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AIBU?

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Original poster

what the hell is going on with tesco pasta?

35 replies

wigparty · 08/07/2008 11:49

Two years ago, a pack of wholewheat pasta cost 33p at tesco.

Last week it cost 78p.

Yesterday, it cost £1.24 for 1 bag of pasta.

They also have an organic wholewheat pasta (both are tesco own brand btw) and a bag of this costs 89p.

What is going on? We bought the organic stuff as it is now cheaper but how can the cost of one bag of pasta go up so much? Do you think it was a mistake?

OP posts:
piratecat · 08/07/2008 11:52

thats a weird price, that the normal is more exoensive than the organic.

makes you wonder, and it makes me feel like we are being robbed left rought and centre,

In the shop the other day, I saw that a packet of mr kiplins cakes were nearly 2 quid, whereas they used to be about 1.30.

it's crazy/a ripoff / and not structered.

tealady · 08/07/2008 11:53

In a few weeks it will go down in price but still be higher than 78p. Then they will clain it as a lower price. You watch - I have seen them do this before!

tealady · 08/07/2008 11:54

oops - claim

girlandboy · 08/07/2008 11:55

Bought the value range of pasta last week. Think it was 19p. No-one noticed any difference when they ate it!!

MaryAnnSingleton · 08/07/2008 11:56

I heard somewhere that all pasta was going up in price - either reccession or pasta shortage !

zippitippitoes · 08/07/2008 11:57

prices in supermarkets are not related to the cost of the product they are schemes

you should always compare as often a bigger pack does not work out cheaper than two small ones

and on the other hand bizarrely in fact i have even seen packs of chicken where the big pack is cheaper than the identical smaller pack ie 4 quid and the smaller one 5.60 and it wasnt a mistake!

MaryAnnSingleton · 08/07/2008 11:57

look here

Divastrop · 08/07/2008 11:59

there was a thing on tv last week about this and it has something to do with the rising cost of wheat combined with the rise in fuel prices.i do,however,think tesco and asda are taking the piss with their prices and hoping nobody will notice.asda have been putting up prices big time,for example their washing powder tabs went from £2.75 to £3.48 in a week.well i noticed,and have done most of my shopping in aldi and lidl this week.

kiddiz · 08/07/2008 12:01

I noticed the same thing in Aldi where I have always paid about 50p for a bag of pasta. It's gone up a lot lately

Original poster
wigparty · 08/07/2008 12:02

Thanks for that MAS but it's still odd that the organic stuff cheaper? Tealady, I shall watch it carefully and see if that's what they do - that's really shocking!

I'd get the value stuff but I can't eat white pasta as it gives me very bad trapped wind .

Everything is getting SO expensive and radio has just publicised threat of a recession. Things are pretty scary at the moment.

OP posts:
onceinalifetime · 08/07/2008 12:04

As Divastrop says, massive wheat price increases combined with shortages and fuel prices. I work for an investment bank and we're monitoring all the commodity prices much more closely than previously as they're having such an effect on other things like food distribution, etc. Practically all raw materials have gone up drastically.

Waitrose had major supply problems recently and had no pasta on their shelves at all for quite a while.

I think keeping the organic ranges cheap is just a PR stunt.

There was an article in the paper over the weekend about how M&S Food is doing so badly but Aldi and Lidl are booming and looking for more sites.

kiddiz · 08/07/2008 12:04

Divastrop I too am buying more and more in Aldi. Despite what I said about their pasta prices they don't seem to have put things up at quite such an alarming rate. Their non bio washing liquid is quite a bit cheaper than Asda and every bit as good.

Original poster
wigparty · 08/07/2008 12:06

We've just had an Aldi open up near us and we'll definitely check it out for the next shop.

I really do think Tesco are taking the piss. Despite the fact costs are rising, I think they're using it to their advantage.

OP posts:
girlandboy · 08/07/2008 12:15

Will it work out cheaper do you think if I have to drive further to get to any Aldi, than it does to get to my Tesco. Aldi is twice as far away.
Also, can you do a complete weekly shop at Aldi?

Original poster
wigparty · 08/07/2008 12:17

That's what I'm wondering. Do Aldi do wholewheat pasta? We eat quite a lot of pasta and I just can't eat white pasta unless I want to be doubled up in pain for the rest of the evening!

I've heard Aldi is good for fruit and veg.

OP posts:
kiddiz · 08/07/2008 12:18

Girlandboy. To answer your question I don't buy everything from Aldi...some of what they sell is not what I would choose and their range is more limited. Luckily my local Tesco is across the road so no travel problems. I would say, given the cost of fuel, it may not be worth it for you.

girlandboy · 08/07/2008 12:19

Thanks. I think that I will pay a visit to Aldi if I happen to be out that way.

FluffyMummy123 · 08/07/2008 12:20

Message withdrawn

kiddiz · 08/07/2008 12:22

They are good for fruit and veg although, in my experience, particularly with soft fruits this time of year, Aldi/lidl stuff doesn't keep as well.
I got some strawberries from Aldi last Friday and by Sunday morning they were inedible and going mouldy. The local ones I got in Tesco kept much better but were 30p dearer.

Cryptoprocta · 08/07/2008 13:07

It depends on your Lidl or Aldi really. We have a Lidl very close, and it's great for basics. I visited an Aldi a bit further away, expecting to be bowled over with choice, but it was rubbish.

It wasn't that cheap, and it was full or the sort of job lot rubbish that they advertise - clothes, electronic goods, etc. I couldn't find a packet of yeast or a bottle of ketchup!

I visited another Aldi in a more upmarket area on Saturday, and found it to be a lot better on dry goods, but the fruit and veg wasn't that impressive. So it really depends on your local store, the time or day, etc.

On another note, I found that at Tesco 2 x 250g Lurpak is cheaper than the 500g tub. A while ago 80 Twinnings Tea Bags were a pound cheaper than 80 Tetley, which was fantastic! But it seems to have gone back up now, boo!

MaryAnnSingleton · 08/07/2008 13:33

I noticed that a tub of pasta salad with pesto was just over £3 in M&S - seems very expensive for something so ordinary

solo · 08/07/2008 13:37

Yes, I noticed this too...It was 60p for a fair sized bag about 2 months ago, and in the space of 2 weeks, it doubled. I thought it was a mistake too, but saw the same prices in Morrisons/Sainsbury and Asda. Used to be a failsafe and cheap emergency meal...now it's a luxury!

lilyloo · 08/07/2008 13:42

I found the pasta still reasonable at aldi and i have got lot's of fruit and salad from there and have found it all ok
This week i got 3 peppers , honeydew melon a bag of new potatoes and tub of grapes all for 69p.
two little gem lettuces for 45p
large bag of apples for £1.25 and 7 bananas for 79p.

solo · 08/07/2008 13:52

kiddiz, I bought lots of different soft fruits from Asda and they went mouldy within a few days even though they were in the fridge! The only fruit/veg I've bought from Aldi that I've been disappointed with was their apples and that was because they were tasteless.
Aldi luxury coleslaw is lovely. I often buy their jams and any luxuries like cookies or brioche(which is a rare treat tbh).
Lots of other things too, but bad memory
Their wine and alcohol in general is usually a lot cheaper too.

waffletrees · 08/07/2008 13:53

Yes pasta is going up in price but me thinks Tesco is taking the piss there. Next week it will be back to normal and Tesco will claim that there is 50% off pasta!