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.

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

I mean, look at this for stupidity. As if taste is objective! How ignorant and arrogant do you have to be to think that if you don't like the taste of something it is objectively not good?
Laughable

I shop at Aldi majority of the time, although I do go once a fortnight to the Morrisons thats next door to it to have a look for yellow sticker items.
I find the veg doesn't last as long but I grow a lot of my own now anyway, but the meat is great.
I think perhaps it's how you cook with the bits you buy. I buy basics but I have a cupboard full of herbs, spices and other bits and bobs which change a very basic meal into something far nicer.
I also make my own cooking sauces too as I was horrified with what added salt and sugar is in even the posher brand cooking sauces.
But I think the quality is brilliant.

@YouKidsIsCrazy

but I really am completely baffled as to how people can claim its good quality

It Is good quality. They win endless awards in blind taste tests by experts, who certainly know more than you.

Clearly you're one of those people who is easily swayed by branding and thinks things taste better if they cost more. That's sad, but don't do all the faux confusion and putting down people who have more taste and are savvy shoppers.

Wow people are really protective of their choices of supermarket. Why so aggressive? That's not normal to be this angry about a question regarding supermarkets.

Also I don't buy branded products really

@EmpressoftheMundane

I quite like their fresh fruit and veg. I think their beef and sausages are good too. I will buy their free range chicken, but not their regular (same applies to Waitrose for me though.) I think their cheese and dairy are also good. Their nuts, crisps, dried fruit and sliced bread are all also good. I like their chocolate and tinned tomatoes too.

I don’t buy their wine, cider or spirits. I don’t buy their ready meals, I don’t like their frozen stuff with the exception of hallumi fries, skin on fries, and frozen fruit for smoothies.

Their is a lot of tempting crap in the middle aisle. Avoid! Their plastic trash sacks are good, and so is their loo roll, but a lot of their cleaning supplies are so-so. I just nip to Home Bargains for branded cleaning soaps.

I buy my fresh fish / seafood, pasta (it has to be DeCecco) organic yogurt, unpasteurised butter and eggs at Waitrose. Along with any alcohol and KP nuts (husband claims to notice a difference.)

You're missing a trick not buying your wine from Aldi - and I really doubt your husband would notice a difference! They have a lot of award-winning wines that are fantastic value for money. (And spirits for that matter too)

Yanbu!
The biscuit knock offs are not as good nor the mayo.
The fruit is ok
The meat varies (although the only place I think the meat is v tasty is Waitrose butcher)

I class it the same quality as asda, below sainsbos (which I like) and then wait rose is nicest.

However they do a lot of pickle type things I like so excited to get one on my high st next year!

@YouKidsIsCrazy

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

I mean, look at this for stupidity. As if taste is objective! How ignorant and arrogant do you have to be to think that if you don't like the taste of something it is objectively not good?
Laughable

In terms of ignorance I'm not the one calling a stranger stupid on the Internet over their supermarket questions. Just reflect that for a moment.

The veg shelf life is definitely compromised at Aldi (Lidl is fine and they sell loose veg) cheese etc is better at Aldi than Lidl in my opinion and is as good as supermarket own brand (not deli section) but you do get what you pay for, the local butchers meat is superior but twice the price

I will not hear a bad word against Aldi!! Ha, I love it!
I find it extremely good value for money and their items are good quality imo.
I'm saving at least a third compared to the big supermarkets and am not missing out on flavour, taste, quality at all.

In Scotland the meat at both is decent (for a supermarket) and lots of their produce (including most if not all meat) is sourced from Scotland. Fruit and veg varies but mostly fine. Some good wine and beer selections particularly in Aldi. Scottish milk, including organic. Most cheese is decent, Feta, Manchego etc. Not had the cheddar for a while but the Scottish cheddar was fine from what I remember. Maybe not as good as some at Waitrose or M&S but God enough for most purposes. Own brand chocolate is good.

Have never tried this crisps or filled pasta at either. Probably depends a lot on what you buy and you do tend to stick with the stuff that you know from experience is decent.

I have been to Lidls in several countries and a lot of the produce is identical everywhere (e.g. things like nuts, which are also good quality and value) the main difference is the locally sourced stuff. Romania and Poland had carp for example, Lidl in Poland had a great selection of French cheese for some reason, was also much nicer than the Tesco in Poland which was like a 1980's time warp Tesco from the UK. Lidl in Barcelona had Iberico pork. Worst Lidls I have been to were in Paris and in Germany (surprisingly).

YANBU - vegan here so we do our ‘basics’ at Aldi eg veg, breads, stuff such as hummus, tinned stuff like chickpeas, lentils and kidney beans and chips and then I go over to Tesco and buy my soya milk, cheese and meat substitutes there.

