To think that, considering the quality Waitrose is not an expensive supermarket

[ZednotZee]

We switched to shopping at predominantly Waitrose about six weeks ago. Delivery is free even though our nearest one is twenty miles away, the essentials range is probably better quality than Sainsburys/Asda/Aldi fine ranges l, the nicer products are of a quality not seen elsewhere and customer service is ace.
We aren't spending much more for a family of seven, perhaps fifty quid over a month.

I know Waitrose has a reputation of being expensive but I just haven't found it to be so, all things considered. I'm a total convert and just wondered if anybody else doesn't think it quite deserves its 'prohibitively expensive/pretentious' reputation?

i would really like someone to define quality. is it own branded stuff or what,

My friend produces vegetables for Waitrose and other supermarkets. The same veg goes to both Waitrose and Lidl but in different packaging of course.

I don't think the quality is any difference. We nip in for top up shops and the fruit & veg is more expensive and there's less choice in the bread section than in the likes of Tesco and Sainsbury's.

The Waitrose nearest to me is awful. It’s messy and dirty. Fridges/freezers are often broken and empty and the disgusting smell from the meat counter turns my stomach.
It’s not a nice shop.
I often wonder if they are running it into the ground to close it.

Well my city centre dwelling student DD and her flatmate went for a walk and popped into a Waitrose for a drink, realised that lots of things were cheaper than the Sainsbury's local & Tesco metro near them and ended up having to get the underground back as they were laden with shopping. Apparently the Waitrose vodka is excellent quality for the price.

I like to shop in Waitrose for treats for a nice bits and bobs dinner and some nice fizz (they always have chapel down) but when I try to do a weekly shop it is always so much more. I think in part because I am more inclined to pick up treats but also because lunch box staff and fruit and veg just is so much more expensive than lidls where I do most of our shopping. I do enjoy the experience at waitrose. And, I agree the meat is good quality but I wouldn't choose it for my weekly.

Am both impressed and surprised that people manage Waitrose for only a few £ more than other supermarkets. I have never managed that.

@AnnaBananaFoFana

I’m clearly in the minority here but I think Waitrose is totally overrated. It’s stupidly expensive and the quality is really no better than Tesco. I go there sometimes because it’s my closest supermarket but I always kick myself when I do because it’s such a rip off.

I really think it depends what you're buying. If I shop at Tesco, about 50% of my shop is branded products, about 40% Tesco Finest, and a relatively small amount of Tesco main brand. Whereas at Waitrose I am happy with a lot more own brand products so the cost is similar, and I have a wider range to choose from.

If you're buying a lot of the cheaper or mid-range things in Tesco, then Waitrose will look very expensive and you'll probably stick to essential Waitrose, which is a good basic range but doesn't showcase the difference in quality that others rave about.

Our closest one is about 15 miles away in the nearest city so we’ve never been but have ordered online in the past. It was not cheap in my experience, a weeks shop was around £150 (family of 5 at the time) whereas we now shop for 7 in aldi and it never costs more than £120.

Oh and I should add that we all love Aldi’s version of the vast majority of things whereas other supermarkets own versions tend to be crap so aldi always wins for that reason alone.

@Pinchoftums

Yes, you're right, my shop is tiny. I'm literally straving the DC so that I can shop at Waitrose

Waitrose becomes even more affordable when you compare it to the people who are happy to have a service like gousto or hello fresh

@ZednotZee
Tbf if you feed them less they grow smaller and need less clothes so it's a win win.

DenisetheMenace

Can beat Aldi.“

Meant can’t beat Aldi 🙄

[quote dohdohdoh]@Insomnia5 that's not true though is it. Because I've worked in a similar factory (pre-made salads) and know that better quality veg is saved for Waitrose and M&S Food, and the dregs are very much used for the likes of Asda and tesco. [/quote]
Actually yes, it has been true in every factory I’ve worked in, including salad ones. Sometimes the packaging gets mixed up and things like this happen

When you compare to places like Baylis and Sage,Whole Foods or Planet Organic, Waitrose is very reasonable! Every so often I go into one of those shops and quickly leave heading for the sensibly priced Waitrose

Perhaps once a year I venture into Waitrose, just to see if it is really as expensive as I remember, I look at some apples maybe, or some vegetables, my eyes widen, and I just cannot bear, cannot bring myself to pay so much for stuff I can buy so much cheaper elswhere!

I’ve been a Waitrose shopper for years and always get our home delivery from them.

I think it depends on what you buy from them. I cook a lot and can easily get any unusual ingredients from them. Their produce is usually better quality and not always much more expensive than other supermarkets. I don’t buy ready meals much but I have seen some that seem very expensive for what they are. Maybe it’s not the most adorable if you are looking for convenience food.

There seems to be a reverse snobbery about Waitrose and someone always has a story about having to pop in to buy one essential item and being charged an astronomical price but I’ve genuinely never had it happen to me.

I love their baguettes and the wider aisles, but mostly it's just better quality and you pay more for this plus our nearest one is miles away too so we just don't go there.
I used to love Asda , but I ventured out to a different one the other week on route to somewhere else and it wasn't great! Eggs on the end of the cleaning aisle blocking up the walkways, blaring music, two tills open for the thousands in there plus the woman put our things through at the speed of light ( usually only Lidl employees work as fast as she did)
It wasn't great. The bigger the tesco the more hellish they can be too! In fact most supermarkets these days is a feat of endurance!

I used to shop at both Sainsbury's and Waitrose and I noticed that prices for 19 out of 20 things would be comparable. Then the 20th would cost about 30p more in Waitrose. I wonder if that's a specific strategy.

That's interesting @Insomnia5, we recently switched to trying Waitrose as our local Aldi was filled with mouldy fruit and veg on the shelves. Got our nice Waitrose shop home and a day later, half of the fruit and veg was furry. That said, I do prefer the experience of shopping in Waitrose –a nice scanner and interesting things to look at. Aldi always stresses me out!

Yes, our Waitrose shop is great, and not expensive because we buy ingredients in their 'essential' range to make everything ourselves. If we bought ready-made stuff, I'd imagine that would work out more expensive, but I find even basic supermarket ready meals expensive for what you get.

I love a Mumsnet ' list' of the supermarket hierarchy in the UK : top of the pops is usually the Harrods or Selfridges foodhall or Booths and bottom is the local costcutter or spar.

Waitrose are the top retailer in Europe for animal welfare:-

www.waitrose.com/home/inspiration/about_waitrose/the_waitrose_way/waitrose_animal_welfarecommitments.html

They also have the most comprehensive policies on antibiotics in meat production where ALDI, Iceland and ASDA are at the bottom of the pile:-

www.compassioninfoodbusiness.com/our-news/2020/01/waitrose-tops-latest-report-on-antibiotics

Fruit and veg at Aldi and Waitrose are very similar - both rubbish.

@the80sweregreat

I love a Mumsnet ' list' of the supermarket hierarchy in the UK : top of the pops is usually the Harrods or Selfridges foodhall or Booths and bottom is the local costcutter or spar.

Nooo! our local Spar is more expensive than Waitrose.