I don’t understand Waitrose.

[JensonsAcolyte]

I just went to the big Waitrose because they stock gochujang paste. I thought I may as well get a few bits, chicken, cereal, crisps, pasta etc. All the sort of stuff that isn’t dinners but filler food.

£90!

For four bags of shopping.

And it didn’t feel special or posh or magical or anything.

Why do people shop there? Is it actually a snobbery thing? We have a Sainsburys, Tesco and Lidl within a mile or so radius as well.

The only thing it had going for it for me was the aforementioned chilli paste that I couldn’t get in Tesco. But other than the Ingredients range, the other ranges they offer aren’t very wide.

Will anyone admit that they shop there out of snobbery/classism?

Yes, totally inspiring! Loads of yummy food options that I would then build a meal around.

@Bluesheep8

The shopping experience is nicer and more inspiring

Inspiring? I must be doing it wrong. However I did notice once that Wairose had an aisle called 'Aspirational Toiletries' which I was quite inspired by.

I am going tomorrow so will ask to be shown that aisle.

I shopped happily from Tesco who were one of the first companies to deliver years and years ago. Now I mostly go to Waitrose. What is the reason? It is quite a small shop near us so that is faster. The parking is easy. The fruit and some of my main foods seem to taste nicer.
(I never look at prices really as I go round the shop because I am fairly well off - I just got back just now buying a few things which was £7 so I suppose I do look at the price at the till)

I tend to find their fruit is nicer and the meat and veg - my main foods but it is not a snobby issue at all. I might sometimes pop into Tesco and my sons use Sainsbury's too - we have loads of different supermarkets near us.

I suppose the people tend to be a bit better off in Waitrose but that's pretty irrelevant to me.

@Petlover9

Is there an ASDA near to you? I use all the shops at various times, depending where I am but this one is overall the best. Waitrose is OK but the produce is overpriced. The other day ASDA had broccoli heads for 20p and pears in a bag *@49p* - same quality as those in Sainsbury for much more money

'Overpriced'. No bits ethically priced at a market value.

In fact the produce you just bought is woefully and depressingly underpriced. A UK grower has had to grow those items. The supermarket have then knocked them down to the lowest price they can get away with (sometimes with take or leave it forever type clauses) meaning the grower may not even have covered overheads. 20p broccoli indeed!

Exactly what Malin52 has said. All of those issues with UK farmers needing EU staff flown over to pick their crops? The UK workers who wouldn’t work for minimum wage doing backbreaking labour whilst being required to live on site, sharing tiny caravans with 4 strangers, and having the cost of this accommodation taken out of their poverty wages? That’s what it takes to have such cheap produce. If farm workers who produce our food are to be paid and treated properly, then we need to start paying a more realistic price for these things. It’s no better when it comes from overseas either, same situation but with added food miles and (in some cases) fewer protections for the workers - like the women working to produce bagged salads that end up on shelves in supermarkets here, where it has been shown the high levels of miscarriage they experience is due to the chemicals they are exposed to at levels that would be illegal in this country.

I recommend Morrisons.

@marktayloruk

I recommend Morrisons.

Does yours not have the blaring music?

The nearest Morrison’s is 15 miles away and is usually heaving

I think price wise the difference between the supermarkets is negligible. You save a lot in Aldi or Lidl because, unless you get sucked into the middle isles, the choice is small and everything is always in the same place, it’s much easier to stick to your list. On the few occasions where I’ve had to go to one of those huge tesco extras it’s always noticeable how immensely full everyone’s shopping trolley is - so much choice and bog of offers it’s hard to not get carried away and buy a load of stuff you never intended to get!

We shop mostly at Lidl and get a few extra bits from Waitrose as it’s just across the road. Waitrose is more pricey but I think you do get value for money as the quality of many own brands is higher. Never bother with our Morrison’s as it’s busy and out the way.

@Malin52
@TeaAndBiscuitsAndWine
Unfortunately for people who live just above the poverty line, finding a bargain is the only way to survive. I am vegetarian and do not want to live beyond my means, so it is something I and many like me have to do.

I go there a lot as it’s the closest and I don’t have a car but it is expensive! I find M&S (2nd closest to me) much cheaper. A few times now I have done a whole week’s food shop for 2 at M&S and it’s cost just two thirds of an equivalent Waitrose haul.

