Aldi/lidl food!

[Bewilderedallthetine]

I shop in Tesco's/Morrisons supermarkets. My workmates keep going on and said shop at lidl/aldi as it is so much cheaper. There is just me and my young son, so today I got our dinner from there (lidl). I bought Rump steak, oven chips and beans (we usually have a roast on Sunday and a fry up on monday) but fancyed a change. the rump was about 10 pounds, chips 2.00 and beans about 50p (ish) ..the steak was so so tough, chips all different sizes so some were more done than the others, beans with watery thin sauce. Can anyone really eat this stuff! I really need to cut down on our shopping costs but this was terrible! Have you any tips for shopping for nice food cheaperly?

I sense you're looking for an excuse to bash? LOL go find me a top cook that wants to use crap ingredients.

Oh my.. wait... on Trustpilot over 4500 reviewers have given an average score of 1.8% with 69% giving them 1/5.
💩

https://www.standard.co.uk/going-out/foodanddrink/what-chefs-buy-at-aldi-and-lidl-b1055197.html

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/what-the-foodies-buy-at-aldi-lidl-and-iceland-now-crl5l35l7#:~:text=Even%20top%20chefs%20love%20Lidl,quality%20Italian%20products%2C%20especially%20cheese.

Plenty more where these links came from. Top chefs and foodies that shop at Aldi and Lidl. You’re welcome.

DS quite likes the beans from Lidl (the ones in the in which looks like a branded tin, not the 'value' version which is like 1/3 liquid). I think the Aldi ones changed and we've stopped buying those.

I agree that store cupboard ingredients are usually good at Aldi and Lidl. Passata, spices, sauces, rice, pasta, tins etc. Cheese as well, especially nicer cheeses. Most deli type items are good. Lidl often has good German and other European meats/ sausages.

I buy chicken and gammon at both but red meat seems hit or miss. Agree with others who say it's in how you cook it; a friend of mine is excellent at cooking steaks and roasts and anytime I ask her where she bought it, she says Aldi.

Crisps, cereals, snacks etc plus cleaning materials, also great.

TBH I do the majority of my shop at Lidl or Aldi. I mostly started because we moved here from Germany and I knew their quality was decent. I was quickly irritated by Tesco, for example, as their quality is really shocking (watery passata, for example) for twice the price (not twice the price anymore because they're trying to compete, but still. I didn't understand why people here felt like the quality was better just because it was from a bigger supermarket, but I assume they're trading on their name and quality they might have had at some point?)

Things I don't recommend: dips and ready meals in general. I do a small shop at M&S for steak pie/ ready meal items if we're having them.

Interesting comment.

In marketing terms there is an adage that there are always people who want to shop for the best/most expensive. And there are always people who want to shop for the cheapest.

What there isn't in times of stress is a place for the middle.

I find both Aldi and Lidl are great for essentials, fruit and veg, basically most things except meat. Their fruit and veg usually I find better (tastier and lasts longer) than other supermarkets.
for beans I’d just go fancy and get Heinz! None of the supermarket beans are as good.

Buy rib eye from Aldi, 6 mins each side in air fryer for medium, melts in the mouth

lol I'm so sorry your feelings are hurt. Not all those chefs or restaurants have consistently good reviews. The guy at Bar Crispin raves about the cheap champagne at Christmas. I think you need to ask yourself why you are so upset that someone's opinion is that LIDL is disgusting. It is. You know in Paris in some tourist areas the Chefs buy food in Franrpix and other cheap supermarkets because it's the cheapest, they make it palatable and their largely tourists are none the wiser. They make more profit. Being a chef doesn't guarantee you are good nor honest.

Oh and this... and more...

Lidl chickens systematically abused by suppliers – yet the supermarket says ‘meh’. Here’s what to look for.
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2024/02/29/lidl-chickens-quality/

Now run along and enjoy your LIDL dinner. 😂

No hurt feelings here just noting ignorance when there is ignorance. Describing a whole supermarket as “disgusting” when it clearly isn’t is just ignorance and pure snobbery. You seem to have a problem with the word “cheap”, plenty of good food is cheap and plenty of dire food is expensive.

Oh and you introduced chefs into the conversation so simply gave what you asked for. Will most certainly enjoy my Lidl dinner. I’m an excellent cook and have managed to produce excellent meals from produce bought from cheap French supermarkets you also sneer at many a time.

Cheap champagne at Christmas (fans self and clutches at the pearls) OMG the horror!

although Aldi do a fabulous Chrem for £8:99 much better than some champagne I’ve had.

Some people on limited budgets don’t have the option to pop into M&S - doesn’t make them lesser beings or shit ‘chefs’ your post are dripping in an odd sort of superiority born or privilege - quite unattractive - wealth whispers

The Aldi organic Prosecco is much better than M&S Prosecco. They do so many good wines.

I've never had a problem with Lidl food. We save about £150pcm by shopping there instead of our local supermarket.

I am using aldi a lot at the moment as also trying to cut down. I think it does depend on what you buy there.

