To say you're all wrong about Aldi?

[Rabbitheadlights]

Just that really, I've nipped into Aldi in the past for the odd loaf and picked up a few bits. DP and I discussed and decided to do the 'big' shop there last week.

It's been a disaster, to start with I couldn't find fruit or veg with more than a couple of days shelf life on them and everything I've substituted so far has been either underwhelming or disgusting (1/4 pounders filled with gristle) 🤮 with a couple of exceptions (salmon Wellington, sliced ham) the bread was mouldy the next day and still had 2 days on the use by. The nappies are just awful.

I spent £219 on Friday last week and I've since been out and spent another 150 and will likely need more before the next "big shop" on Friday.

At Christmas they sometimes do one of those giant ham legs on a stick in Aldi.

Do people not realise that Aldi's "copied" products are made by the same manufacturer as the branded product? That's how the industry works. Yet they perceive lower quality?

That doesn't always mean they are the same product in a different wrapper though. In some cases they're exactly the same, their hula hoops for example where trade off is you can only get the plain version.
Other things are just similar. Lots of their versions DS can't eat as they contain nut/peanut traces which isn't true of the branded versions.

@SleepingStandingUp

Don't have an Aldi but Lidls thick cut bacon is lovely, and their bread always last us. I really love their thick seedy loaf

My family don't want any other bacon since they tried Lidls thick cut. I love the Lidl bakery stuff but it is too tempting and too cheap and no good for my weight gain in lockdown.

That middle aisle though.

Seriously.

It's.... amazing. A place of wonder.

Where else can you buy a bargain wetsuit, Christmas Cushions and a wheelbarrow wheel?!?!

So it's only me and DS. And I went to Aldi when everyone was raving about it, food shop cost me about £30 for the week. I was disappointed with a lot of their produce.

I actually go to Sainsbury's now. Ok it comes to like £35 for the week, but even their cheapest brands taste better and there's only a penny or so difference. I find their fresh fruit and veg lasts longer and again I just buy the cheapest one there.

And the reason my food shop is so cheap for a week for just two people is I'm only really buying breakfast for me and a evening meal and pudding for me and DS and the odd snacks.

DS goes to free breakfast club, has school dinners (I pay for these in full). I basically am happy to have pasta salads or rice salads for lunch so my lunches are pennies.

@SleepingStandingUp

Don't have an Aldi but Lidls thick cut bacon is lovely, and their bread always last us. I really love their thick seedy loaf

Yes Lidl seeded loaf is amazing for toast. I love their bakery and find most of the meat is fine. Fruit and veg does not last. Cheese, biscuits, crackers , quiches are all fine as are cleaning products. i shop weekly at Lidl but choose carefully what I buy. Never shop at Aldi.

I think aldi nappies are fab which I discovered them years earlier. Shop in there quite regularly & I think Lidl has the best bakery.

@Rabbitheadlights
no, i am not sloshed dear
however i admit i did not read the thread, i was in a rush, i will go back and read it - or at least your points

I agree about the fruit & veg not lasting long whereas M&S lasts ages however my dc hoover it all up anyway.

I don't shop in Aldi, mainly Tesco and Lidl. After too many incidences of Lidl fruit and veg turning within A DAY, I mentioned it to the store. They informed me that they don't put dates on fruit and veg and its up to the store manager to decide whether or not they are fit for purchase.

I don't buy fruit and veg in Lidl but other food has been ok in general. I don't buy washing detergents there either. I don't ever do a whole shop in Lidl. Its fine for some things but definitely not everything.

@Rabbitheadlights
i have now skimmed through your points,
there are 9 of you, eek
£219 for 2 weeks shopping.
but you were not impressed.

i guess you have to choose for yourself. my first trip to aldi was equally unsuccessful
now i shop there occasionally, that or lidl, and there are SOME things which are great.

Re the supermarket burgers , 4 burgers and 4 bottles of san miguel for £3.50 from the co-op.

Do people not realise that Aldi's "copied" products are made by the same manufacturer as the branded product? That's how the industry works. Yet they perceive lower quality?

I don't think this is how it works actually. The branded product often has a higher percentage of fruit or veg and less filler than the 'own' brand product.

People buy supermarket burgers?

M&S do amazing Wagyu ones!

I can take them or leave them, butI used to go out of my way for their nappies when the DC were babies,

I shop at Lidl, Aldi, M&S & Sainsburys & get my preferred bits from each store. Don't like Tesco's & Waitrose is overrated in my opinion.

I get some toiletries, snacks that kind of thing sometimes.
It is awful truly. I've never brought fresh food that hasn't gone bad before the use by date.
The old saying of buy cheap buy twice is very apt in the case of aldi and lidl.

I think they're rubbish for fruit and veg, but we tend to get the following there:
Cereal
Coffee
Mayo
Nappies and wipes when we used them
Alcohol
Brioche

Never liked Aldi, fresh stuff is rubbish. However the best fresh fruit and veg is Lidl by a long shot over every other supermarket I use ( Sainsbury, Waitrose, Morrison’s and Tesco’s if I absolutely must)

Lidl is an entirely different thing to Aldi.

Aldi is mainly rubbish but Lidl is great, even the fruit and veg at my local one. Waitrose is still my preference but Lidl is better than tesco, sainsburys asda etc.

The aldi premium nappies are on parr with pampers baby dry, I use both at the moment but personally I find the cheaper ones they do in the yellow packet terrible, lots of leaks! Middle aisle stuff can be a bargain, I use reusables at night and aldi currently have the bambino mio solos for about £8.99 which is half the price if buying direct from bambino mio. Also, their baby towels, bibs and sleeping bags have been great and washed well. I could never do a full shop there but lately I can't seem to find anywhere I can get good fruit and veg from, we use ocado also and they used to be brilliant but lately their fruit and veg is terrible!

@AbsolutelyPatsy the sloshed bit was more a reference to your username

Yes 219 for 9 people is cheap but not so much when I've had to spend an extra 150 to replace the rubbish upto now.

I’d struggle to spend £219 in Aldi and I do the big shop there. The meat, and dairy are great, so’s the frozen food. The chocolate is excellent, far better than the branded stuff. We don’t like their bread and veg comes from the farm shop but everything else comes from Aldi.

Oh and their Hotel home fragrances are as good as Jo Malone and the Lacura skincare gives high end stuff a run for its money.

I have bought cheap alcohol there (either there of home bargains) but everything else is from Asda.

@121gigawatts

The aldi premium nappies are on parr with pampers baby dry, I use both at the moment but personally I find the cheaper ones they do in the yellow packet terrible, lots of leaks! Middle aisle stuff can be a bargain, I use reusables at night and aldi currently have the bambino mio solos for about £8.99 which is half the price if buying direct from bambino mio. Also, their baby towels, bibs and sleeping bags have been great and washed well. I could never do a full shop there but lately I can't seem to find anywhere I can get good fruit and veg from, we use ocado also and they used to be brilliant but lately their fruit and veg is terrible!

why would you want 'on par' with pampers, pampers is one of the worst on the market lol.