To think that Aldi isn’t the answer to everything?

[ShirleyPhallus]

On pretty much every thread here to do with food and drink within about 2 posts someone pops up with “I get mine from Aldi and it’s amazing”. On literally every thread like this it’s praised like it’s the best thing ever. See also Lidl.

Anyway, I went to an Aldi this week on the back of all the MN love and it’s just a cheap supermarket. Not the answer to my prayers. Am I missing something? Am I being unreasonable? (Answer is no fyi)

Aldi is good for quite a lot of stuff, not going to fix every problem, but it will get you a lot of your food for a lot less.

But fed up of the raspberries going off before their BBD.

There's stuff I can't get there that I use but it saves a good £10/15 a week.

Anyway, I went to an Aldi this week on the back of all the MN love and it’s just a cheap supermarket

What were you expecting it to be?

I think Aldi and Lidl are a bit of a con. If you bought loose vegetables and own brand products in somewhere like Asda or Tesco you would probably save a similar amount. I don't think the quality of Lidl and Aldi own brand products are any better than other supermarket own brand products.

I really don't understand their popularity. Especially when you compare them to somewhere like Iceland. Iceland is cheap even for branded products. They don't have mile long queues. You can actually order online and get free next day delivery from them. So many people on here look down their noses at the place. But would happily shop in Lidl and Aldi where you wait 100 years at the checkout, you have to buy food you've never heard of and you can't even get delivery.

@Peaseblossum22

I'm not a fan either , whenever I go I come out with a bar of chocolate and some jam and thats about it except maybe something random from the middle aisle. I honestly don't know how people manage to do a whole shop there or do you just adjust your menus to what they have in stock?

What items do you find they lack? I think if you're making sushi or Thai curries from absolute scratch then yes you'll struggle. But they stick most basics

I think it is really shop specific with Aldi and Lidl for the quality of fresh ingredients. There are ones that I'll happily shop in near me and others I won't.

I rarely shop there not enough known brands I go to Heron foods.

Aldi do a tin of formula milk for £7.50 or something. That is really good.
Nappies are also great.

And they do a chorizo cheese bake thing in a pot which is probably my favourite supermarket food item.

DH got Christmas party food from there that wasn’t good at all though.

I like Aldi because there are not shelves and shelves of the same product,vAldi tends to only have a choice of one or two
I like their meats and cheeses,and alcohol .

Also great wine selection.

I get about 75% of what I need
The rest I get from Tesco or Asda
I just don't see the point on paying 20p extra on a bunch of bananas or a bottle of milk

Anyway, I went to an Aldi this week on the back of all the MN love and it’s just a cheap supermarket.

Yes that's rather the point. I don't remember anyone describing it as the new Lourdes.

Aldi has some amazing wines. We're more Lidl people though as you can get 12% discount once you've spent £200 in a calendar month but we've a quite a few favourites from Aldi too.

When i first shopped at Aldi a few years back I wasnt coming out with much as I did grow up with alot of branded foods, but now I do most of my shopping there. I love their fruit & veg (the loose potatoes are the best I've had) and I find their meat cheap but great quality. Also find lots of lovely things I've never seen in other supermarkets

I tried Lidl twice but wasn't a fan, the bakery was the only good bit for me

I am selective about what I buy in Aldi (or Lidl).

I usually go in to get laundry powder, a 24 pack of toilet rolls, a four pinter of milk if we need it and the essential Moser Roth chocolate. I may get a bag of dried pasta and some extra virgin olive oil (good, and much cheaper than in Tesco). Aldi fresh fruit and vegetables are very hit or miss, and can go off too quickly, so I don't bother with those.

Everything else is bought in Tesco.

We don't have a Lidl that is particularly convenient to here, but if I am near one then I do like their in-store bakery. Aldi don't have one.

I've never binned fruit and veg from Aldi or Lidl, most of it goes in the fridge and it seems to last pretty well.

I buy odd things from Tesco and the only place I've ever had a refund for gone off veg was Asda.

I buy about 90% of my shopping from Aldi and Lidl and branded stuff not available in either of those from one of the bigger supermarkets, usually Tesco.

Indeed. My local Lidl is tiny, shabby, tired and drab. The staff are rude and unpleasant

The Aldi by contrast only opened a year ago, it's twice the size, light, bright, airy and has friendly staff.

Lidl is better for bakery and I like their spanish/italian/greek weeks.

That's my experience too. The staff are much friendlier in the local Aldi. But I could go to another Aldi store and experience the reverse. It seems to vary so much from store to store with both Lidl and Aldi.

I agree that some of their themed weeks can be good.

@Peaseblossum22

I'm not a fan either , whenever I go I come out with a bar of chocolate and some jam and thats about it except maybe something random from the middle aisle. I honestly don't know how people manage to do a whole shop there or do you just adjust your menus to what they have in stock?

You've got to be kidding. They sell veg, pulses, pasta and rice, dairy, fish, beef, pizza, milk... how can you NOT do a full shop?

Well my local Tesco and Sainsbury’s are price matching Aldi’s basics like pasta etc which has won me back over to a degree so I can do my shop in one go.

@Tevion28

I rarely shop there not enough known brands I go to Heron foods.

That's because most things are own brand - which is kinda the point. And some of their own brand stuff is better than the known brands. Some of it isn't.

It's not the supermarket to go to if you won't try anything but Heinz ketchup - but imo Heinz isn't as good anyway, and costs way more.

It's useless if you have allergies. The fruit and veg goes off quicker than other supermarkets.

I tried Aldi a few times and it didn't really seem any cheaper to me overall (maybe on some things and then not others), perhaps because we mostly buy own brands anyway. I didn't dislike it and the stores are generally a bit smaller than a lot of Tesco so I guess it could be more convenient sometimes.

Anyway, I thought LTB was the answer to everything on here...

@HoldingTheDoor

Anyway, I went to an Aldi this week on the back of all the MN love and it’s just a cheap supermarket.

Yes that's rather the point. I don't remember anyone describing it as the new Lourdes.

I find its a false economy as their fruit and veg goes rotten incredibly quicky so I end up binning a lot of what I buy there.

......and yet I have never binned fruit or veg from my weekly shops at Aldi in the last 17 years of shopping there

I live between a Waitrose and an Aldi, tend to do about 50/50.

@FluffyBooBoo

Anyway, I went to an Aldi this week on the back of all the MN love and it’s just a cheap supermarket

What were you expecting it to be?

THE ANSWER TO ALL MY PROBLEMS IN LIFE

It doesn't work for us. I find the quality average in the main although one or two items are great. I could not do my weekly shop their as it simply doesn't do enough products to meet varying dietary requirements eg lactose intolerant family members.