Quality at Aldi and Lidl

[Marcelduchamp]

I know Aldi and Lidl are really popular on mumsnet but I really am completely baffled as to how people can claim its good quality. I have relatives who shop there and I have eaten the food lots of times. Yes a few items are OK but on the whole its not good in my experience. I don't eat meat so can't comment on that. I do think veg is veg so is probably not vastly different. I also think the choice is poor with a very basic selection of stuff.

I know it's cheap and we all need that at times. I'm not knocking people who need to cut shopping costs. But are people really being honest when they say the can't tell the difference. What are you tasting? Examples are the strong cheddar cheese is just bland, the crisps don't have much flavour and the filled pasta is cloying inside.

I suppose my AIBU is AIBU to day these shops sell poor quality food.

That fails to explain one thing.

Anyone who says they prefer a different shop to aldi and lidl , and let's face it im not the only one who has said the veg is tasteless and poor quality and goes off on the way home. Nor am.i the only one who thinks the wine sucks as I'm.not enough of a conisseur to appreciate the paint stripper at a reasonable price, is told that ots the same stuff as everywhere else.

But aldi/lidl fanatics don't seek to correct eachother the other way when they say that uts exactly the same stuff then go on to say how its nicer than the equivalent in waitrose.

The taste and quality woukd be the sake wouldn't it?

So how can we be food snobs when we hate it yet its acceptable to say the stuff elsewhere isn't as good?

Our local Lidl has self checkouts and the new app means I save an additional £12 a month plus whatever the app has vouchers for each week. It's a 2 minute walk from our house and we buy 98% of our food there. No complaints from the family about products when we made the switch from Tesco and I'm spending at least £100 per month less on food. It's a no brainer.

@Jroseforever

And they will have less good quality stuff they want to unload

If that were the case, they'd be losing their contracts with Aldi in a nanosecond. All supermarkets drive very hard bargains with their suppliers, and if they knew they were being palmed off with inferior quality, then the contract would be cancelled.

So much of what people are saying here is based on marketing and food snobbery, not actual fact!

@myhobbyisouting

"Trust me" they don't. The only difference is the packaging.

Nobody is denying that. Not Waitrose, not Aldi, not the supplier.

If someone is daft enough to pay extra for something week in week out then Waitrose will provide them with the arena to do that.

If someone wants to know they have got good quality whilst saving some money for their family but at the same time has the choice of only one or two types of chopped tomatoes rather than 8, or only one brand of nappies (which is actually regularly voted better than the big brands) rather than 10...then Aldi will provide them with the arena to do that.

So you have picked one article. And that’s it. You’re entire opinion seems to be based on one article

Local abbatoir says the Lidl buyer is the most knowledgeable and hard to please! But they don't get all the cuts that Waitrose do.

And your opinions are based on ... ?

(Sorry @MrsMiaWallis - that wasn't directed at you!)

@BIWI

(Sorry *@MrsMiaWallis* - that wasn't directed at you!)

Ha! Was just about to say I did some work once for a local abbatoir (financial, not butchery!) and that's what they told me.

@MrsMiaWallis

Local abbatoir says the Lidl buyer is the most knowledgeable and hard to please! But they don't get all the cuts that Waitrose do.

Yes food is often from the same outlet /producer but not the same Grade level.

I like Lidl, not so keen on Aldi. Lidl is a good honest shop with good produce and product lines. Not everything is something I would buy but that’s the same everywhere. My experience of Aldi is many copycat type products of premium brands with awful filler ingredients. I probably do Lidl 1-2 times a fortnight. Aldi almost never

No, I'm not basing anything on an article. It isn't my job to educate you and I'm at a loss as to why you're so angry about the fact that people are managing to get great quality food at a cheaper price to you, when all you need to do to resolve that is a bit of trial and error yourself.

Calm down. Most people these days try a variety of supermarkets. Some people blindly follow the marketing of M&S and the like.

When tested they very often can't tell the difference. There are certain products in all supermarkets that aren't to my personal taste. So I don't buy them. Easy.

We do Aldi then go to Sainsbury's for the things Aldi don't sell. If we wanted we could do our full shop at Sainsbury's but it would cost so much more and we don't notice the difference. Sainsbury's is a calmer experience but I'd rather have the cash for other things.
I also rate their middle isle. Got some serious bargains but am careful not to get stuff just because it's cheep.
Some stuff is slightly different but I wouldn't say in a bad way. If we don't like the Aldi version we get the Sainsbury's.
The non bio powder is the best I've found and we have sensitive skin and wash cloth nappies so need it to be good.
We tried Asda once thinking it might be as cheap and we could get it delivered. Never again didn't like the meat or veg or sauces.
My latest discovery is Aldi's beef dripping chips, as close to homemade chips as I've seen for oven chips.

