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.

I haven't shopped at Aldi for years despite the fact we have 3 within 10 minutes from home, I do all my shopping online & use Morrisons, Ocado & Waitrose in rotation. I always found that though Aldi was cheaper there was always much more waste, veg didn't last as long, the Warburton's Farmhouse bread went green within 2 or 3 days when if I bought it from the other supermarkets it would last 5 - 6 days, cleaning products needed more, toilet rolls didn't last as long. Yes their tinned stuff is good & some of the frozen food but when you factor in going round multiple supermarkets it isn't worth it, I would rather use Farmfoods & be able to buy more branded items if I had to choose a cheap supermarket.

You should give the shower gels a whirl @wishawish91. The Hotel Paradise one lives up to its name, it’s just as good as The White Company.

Aldi is worth it for the baking Camembert alone 🤣

I shop their occasionally but never for a big shop, they don't stock everything I want usually! Agree the fruit and veg often goes off very quickly compared to others (i usually shop at morrisons and find them good for fruit and veg). We use them for a frozen turkey at Christmas and it's always great (I think the cooking method might be more importantthan the bird). It really depends what you're are buying!

Im sorry i love aldi. Everything there is the same thing just different in quality. You tried it and don't like it you move on. My MIL won't let me shop there as she thinks the quality Is crap. To her it is but not to me. Everyone is different.

And conversely, some people on MN seem to have a visceral hatred of Aldi and Lidl.
I don’t recall ever seeing a thread on mumsnet slating LIDL. whereas ‘Aldi’s not as great as you say’ type threads are a recurring topic. Apart from Aldi’s obvious commercial success and outside of this thread, who is saying Aldi is great ?

Apart from Aldi’s obvious commercial success and outside of this thread, who is saying Aldi is great ?

The millions using them who aren’t on MN presumably.

It's good if you want that 1970s Eastern Bloc shopping experience, I suppose

@DrManhattan

It's good if you want that 1970s Eastern Bloc shopping experience, I suppose

A new one’s just opened near us, it’s a lot nicer than Tesco’s.

We have friends in what was the Eastern Bloc - believe me, it’s nothing like that. I imagine you were posting for the lolz though.

@MaMelon

We have friends in what was the Eastern Bloc - believe me, it’s nothing like that. I imagine you were posting for the lolz though.

Yup

After many years working in food manufacturing and having knowledge on Aldi buying practices, I can guarantee you that a very large number of their products are made in the same factories on the same lines as the big brands. There might be some slight recipe tweaks occasionally but often if the big brand goes over on a run they literally package the same product in the Aldi boxes. There are exceptions but marketing the superiority of the big brands is like the Emperors new clothes…

Indeed.

That to Schrodinger.

The millions using them who aren’t on MN presumably.
The op and the countless others posters who post similar threads, are addressing mn users. I’ve not seen any threads about how wonderful Aldi is on here.

I love Aldi - I can get everything I need at my local one, it’s way cheaper than other supermarkets and it’s quicker and less hassle to get round it. Not for everyone of course.

For the person who compared it to the Eastern bloc in the 70s - em, they wish. You have no idea.

Yeah...I’ve actually been shopping in the eastern block. 🙄🙄

Horses for courses I guess. I buy good quality and am not in any way a snob about where I can source it. By the same token I won’t pay more for equal or inferior quality.

We could buy everything at Waitrose/wherever but we don’t like to waste money and if you can easily source equivalent for less it’s stupid not to in my view.

There’s a fair bit I won’t buy at Aldi/LIDL but there’s also plenty I will.

I’ve not seen any threads about how wonderful Aldi is on here

There have been plenty over the many, many years I’ve been on here. For some reason though Aldi seems to really get some people riled - you just have to look at some of the comments on here.

I think Aldi can be amazing for tinned stuff, cereals and bathroom bits (shampoo, mouthwash etc) and baby bits.

But I don’t touch their veg as I’ve had too many bags of veg go off after a day or two of purchase and I’m not a fan of their meat at the moment as I find the quality has dropped. Same with their ready made cottage pies and pasta meals are the same.

Yeah its definitely overrated. The odd hidden gem but most of the stuff is crap.

I like it, I save a lot of money by doing our main shop there and top up shops elsewhere. I won't buy their chicken though, full of water and tasteless.

I buy most of our shopping from Aldi,

There's a few things I buy there because of the price. Rib eye steaks for £2.85 each and cook really well. I always look for a really nice marbling of the meat, I can get 5% minced beef which is all I buy (the skinny burgers are good- no gristle, and I seem to find it if there's any to be found!)
I wouldn't feed my dog the roasting joints of beef- last two I've bought were even left by the dog!
I like their cod, £2.79? For two pieces of cod.

I can find some organic veg there for about half the price of waitrose.

DD says she finds the fruit to be a bit tart from Aldi, so I tend to buy it elsewhere.

Wouldn't eat many of their crisps, except their version of mini cheddars which are excellent...better than leading brand.

If you ever stumble across their cajun rub, get it, get loads! It's lovely.

They do knock offs of the green and blacks, orange and almond, sea salt and something, I just wish they did the raspberry and hazelnut one!
They have some nice nut snack bars. Sea salt and dark chocolate was one, another was peanut butter flavour.

They do a really nice clotted cream and jam sponge that's about £1.79!

I actually prefer their wholemeal bread to hovis, but didn't get on with their white stuff.

Most of their biscuits aren't great, I found the rich teas were crap for dipping! The digestives had a bit of a salty taste to them, and their bourbons were a bit...grainy?!

I also find much of their meat that's got a rub on it is very sweet. Not to my taste at all.

Generally do find there are quite short dates too to be honest, and stock is often an issue in the local store. Only way I can ensure I'll go and get more than 30% of what I'm looking for is by going at opening time.

I get around having to shop a bit more because of the price difference between the foods I try to base my diet around and other shops is quite large, and because I don't tend to love their own brand versions, I keep well away from them! Thus saving money and being a bit healthier!

I went back to aldi for the first time since 2019 (pandemic, shielding family = deliveries) recently. I was gobsmacked that what I has estimated to be a £60-70 shop was £32.

I won't buy most meat from there, but tinned goods, cleaning stuff, fresh fruit and veg all good and cheap.

I do think whatever the chain is there are stores that have good quality fresh produce in and others where everything is just limping along to it's use by date. My local Tesco is rubbish, in that regard, nothing fresh from there seems to keep as long as it does from Sainsburys, Aldi or Lidl.

Agree fresh fruit and veg is hit and miss, some things are fine like potatoes, grapes, apples, peppers, tomatoes etc. Never buy meat or fish there. Do buy cheese, milk yoghurts and butter. It's good for wine, beer and gin. Love their frozen chips, petit pois and mini magnums. Will buy pasta, olive oil, coconut oil, coconut milk, tinned beans and passata, pickle etc there. Also it's good for flour, sugar, nuts, dried fruit -!: sun cream, sun cream is always good value. I go about once a month and stock up on the things I like but buy perishables from Tesco or online meat / fish shops that will deliver. I think they sell a lot of decent things at a good price but they also sell a lot of tat that doesn't taste of much or last long enough

Bagelsandbrie

I agree with you. But if you’re on a very low income it’s an amazing shop.

This.

There's a slew of Aldis near me and they are a Godsend.

All the basics are there, with cheap staples, toilet paper and the like.

Yes. The fruit and veg are a few days away from being compost, but it's edible until then.