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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that there can't be that much difference between a Waitrose turkey and a Lidl turkey..?

123 replies

spanishwardrobe · 05/12/2024 19:53

I've put in my Christmas shopping order at Waitrose and picked a turkey, the cheapest one I could find on the site, which was £55!

I've since been to Lidl and seen a same sized turkey for about £17!

Can they really be that different? And if so how!?

Has anyone ever taste tested turkeys? Am I just paying for a brand?

OP posts:
DirtyBlonde · 05/12/2024 19:59

It's not size that matters....

What are the welfare standards of each bird?

GreenPaint1 · 05/12/2024 20:02

Welfare wise you'd hope but have no guarantees Waitrose turkeys have better x y z

Taste wise I've also wondered this about frozen turkeys.

(MIL always only has a fresh one from a posh farm that I said I'd order from. But year before last I missed the deadline and we had a frozen XL from sainsburys.....it was the farm shops best year yet apparently So we donctinued last year and this year I got one in Tesco)

Spagettifunctional · 05/12/2024 20:04

We have bought the fresh Aldi (Irish) turkeys for the last few years and they’ve been beautiful

Bearbookagainandagain · 05/12/2024 20:05

Welfare standards will differ massively, but also cheap poultry tends to have water injected in it to increase the weight (but whether it is the case for the Lidl turkeys specifically, I don't know).

LizzieSiddal · 05/12/2024 20:07

I bought an organic Lidl chicken, it was under £10 and thought it was a bargain compared to the usual £18 I pay at Waitrose.
Upon opening it, it looked absolutely awful compared to the waitrose one. The colour, smell, and just the look of the flesh was vastly different and there was absolutely no comparison in the taste/texture. I’m not sure why they are so different but they definitely are.

Havalona · 05/12/2024 20:10

I am not sure that many people actually love turkey anyway, it's just flippin tradition!

I get mine in Aldi and it has been absolutely fine since most just eat it for the occasion and prefer all the trimmings TBH. I make good stuffing and gravy and that helps. But apart from welfare issues I certainly wouldn't pay anything like 55 quid for a turkey. Nope. I suppose we might be different to others, but we don't like leftover bird, or the greasy underbelly or the legs either, oh and soup made from stock. So it's an awful waste. However, in the interests of non wastage, I do freeze the bits and the broken up carcass and my SIL will use it at a later date.

Havalona · 05/12/2024 20:12

And yes I know I could just get a crown, but we like the full bird in the middle of the table. Tradition!

TiredEyesToday · 05/12/2024 20:13

I think the only way to be sure about turkey welfare is buy direct from a small producer. I do one big shop at waitrose and one at sainsburys/asda each month and tbh increasingly I don’t see a diff between the quality of any products any more. Waitrose just has certain things I can’t get elsewhere.

Twothinkthat · 05/12/2024 20:26

In covid year I could t be arsed as it was just me and DH and got a frozen three bird roast from Aldi - it’s still the tastiest bird I’ve had in years (usually go M&S or the butchers and get a stuffed crown)

im going to do it this year as have left it late

Auburngal · 05/12/2024 20:37

It is also the way you prep and cook the turkey which does seriously contribute to the taste.

The worst thing people do is to put stuffing inside the turkey. It dries the meat out.

DM always uses a roasting bag and puts a lemon and an onion cut in half into the crown cavity. Then puts streaky bacon on the breast.

People who don't cover their turkey at all when cooking are going to get a dry meat bird.

Mearabade · 05/12/2024 20:42

My mum told me once thar she used to work in a factory that produced a food item

She said that the factory put the exact same food item into different boxes that were sent to different shops.

The shops were like waitrose,Tesco etc.

One of the boxes marked the product as

"Finest extra quality" and priced it much higher than the other shop.

I'd say that a lot of items in the different shops are exactly the same.

lightsandtunnels · 05/12/2024 20:47

I agree with the pps who talked about welfare and also local farms etc. and if this is important to you then you will have to pay extra. We always have turkey and have had fresh from several supermarkets, local butchers and frozen. Tbh we can never tell the difference and one has never been any better than the others that we've noticed. I'd say go with what you can afford rather than for a posh sounding one.

Acommonreader · 05/12/2024 20:49

Mearabade · 05/12/2024 20:42

My mum told me once thar she used to work in a factory that produced a food item

She said that the factory put the exact same food item into different boxes that were sent to different shops.