I am Aldi and Lidl shopper,mainly is a good quality of foods, but I can agree Lidl crisps have change, and they dont have much flavour, prefer Aldi's one.

Aldi is cheap because have less choice.

I used to think like this, but I tried a few more things and now can honestly say that a lot of Aldi's food is really good. A few things I wouldn't buy from there, but most really is excellent.

However I stopped shopping there during lockdown 1. It was just much easier to go to the big Sainsbury's.

I used to shop at Lidl because it's the closest supermarket to my house but stopped this year because the quality had really gone downhill on a lot of the stuff we buy regularly. The final straw was when I had to throw away a whole bag of onions I'd bought on special that week because they were all bad inside - even though they were only 29p that was 29p wasted.

We're currently eating up the value porridge oats I'd bought from Lidl and even cheapskate DP who is usually in favour of buying whatever is cheapest is complaining about them because there are loads of pieces of husk in there. I actually bought them because they're in a paper bag and I wanted to reduce our plastic waste but keep having to throw away inedible bowls of porridge instead!

I shop at Sainsburys now...

Also I'm vegan and Lidl is utterly crap for vegans. I only go in there to buy the Linda McCartney sausages now.

@PattyPan

I used to shop at Lidl because it's the closest supermarket to my house but stopped this year because the quality had really gone downhill on a lot of the stuff we buy regularly. The final straw was when I had to throw away a whole bag of onions I'd bought on special that week because they were all bad inside - even though they were only 29p that was 29p wasted.

We're currently eating up the value porridge oats I'd bought from Lidl and even cheapskate DP who is usually in favour of buying whatever is cheapest is complaining about them because there are loads of pieces of husk in there. I actually bought them because they're in a paper bag and I wanted to reduce our plastic waste but keep having to throw away inedible bowls of porridge instead!

I shop at Sainsburys now...

Make flapjack!!

I don't find Aldi fruit and veg lasts well, but I really like their meat. The specially selected products are good too. Our closest big name supermarket is a Tesco and I find most of their own brand stuff absolutely awful!

We're feeling the pinch atm so I went to lidl instead of asda for some basics yesterday and honestly I barely even found it any cheaper. The selection was much worse, and I didn't even really felt like I saved money. Definitely won't be bothering again. And yes to whoever said its useless for vegan stuff. Mind you, I'm sure asda has got more expensive recently as well. Every week it feels like my shopping bill gets higher and higher and we really eat pretty frugally, own brand everything, cook from scratch, hardly ever buy alcohol or treat food etc. I'm really dreading a brexit price hike.

I vary between Tesco's and Lidl. Tesco because it's closer and Lidl for specific items they sell which I prefer. The deluxe sourdough pizzas are delicious as is the west country butter and I think the imitation magnums are better than the branded version. The fruit and veg can be hit and miss but I find that with many supermarkets.

I bought a fur throw for £35 recently and it is astonishing quality. Exactly the same as the ones which cost £150.

You're missing a trick not buying your wine from Aldi - and I really doubt your husband would notice a difference! They have a lot of award-winning wines that are fantastic value for money. (And spirits for that matter too)

I tried the wine recommendations... they were vile i dont get what I'm doing wrong.

The lidl gin is good if a bit sweet and weak. But I dont drink to get drunk so the alcohol content isn't a huge deal really. The tonic is vile though.

@Hopeisnotastrategy As someone who has lived on both sides of the Aldi equator, I would dispute your DH's assertion - Aldi Sued is very much superior!

@JaJaDingDong I'm not sure golden syrup will make oat husk any more enjoyable :( I might make bird food or something

Oh and I drink cheap sweet rose shit so the standards never needed to be high...

Still rank

Interestingly enough the Lidl nearest to me has closed down but the Aldi is still open!

I find both of them much of a muchness. I like Lidl as it sells Albert Bartlett potatoes, but you do have to be careful with other things like veg etc - most of the veg I've bought in Lidl has been fine. Lidl meat - it's nice - but prefer Sainsbos. One of the chocolate covered Lebkuchen I bought I think in Lidl was disgusting - couldn't finish and gave to neighbours kids!

Aldi steaks are excellent - we had a couple of ribeyes from there on Monday night and they were absolutely beautiful. We mostly shop at Morrisons now, but i like almost everything from Aldi. Their chocolate doesn't have palm oil, and i find their crisps are really strong flavoured, which i like. I also like the Lidl fresh pretzels, although they do seem to sell out quickly.

In a perfect world, i'd get the bulk of my shopping at Aldi or Morrison, and then the fruit and veg from our farm shop.

I'm generally a Sainsbos girl as local and they deliver, Tescos surprisingly good (and cheaper) for a lot of stuff. Used to like Waitrose and M&S but further away now and can't be arsed with their silly slots. Their cheese etc is nice but they chop and change stock all the time.