. If Tescos are out of something and I have to go to Sainsburys on my way home it is a huge inconvenience. Grin

Essentially love the convenience but hate the workfare...

ViviPru · 02/09/2012 21:45

You UK supermarket lamenters need to get yourselves to a Morrison's Of the Future. Misty veg a go-go.

Viperidae · 02/09/2012 21:45

Morrisons at Preston has been done up and mists the veg. DD and I got very excited the first time we saw it (saddos!)

ViviPru · 02/09/2012 21:46
Grin
WhatYouLookingAt · 02/09/2012 21:47

The last french supermarket I was in (complete with misted salad) had an aisle the length of a tennis court devoted purely to adult incontinence products.

Meglet · 02/09/2012 21:47

We have a new 'done up' Morrisons. I might have to see if they have misted veg.

Original poster
MousyMouse · 02/09/2012 21:53

bruenette
but this is just the great thing about the french supermarkets. you can get everything in there, it's a bit like a farmers market, just indoors. bakery, butchers, fishmongers (with life lobsters), patisserie (sp?)

you can buy junk food and convenience food as well.

OP posts:
Original poster
MousyMouse · 02/09/2012 21:55

oh, but you can't buy paracetamol in there, for that you have to go to the counter in a pharmacy and stammer explain that you have had some bad wine last night a realy bad headache.

OP posts:
squeakytoy · 02/09/2012 22:04

Nothing in the world can beat the magnificence that is Kensington High St Whole Food Market.. three floors of luxury... I cant afford to shop there, but I love walking round and looking at it all!

SpottedGurnard · 02/09/2012 23:30

Sorry for asking a stupid question, but what does misting veg entail? And how does it make it better?

Blush
OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 02/09/2012 23:34

I love big oversized British supermarkets. And I love American ones even more. YABU.

Sleepwhenidie · 02/09/2012 23:38

Sorry but I was very happy to be back in a uk supermarket today after 2 weeks in France. If only for the bogofs and special offers...shopping in Geant was heart stoppingly expensive and I don't think the food really is so much better than in the uk any more. I did love the pharmacy section though-a bit like having spaceNK in Morrisons Grin

WilsonFrickett · 02/09/2012 23:40

French supermarkets = amazing.
Trying to find an open French pharmacy on a Saturday afternoon when you're having the worst food poisoning ever = terrible
Misting lettuce = good
Misting fish (as they do in my Tesco) = very, very bad.
American supermarkets = terrible.

MardyFish · 03/09/2012 02:04

American supermarkets are awful.

You've got Walmart, which is no vegetables, and lots of meat injected with water and hormones to bulk it up

Then you've got Whole Foods which has lots of lovely things but where the only sugar is $5 and is organic by artisanal sugar farmers

Was in a French supermarket last week, bought wine for £2, unpasteurized Brie for £7/kg, and yum yum yum.

ElaineBenes · 03/09/2012 02:16

Another us expat who desperately misses uk supermarkets.

Sure, they may be better in France or Italy but they are atrocious in the us.

SwedishEdith · 03/09/2012 02:19

In France, the misting has taken over all the bars as well when it was baking hot.

NellyJob · 03/09/2012 02:22

Italian supermarkets are fab
French are nice too.
German..hmm
but if you are after Chinese or Indian or other different stuff forget it.
when I have been away from the UK I had fantasies about patak's sauces and teabags.
sad maybe....