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?

I find their prices really high, same as M&S, I rarely go in either because just the basic foods (fruit, veg, bread, milk) seem to cost a lot more than they do in Aldi. I tend to do my big shop in Aldo and then buy a few things in Tesco (branded things that I can’t get in Tesco). Occationally I pop into waitrose and end up spending £25 on one bag of shopping which just seems crazy.

What @blobblob and @tobedtoMNandfart said, I exclusively shop at Waitrose, and local independent shops, and this is wholly because of ethics, animal welfare, and food quality. You can 100% taste the difference with the Waitrose food, and to the PP who joked about the Duchy range, it is really good!

I'd rather pay the extra money and support ethical shopping, and really what we eat is so important for health

@ViciousJackdaw

It was very well organised of you to obtain a loyalty card before your first visit though.

I never said it was my first visit!

Sliced chicken isn't the Waitrose market- it is more. shop for people who cook

I imagine it was not an old battery hen bolted and reformed from the barrel scrapings unlike some other cooked meats

@JensonsAcolyte

Ok here’s what I bought. It’s a load of treats and snacks so judge away

It’s mainly the meat and cheese I think was pricey, and they didn’t have own brand versions of coco pops or Frosties. And I didn’t even buy any wine

You spent £14 on chicken breasts and thighs - why didn’t you just buy a whole chicken? I doubt they cost half as much, even in Waitrose.

The receipt looks on a par to sainsburys. I go to waitrose now and then (when I want a steak and caramelised onion sandwich) and don't find it massively expensive.

@NotGenerationAlpha

I could say the same about why you buy gochujang in waitrose. Have you not heard about a chinese/east asian food shop? They do a big tub imported from South Korea for much less. Is it a snobbery thing?

If we had one I would shop there!

I do a weekly shop there, but it gets delivered. Far fewer substitutions than other supermarkets. I don’t find it any more expensive than other shops. I went to Sainsbury’s a few weeks ago and thought that was really expensive for what it was, harder to get free range meat too.

I regularly shop at Waitrose. I also regularly shop at Lidl.

I buy basics at Lidl, plus some of the stuff they do really well such as continental cooked meats, chocolate, yogurt and interesting stuff from their themed weeks.

I then top up with top quality meat, cheeses, wine & treats from Waitrose. It’s important to have their loyalty card, though, so you can benefit from coupons, offers, free newspapers & coffee etc etc.

My poshest auntie says she buys her luxuries in Lidl [some of the deli stuff is lovely] and then goes to Waitrose for her essentials. I know the Waitrose in store bakery near me has gorgeous bread.
DH does the big shop really carefully (meal plans) and usually at Lidl or Aldi.
Then I can go to a different store, like M&S or Waitrose and get carried away with the novelty & spend more than him, and only have some random bits...

Why would anybody spend £7 on sliced chicken when you could buy two whole chickens for that, even in Waitrose?
If you shop carefully there, it works out cheaper in the long run, especially for meat and fish. Throw in a free copy of a newspaper that would normally be almost £3. And nip into Tesco across the road for boring stuff like washing powder and toilet rolls.

Some people like shopping there as they like to think they are better than one one else I think. Others because of animal welfare or because they have certain allergies and can trust the ingredients not to contain nuts ( for example)
My nearest one is miles away so don't use it much but it is nice when I do go once or twice a year , quite , big aisles, clean and different food to try out rather than the normal fare from Asda , tesco , Lidl etc.
Your bill didn't look too bad op. I find cereals are more expensive in Waitrose than elsewhere and their baguettes ( even though they are lovely)
It's a real treat going there.
Food has gone up generally lately though.

DH and I have just done the weekly shop at Waitrose and only spent £70 including quite a few extra treats. We usually do a combination of Waitrose and Lidl as we found that works out to be the best balance of quality and price and spend less than when we used to do everything at Tesco or Sainsburys.

@Timeforabiscuit

God I love Booths!

But actually what blobblob said was far more articulate, and I'd certainly say that too.

Just looked at the store locator, hadn't realised they'd come so far from WIndermere! Not far enough for me though. Do they still do their own tea, or was it coffee?

I shop in lots of different places but it's Waitrose for the moment as they sent me discount vouchers.

Their food is generally decent quality. Ready meals are a bit flavourless but I don't buy those often.

We can afford to pay a bit more and food is a priority for us so I don't mind it costing more as everything is eaten and enjoyed. I probably mainly shop in Sainsburys. I can't be bothered with Aldi and Lidl as you can't do a proper shop in ours and I've never been very impressed to be honest.

We go there as a treat sometimes. Terrifyingly expensive but also it’s amazing how much nicer everything is: even a Waitrose own brand Apple tastes ten times nicer than a Tesco’s finest one.

I shop in Waitrose because I like the food on offer, the customer service, their ethics regarding their suppliers and the fact I can buy from a wide choice of free range organic food.

The store is clean and well ordered, no loud music and rarely any customer announcements. What's not to like?

And Booths is the best supermarket by miles.

I’ve just realised the sliced chicken was on offer so was only a fiver. So I take that back

I might try doing a proper thought out weekly shop in there next week and see if I’m more impressed. I shouldn’t shop hungry.

I shop at Waitrose as there is an affiliated link with my health insurance, and I get money back every month for shopping there. But also, I like the food. I almost exclusively shop online (avoids the temptation for the really expensive delicious stuff), and don't find it much different from other stores. I buy most of my meat from the local farm shop, and like Waitrose's ethics, but accept that's a privilege I'm lucky to be able to afford.

Before I moved I used to shop in Waitrose. The local Sainsbury's was awful and I liked the self scan thing that, at the time, only they did.

Since moving I shop in Sainsbury's which is a really excellent one. The nearest Waitrose is about 60 miles away and isn't particularly great.

I think it depends on each store as to whether its worth it or not.

@HunterHearstHelmsley

The receipt looks on a par to sainsburys. I go to waitrose now and then (when I want a steak and caramelised onion sandwich) and don't find it massively expensive.

Ooooh, I used to nip in there to get one of those for lunch! Plus a basket full of stuff I didn’t really need, so it’s cheaper now I just do a weekly online delivery

Get my meat and veg from the farm shop and flour from an mill shop online. I’m sticking with the smaller suppliers who really excelled themselves last year when the supermarkets were cancelling deliveries to vulnerable old people (Tesco) and generally being a bit ineffectual.

So you bought bao and deli stuff, lots of prepared chicken etc and are suprised it came to £90?

Much of that is the stuff that, absent a decent Asian supermarket, only taste good from Waitrose and cost a bit!

Four bags of shopping is a weekly shop for us.

Some MNers are apparently obsessed with snobbery/class issues.

I go to both Waitrose and M&S for certain things I can’t get in my nearest and most convenient supermarket (Asda) - e.g. British high welfare pork and gammon, and in summer, fruit such as peaches which are properly ripe. (Asda’s never are.). And for anything else that’s a bit special.

Of course they’re more expensive - that’s because they carry a range of things that are nicer than you’ll find in the average supermarket. And to some people (a BiL and SiL of mine included) the extra cost is of no concern, and they CBA to do 2 different shops for (to them) a small saving.

I have no need to watch the pennies, but most of my basics/everyday shopping come from Asda, largely because because it’s closest and always easy to park, plus if I’m feeling energetic I can walk there and get the bus back.

If I had a Waitrose in the same location, I dare say I’d do the bulk of my shopping there.