M&S cheaper? Please let us know where this wondrous place is. I've done a full family shop at M&S about twice in my life and it cost a lot, it would be last resort for me cost wise.

A lot of people don't use Waitrose or M&S for a full shop, the most popular trolley in use there is the half size one. You rarely see anyone with a large trolley piled high apart from special times like Christmas and Easter. I am one of these shoppers, dull boring stuff, branded stuff arrives in my weekly Tesco online order and I go to Waitrose and M&S for more luxury goods and meat, M&S fruit and veg is definitely the best so I try to get that from there. Also because the dull stuff is already bought online it makes the shopping experience better anyway if I don't have to worry about getting things like toilet rolls and Heinz beans.

My local M&S has the highest spend per square foot in the UK. You can’t move for people with big trollies piled up with the weekly shop...

I buy our main shop in my usual supermarket but will shop in Waitrose for luxury bits that I can't get elsewhere. Waitrose is nicer to shop in. 4 bags in Waitrose for £90 doesn't sound too bad actually.

I’m going to go back in a minute and buy roast dinner stuff for tomorrow. And wine. And maybe some gin.

I’ll try and soak in the ambience this time.

Buy their fruit whilst you're at it!
After your initial post, I thought, is DD just being a bit snobby with her fruit? So I did an aldi shop (I get steak and fish from aldi each week!) I picked up the blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and black grapes.

Made fruit salad as I usually do. I put all of the remaining fruit in the waitrose packs.

About 4 mouthfuls in. These raspberries are sharp. My husband says, the strawberries are a bit sour too. Are these the Aldi ones?
I noticed that it wasn't as enjoyable. But at about half the cost I needed to see if I could hoodwink them into believing it was waitrose fruit.

I get certain things from certain shops

I recently shopped at Waitrose for a family weekend UK break as I thought it would be a 'treat'. I usually shop at Aldi. Couldn't believe the cost and genuinely think the quality of Aldi's cheese, charcuterie etc is better. The only things that I bought which I couldn't have got at Aldi were globe artichokes and aged balsamic vinegar; wasn't worth it!

Oops!

But I knew what I was doing this tome and thoroughly enjoyed it. Had a lovely chat with the girl on the self scan, browsed the John Lewis for a bit, bought nice things.

@JensonsAcolyte

No, lunches. Sliced chicken. Cost me £7 for two packs! Seven English pounds

Well for a start they are higher welfare for animals than any other supermarket.

You expect to get two packets of chicken for less than £7...?

What kind of life do you imagine that chicken has?

@mamaatthegym

I had an ex boyfriend who’s mum was a rich housewife and refused to shop anywhere else but Waitrose. She lived a very privileged, sheltered life of luxury. Off she popped in her Range Rover once a week and would spend £350 on a weekly shop for a family of 6. Her way of thinking (about everything) was, if it’s more expensive then it must be better.

For some people it’s just their way of life/mindset so they’ve never known anything different. They can afford it so why go anywhere else?

I don’t shop there because I simply can’t afford it, apart from treats at Christmas

If you don't think it's any nicer than other supermarkets then why do you buy Christmas treats there?

Surely they'd be as nice at Tesco and cheaper?

@SoupDragon

It is a snobbery thing hmm I don't care what anyone says.

So, you're calling everyone a liar 😂😂

@SoupDragon it’s not a snobbery thing, there are people from all walks of life shopping in our local Waitrose. For us it’s what we’ve adjusted to and I continue to shop there because we like the taste of their products.

DP shops in Asda, Tesco, Morrison’s, Sainsbury’s according to what he wants and where he is. He will buy apple pies from Asda, IMO the pastry is horribly thick, probably to minimise amount of expensive pie filling.

Our Tesco is guilty of the blaring music. I dropped in for bread a couple of days ago and they were playing Buffalo Soldier and I wondered if it was to encourage me to buy Caribbean food or buffalo sauce 🤔 Waitrose is definitely a nicer experience than that (massive) Tesco and Lidl, which are the other two chain supermarkets within walking distance of here, and the best for vegetarians by far.

JFYI Morrisons sell gochujang, at least the one near me does, and it’s not a huge branch.