I've never been to Aldi. One opened a couple of months ago. I hear the organic prosecco is really good and only 4.50!

I agree! The food is awful.

"But aldi/lidl fanatics don't seek to correct eachother the other way when they say that uts exactly the same stuff then go on to say how its nicer than the equivalent in waitrose."

Fanatics 😂 I haven't said it's better (just the same) so I'm not sure if I'm classed as a fanatic.

Psychologically though, it probably is nicer if you've previously been spending £££ on the same or similar. The concept of the programme Eat Well For Less really.

If you pay any attention to produce recall notices, you'd notice that many of Aldi's products come out the same factory as Waitrose's etc
M&S are probably the only store that demands higher standards.

Moser Roth chocolate comes out of the same factory as Bendicks.

Quality of fresh fruit and veg varies by store, depending on their turnover and staff attitude.

@MrsMiaWallis they have some really great wines and spirits. Worth a visit for that alone.

I think if you avoid the cheap fillers (the bramwells ketchup tasted awful to me) and spread your shopping over a couple of supermarkets you can see big savings and still shop to the quality you are used to

myhobby

I dunno I find alot of strange things on these lidl and aldi threads. And my folks are the same. My usual supermarket of choice is morrisons but I'll pick up stuff wherever if I'm passing.

Its all the "excellent " that gets me. I mean there's been a huge decline in the quakity/standard of food across the board over the last few years id hardly deserve anything bought from anywhere as "excellent" just varying degrees if mediocre or poor with a few nice surprises.
Yet everything at aldi and lidl is "excellent "

Reminds me of my parents who would sit ajd ear a bowl of maggots if it came wirg a specially selected lable and declare it "very good" when it wouldn't have got through their door from anywhere else

@myhobbyisouting

No, I'm not basing anything on an article. It isn't my job to educate you and I'm at a loss as to why you're so angry about the fact that people are managing to get great quality food at a cheaper price to you, when all you need to do to resolve that is a bit of trial and error yourself.

Calm down. Most people these days try a variety of supermarkets. Some people blindly follow the marketing of M&S and the like.

When tested they very often can't tell the difference. There are certain products in all supermarkets that aren't to my personal taste. So I don't buy them. Easy.

Is this aimed at me? What have I said that is angry or not calm? Genuinely puzzled?

Also people saying things come from the same factory. You know things can have different recipes but the same production process? For example chocolate. Just saying.

No @Marcelduchamp sorry, I was still talking to @Jroseforever who is yet to reveal their source 

@Whatwouldscullydo you're right. A lot of the food is mediocre everywhere. But I couldn't listen to a pp compare Waitrose steaks to a 5 star Maldives resort and not say anything 😂. I'm imagining their food bill and cringing

Waitrose sell raspberry & pannacotta desserts, quite expensive but a tasty creamy treat.
I bought an identical looking product for half the price in Aldi and was delighted until I tasted it. Not creamy at all, a bit thin and certainly not a treat. Very disappointing.
I compared the ingredients list on both products. The Waitrose version was made with cream, the Aldi version with skimmed milk.

@Marcelduchamp there are specific products that are exactly the same. None of the supermarkets nor the suppliers are denying that.

Yes, factories produce more than one product. Of course they do. It's no secret that you pay for labels and packaging alone in some instances though. Marketing is a wonderful thing

I'm a foodie. I normally hit Lidl first, then Waitrose.

Lidl's Alesto nuts are exceptional - almonds, walnuts, Brazil, etc. Good quality pine nuts at fair price as well. Good dates on organic free range eggs, their cheeses are fine. Waitrose refrigerates their tomatoes , so I buy organic ones at Lidl and eat them sooner.

Currently using Tesco (delivery) but prior to lockdown were Aldi shoppers.

The quality generally is great which isn't surprising given that a lot of items are sourced from well known brand manufacturers. Other than the brown sauce. That's the work of the devil.

Anyway, the fruit and veg doesn't keep well but I'd rather buy pretty much when needed anyway. I'm guessing they hoover up stock close to use by dates at a discount hence the pricing.

The alcohol is apparently pretty damned good and some of the Christmas pudding items are fantastic.

Some items aren't as nice but the difference in taste isn't worth the difference in price.