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.

@Sexnotgender

Any supermarket filled pasta is horrible, so YABU to use that an example.

Careful now, apparently it’s rude and judgmental not to like filled pasta😂

Oops. In that case, I would have thought the OP saying the one she had was cloying and bad quality was pretty rude and judgemental to people who do like aldi filled pasta

YABU I think.

There isnt much choice but that's kind of the whole point - I think most people have moved away from wanting large supermarkets with 20 choices of extra virgin olive oil and 15 types of mayo.

I wouldn't say quality is amazing but I wouldn't say quality is amazing in most supermarkets so I don't think there is actually much difference in taste but price is so much better that I think overall value is excellent.

I don't do a big shop on there as I am a keen cook and use a lot of specialist ingredients (that most supermarkets don't have, thinks like preserved lemons, beef ribs, brisket, French cheeses etc) but I do regularly go there for top ups and certain products are great. I really like the specially selected range which is comparable to most supermarket prices for their normal rage. I usually stock up on -
SS crackers, very rich and buttery
SS almond thins, my favourite biscuit
Chocolate, not high quality but better than Cadbury etc so a good every day chocolate
Coconut milk, much more creamy than normal brands
SS extra virgin olive oil
Fruit - I find the quality fine
SS cheese especially the aged parmesan and manchego, best I've had from all supermarkets including m and s and waitrose
SS Truffle salami
Yoghurts, cream, creme fraiche - quality is very good eg cream doesn't go too thick once open like m and s
SS pizzas - they regularly win pizza retailer of the year and I think they are decent and similar to the top supermarkets versions
Kids snacks. Mine don't complain that their wotsits etc arent the branded ones
Breaded KFC style chicken thighs and drumsticks- better than most supermarkets who keep the skin on which then goes rubbery under the crispy coating.
Smoked haddock which is always moist, skinless, no bones, and better than I've had from waitrose and sainsburys as thicker so easier to cook
Booze. I'll be honest I mainly go for the booze. It's so cheap and I like it. It regularly comes out fine in taste tests and individual items eg gin wins blind tasting awards.
Baking stuff. I am not sure most people will be able to tell the difference between different brands of sugar and flour etc.
SS granola - got a lot of nuts and berries and better than brands like jordans etc
Tonic - I cant tell the difference between branded tonic

I do agree their own brand crisps are a bit greasy though

I think it's like any supermarket - some things are a bit hit and miss and you have to go a few times before actually finding out what you like and what you don't

@Duemarch2021

I agree... much prefer asda, sainsburys.. morrisons and tesco.. I'm not being a snob.. ive tried the stuff and its just not the same, fake versions of branded and they smell/taste chemically i think.. xx

All of them? All aldi versions of branded products taste chemically, but the asda versions dont? Half of them are probably made in the same factory 😂

I'm a food snob to and I adore Lidl and Aldi food!

We first used Lidl and Aldi in France and Germany about 20 years ago and they are brilliant quality. The quality in the UK is not as high, but still VGVFM. We prefer Aldi because of the quality of the meat, vegetables, fruit and wine, also cheese and cooked meats. The Aldi Cotes du Rhone Villages is £5.49 and IMO is the best wine from that region under a tenner.

I shop in Lidl and really like the quality. There's the odd thing I don't like, butt

I love Lidl bakery. I'm always disappointed by most of the other Aldi and Lidl products though.

Sorry, fat fingers on my phone! I was going to say that would be the same anyway. The range of wooden toys they have in the middle are really good too.

@Whatwouldscullydo

I personally agree .

I'm.not fussy by a long shot, not loyal to many brands at all ,.just the standard Branston beans and heinz ketchup, other than that I'm not that fussed.

But I just don't get on with aldi or lidl. There r a few nice surprises yes and I certainly don't like everything all the time from the other supermarkets, but the fruit beg akd meat is the worst. Doesnt last at all. Tastes weird. Strange tatse/texture.

Their stock rotation in ours is awful its frequently mouldy on the shelf.

Do not get the hype. At all.

That must be your branch then, because the produce in our local Aldi is a fresh as a daisy, cheaper and better quality than either Tesco or Morrisons.

I hate Aldi meat it's just so gross all the time. Taste disgusting.
I tried going there again the other week and once I had cooked a meal instantly regretted it.
Other stuff is okay like their own versions of Oreos, some cereals etc.

Different shops are good for different things.

Aldi...
Rump steak is great and good price.
Love their Christmas food.
Fruit and veg are reasonable
Pizza

Lidl..
Fish
Cheese (good selection)
Bakery items really good and cheap, something Aldi doesn’t have.

I do my main shop in Tesco’s (online) and then pop into Aldi or lidl mid week, I don’t think I could do a full shop in either because there’s some items I just can’t buy and there’s not as much choice. I do like the middle isles especially Aldi for craft items.

@Sexnotgender

You started being rude and judgemental about what I was eating.

Sorry what now?

I said filled pasta wasn’t my thing, and that’s rude and judgemental? What a weird leap you made there. It’s not my personal taste, I don’t give a fuck if you eat it morning noon and night I was just saying that I couldn’t comment on the quality as it’s not something I eat.