The shops were like waitrose,Tesco etc.

One of the boxes marked the product as

"Finest extra quality" and priced it much higher than the other shop.

I'd say that a lot of items in the different shops are exactly the same.

True for stuff like cereal or soap but definitely not for meat. I’ve worked in several supermarkets and Waitrose has the highest animal welfare standards by miles. Cheap meat will shrink and most probably had a shit life and death. Spend more money or choose a meat free alternative.

Auburngal · 05/12/2024 20:49

Mearabade · 05/12/2024 20:42

My mum told me once thar she used to work in a factory that produced a food item

She said that the factory put the exact same food item into different boxes that were sent to different shops.

The shops were like waitrose,Tesco etc.

One of the boxes marked the product as

"Finest extra quality" and priced it much higher than the other shop.

I'd say that a lot of items in the different shops are exactly the same.

Weetabix makes for most of the supermarkets. KP make Hula Hoops for other supermarkets. As there was a social media thing a few years back when people bought Aldi's Hula Hoops and found a few branded packs in the multipack.

GetItInYerBag · 05/12/2024 20:54

Personally I've never had anything from Lidl that tasted as it should, I avoid it like the plague. I also don't understand how meat can be so cheap unless it's been kept in truly awful conditions both before and after it's death. Just because it can be produced to be that cheap it doesn't mean it should.

Plmnki · 05/12/2024 20:57

Are you really so totally unaware of the difference in cost between raising a turkey with half decent welfare standards vs a high intensity factory were the birds suffer to create more profit? Are you really that ignorant?

Badgerandfox227 · 05/12/2024 20:57

We go to a local country butcher and buy a free range turkey from a named local farm. I know the bird will have had a good life and it’s not been processed or travelled far to get to the butchers.

AppleDumplings · 05/12/2024 20:57

There is a really good Netflix documentary on Waitrose. Their food is all the highest animal welfare possible from UK small farm suppliers. This filters down into things like their egg mayo is all RSPCA assured eggs and the same with their mayonnaise. Their milk, cream, custard, butter etc are all made from UK RSPCA assured farms. They are one of the last supermarkets to still have counter service for food such as fish and meat. I don't and have never shopped there because it is a faff for me to get to one but I absolutely will be shopping there from now on for the rare occasion we eat meat. I'm currently browsing their website for my Christmas shop. I don't doubt it will be pricier but I am fortunate that this year our Christmas is about having less but better quality.

GladAllOver · 05/12/2024 21:05

We had a Waitrose fresh turkey last year, and it was really excellent.
We've ordered another this year in our Christmas delivery from them. The only drawback is that the size bands are quite wide and you can't choose a size within that band. So you have to accept the size you get.

Reasonablereasons · 05/12/2024 21:07

Massively about the welfare of the bird so yes there is an enormous difference

Raindropskeepfallinonmyhead · 05/12/2024 21:08

Spagettifunctional · 05/12/2024 20:04

We have bought the fresh Aldi (Irish) turkeys for the last few years and they’ve been beautiful

I said that in my head to the voice of the Bernard Matthews advert🤣

Agree op, l can never tell the difference

Iceache · 05/12/2024 21:10

I don’t know about turkeys specifically but Waitrose food just tastes better in general (as does M&S food) whereas Aldi and Lidl package well but their food tastes awful. Their snacks are tasteless and their meat is poor quality. Even their Greek yogurt doesn’t taste as good, and don’t get me started on the fruit and veg.

Someone’s mum’s friend’s dog’s wife’s cousin always worked in the factory and saw the same products packaged for different shops… I don’t believe it for a second; they literally do not taste the same!

Gatecrashermum · 05/12/2024 21:11

I've heard more expensive supermarkets have a tighter band of quality. So your m&s steak will always be good - the lidl one might be great or shit.

Having said that I've always found aldi steak to be delicious and pretty tender.

Mum2jenny · 05/12/2024 21:13

If you have a good local butcher, their meat is generally superior. But I mean a good butcher!

Gogogo12345 · 05/12/2024 21:13

Plmnki · 05/12/2024 20:57

Are you really so totally unaware of the difference in cost between raising a turkey with half decent welfare standards vs a high intensity factory were the birds suffer to create more profit? Are you really that ignorant?

The OP was asking about the TASTE of the bird