Things I buy that are good; fresh fruit/veg, tinned tomatoes, cheeses, finest cooked meats, fresh fish, biscuits/crisps/chocolate, frozen peas, mozzarella sticks (ds loves them!), kitchen roll, washing powder, washing up liquid, loo rolls, kids shower body wash, milk/cream, crackers, nordpak margarine, pasta, rice, yogurts.

Probably missed a few things somewhere.

I don't buy meat from aldi - I use a small local farm for meat as I am quite particular!

This week, I got everything I needed from aldi including some household stuff and toiletries for £58. Meat came to about £18 but possibly more than a week's worth. So £76 in total for 2 adults and 1 ten year old who eats like a horse!

Had I used tesco, even with a club card, to buy what I bought in aldi, it would probably have been around £100. So I saved about £42.

Lidl - good for cottage cheese (have plain, pineapple, chive &onion), cheese generally, Greek yogurt is great, smoked salmon, chicken breast, great High protein lines- puddings, protein bars, yogurts, drinks. Excellent bakery & some good European stuff, Italian biscotti, pickles. Aisle of crap always worth a look. I buy a lot there, but when I want meat ( maybe 1x week max) I go to butchers. They do a nice sourdough pizza line. Also occasionally can find Sicilian lemons
Aldi great for wine, continental cured meats, rosemary & black pepper thins.
We go to Lidl, Aldi & then Tesco, in that order.
Asda might be worth a look. (Too far for us)

3 adults. Today’s Aldi shop was £79.
Meat - 500g chicken mini fillets-2 meals.
Big pack chicken thighs
450g lean pork mince
2 packs frozen marinated king prawns (£1.79 each)
loads of fresh fruit and veg
go imclude salad, avocados, potatoes, onions, carrots, aubergine, celery, radishes, Tom, cucumber mushroom, beansprouts, spring onions. 12 apples, bunch bananas, bag of pears., net of easy peelers, frozen blueberries, frozen raspberries.1 pack firm tofu
Tins of chickpeas, toms, purée, jar of olives,4 tins tuna. 12 large eggs, almond pouch, pumpkin seeds. Bag of baking potatoes, 3 garlic bulbs, egg noodles, basmati rice,
salad cheese(feta), soft cheese( Philly type),XL hummus, fresh OJ, Greek yoghurt x2, 4 pints skimmed milk ,12 quilted loo rolls, , non bio laundry capsules, 1 loaf seedy bread, granola, crumpets, pittas, frozen chips. 2 pouches of quinoa with brown rice.
Other weeks it’s up to £100 if buying toiletries and wine and dog food.

Aldi cornflakes are 75p for 500g. I've eaten them, they are tasteless. Marks and Spencer cornflakes are 75p for 500g. They are delicious light and crisp like Kellogg's. I have yet to see a convincing argument for me shopping on Aldi.

Cornflakes are shit food!

I occasionally go into Aldi for odd bits but don't really think it gives me any real savings over Asda/Tesco, just less choice. A lot is smaller size so arguably not cheaper per 100g. I'm also a sucker for some of their cheaper sweets/biscuits offsetting any other savings!

I will vary my shopping based on offers so I'm not on a set menu each week.

A couple of items I do but regularly are marked in Tesco as Aldi price matched anyway.

What I love about Aldi apart from the products and price is how quickly I can shop and the fantastic service . They are so good at managing checkout opening and closing. Staff have autonomy over that and it works so well. Plus they are so speedy.

Yeah I went today and the guy in front was letting his toddlers unload the shopping... with an over flowing trolley
Staff looked over, and immediately opened another till. I had finished work, driven there, done my shop and was home and unpacked in an hour

@cremebrulait Now run along and enjoy your LIDL dinner. 😂

Absolutely pathetic comment. I’m cringing for you.

Don't like it, don't shop there. True of anywhere else. Those of us that do shop there will be thankful it's less busy.

Well well "FlissyPaps" how thoughtful of you to offended at something not directed at you. How absolutely pathetic of you to be offended by snark aimed at someone who is pathetically upset with me for not liking LIDL. lol.

I mean really. Grow up.

I don't believe aldi and Lidl are vastly cheaper than the bigger supermarkets, regardless of what we're told. You have to shop around to get the most for your money.

Heron foods are absolutely amazing for frozen/ fridge items and their branded products actually are cheaper than the non branded in the 'budget' supermarkets. Farm foods is another good one for branded cakes / treats/ frozen bits.fruit and veg are pretty poor in lidl and aldi so for the sake of 20p here and there, Sainsbury's is far better - just buy what's on the nectar price offer and switch your meal planning to match. Whilst there, I'll pick up their cheapest pasta/ cans etc as they're the same price as lidl/ aldi. Meat is a tricky one as It's super expensive everywhere !

It's bloody time consuming but you really need to be rotating to get the best value.

I’m not the one telling people to “run along” and enjoy their Lidl dinner. Your posts are fucking embarrassing I’m cringing even more 😂😂😂

I bought some truffle brie in Lidl the week before last. I think it was my favourite cheese ever! I can't stop thinking about it!

Please, please bring it back....