Fucking hell love, I’m out. Enjoy your filled pasta

😂😂😂

IMO, on the whole, the quality of the produce is much better than the Tesco equivalent even without taking in the price difference. I don't buy ready meals so am not commenting on them. I would tend to rate 'German' supermarket meat quality over UK-equivalent. Taking into account the price difference, the value proposition of Lidl/Aldi significantly exceeds Tesco. Someone can pick an individual item or try and compare a Lidl/Aldi 'value' line with a Tesco 'luxury' line but, to me, the value proposition so significantly exceeds Tesco that I suspect some of the threads are driven by paid marketing activity or by people who don't cook though I'm not accusing you here, OP. If it is paid marketing activity then I suspect it's ill-judged as most threads usually lead to positive comments.

If something is cheap, it's for a reason

Saying that there are a few gems at Lidl. The freshly baked croissants are very nice and there's sausage rolls in a four pack (£1:89) which are just as good as Tesco's at a £1 more plus the coleslaw (89p) is the same as Tesco Finest

We also buy nappies and wipes from Lidl, can't fault them

I've shopped at aldi for almost 3 years now and I find the quality good. Even my partner cant taste the difference and he's way more of a food snob than I am. I usually freeze meatbif km not using it within the next 2 days anyway so it doesn't go off, love their baby range, the nappies and wipes are fab and I saved a fortune using their own brand formula when my dd was a baby. I can easily get a full weeks shopping for 3 if us for £50 or less, I wouldnt be able to afford to do anything else if I shopped at sainsburys as their prices are extortionate

I don't find it different at all really, we mainly use Tescos but both seem very similar. Prices are basically the same too, I've never understood how people can say it's cheaper, we do mostly use own brands though so maybe that makes a difference.

OP you mentioned bland crisps at Lidl, well I beg to differ on that particular point as there the most delicious, crunchiest and bang on flavour salt and vinegar crisps at Lidl. Do try the green bag ridged salt and vinegar natural crisps. At 85p for a big bag, they're a steal and far better than anything else IMHO

I find Lidl hit and miss. The tea and coffee are fantastic value, veg and meat are good Stuff like the filled pasta and frozen continental brands are usually awful, but the ice cream is great.

I like Lidl for most staples like fruit, veg, meat, cheese, some desserts, continental cooked meats. I don't buy ready meals or household products from there so can't comment.

I hate Aldi and have stopped shopping there after a couple of times I had to throw away most of the shopping as disgusting. Slimy fish that goes off within a day, worst cuts of stringy meat, ham that tastes like mould.

I shop at Waitrose, Sainsburys and Aldi/Lidl.

I get different things from them. I find the fruit and veg isn't ong asting at Aldi and Lidl, and agree the crisps are rubbish.

But the things I go for:
Nappies, coffee beans, greek yoghurt, spatchcock chicken, fishcakes, tuna, Chocolate chip brioche oaf (In Aldi it's bloody amazing), ham/cheese/bratwurst, Bakery in Lidl (try the pretzel for 35p, amazing)

are excellent and very cheap.

I personally wouldn't do a full shop inAldi/Lidl as some things aren't very good, but it does some things very well and means I can save money in some areas so I can buy good quality meat/veg etc in Waitrose or M&S. And if you are on a budget it's much cheaper

I'd recommend going once a month to make your overall shop cheaper.

I don't get these threads. You don't shop there so carry on with what you're doing then. It's a 1+1 thing.

Nobody is putting a gun to your head. Nobody cares if you shop there or not.

Personally I like the limited choice and the quick checkouts. I respectfully ask you and others like you not to go clutter up our shopping trip. Ta.

@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.

I think that is unfair unless you have shopped there yourself. For example Aldi have a wide rage of cheese with a variety of different mature and extra mature cheddars along with other cheese, these range from cheap to more expensive. The speciality range at aldi is a similar price to asda or tesco brand products but far superior. They do have a cheaper range that is ok but nothing to write home about, maybe that is what your relatives use. I find aldi meat far superior to asda and tesco. Fruit and veg can be hit and miss, especially in summer as it doesn't last as long as that from asda or tesco. My cousin has a husband who is a bit of a food snob, she takes great delight in feeding him meals from aldi's special ranges and letting him wax lyrical about them before telling him it was aldi produce. You are right about less choice though. I usually shop at aldi plus either tesco or asda and I would struggle to get my full shop from aldi. I have a lidi close by too and find that a bit more hit and miss, although I love the bakery and wine sections.

I'm talking about overall quality which is objective. Something either tastes nice or it doesn't.

I'd say it's very much subjective. Our local Lidl is excellent, and the fruit and veg are fresh and taste great. It's a really busy store which I suppose means that turnover of fresh food is rapid. Our local Tesco is scruffy and often lacking in stock, particularly of fruit and veg. Our local Morrisons is actually filthy (I've complained) with black mould in chiller cabinets, remnants of bits of frozen food lying in the freezers and the fish counter smell is so strong (I assume from lack of deep cleaning) that I've gagged.

Plus Lido's Hortus gin is worth a trip on its own!

The fruit and veg always seems to go off quicker than other supermarkets. Perhaps as a European supermarket they have different standards. It's hard to shop for an entire week as your veg can go off before then.

This is a joke, right?
Anyway, my twopennorth is that Aldi is pretty good - their own brand things which are packaged to look like the brands they're emulating are usually indistinguishable from the branded ones.
Ours (not in UK) has more and more loose fruit and veg every week, and it's pretty good standard, generally.
They changed their cheddar supplier over here, and the replacement isn't anywhere near as good. But they changed from British to Irish so I'm putting that down to Brexit.