Ocado tips, tricks subs, M&S shortbread giveaways and defectors..

[Garyunicorn]

Carrying on from the old Ocado thread. www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/a4045676-Ocado-tips-hacks-Toblerone-and-Christmas?msgid=102560793#102560793

I have been contributing, just changed my name to prevent being outed over something!

Has anyone else done a meal box scheme?

@IdesMarchof

Has anyone else done a meal box scheme?

I used to do Riverford. I liked it. I enjoyed not having to think about what to cook and some of the recipes became staples.

Ooh I’ve had the voucher. £5 off £25. Got mildly excited for a moment then realised there are no Percy pig hand towels. Meh.

A long time ago (certainly in 2013 according to a quick search through my archived emails), Ocado used to sell Gousto meal boxes. I found it a useful way of trying out new seasonings etc without having to pay ££ for whole jars that never gt used again. The recipes were quick to cook too.

I somehow stumbled upon MOB Kitchen's website over the summer; it's worth a look if you fancy trying something new.

Lurpak back in again, but cats' favourite brand of cat food sold out in all but the most expensive smaller quantities. I buy in bulk so scoured the internet and found Pets at Home had it.

Still real real issues getting a delivery slot, despite being a pass holder and spending a fortune with them.

Really unhappy- won't be wasting money on another smart pass.

My Mum is bereft. They have stopped doing M&S apple turnovers..I offered to get her cream horns but she wasn’t interested!

Used the £5 voucher to buy a £5 M&S frying pan 😂

Cats food also sold out - never happened before! Didn’t realise how different the sub was, I doubt she’ll touch it.

Stuff that I was looking forward to with the M&S switch that has disappointed me:

• getting M&S pittas. Don't sell them at all at the moment on Ocado.
• those bags of individually wrapped salmon fillets - no longer skinless.
• lamb & rosemary sausages - loved them - not stocked.
• Eton mess desserts (in big plastic pots) - not stocked. (Probably for the best for my eating habits....)
• ginger sponge puddings - no longer stocked (think this might have been the case in store as well though)
• herbs - used to be nicely bunched with rubber bands. Last packet of coriander it was just chucked all in the packet. I like it when the stalks are all lined up so I can easily put the remainder into water.
• aforementioned bread life of 2 days every single week.

All fairly minor but all were small reasons I might have chosen to shop at M&S over anywhere else. I really miss Waitrose at the moment.

Really irritated that they stopped stocking the best ever M&S quiche Lorraine. It’s so frustrating the way they keep tinkering with the range!

Anyone else starting to drown in carrier bags again?

@IdesMarchof

Really irritated that they stopped stocking the best ever M&S quiche Lorraine. It’s so frustrating the way they keep tinkering with the range!

That may be a seasonal thing. Waitrose also did something similar. I loved their half jerk chicken but you could only get it in the summer months. Sadly they stopped doing it at all last year.

@PowerslidePanda

Anyone else starting to drown in carrier bags again?

I've been samosa-ing away. Occupies a few bored minutes and does take less storage room. I'm keeping mine for the charity shops.

But were you aware that this time round we are being charged for them, whereas 1st lockdown we weren't. So slightly fed up with the 1 item per bag packing!

Samosa-ing?

@Words

Samosa-ing?

Indeed

blog.ocado.com/how-ocado-works/save-space-make-bag-samosas/

I'm so inadequate in the domestic department!

I usually get 18 items stuffed into a bag and most of the bags are broken. So I’m drowning in bags that aren’t then useful for anything.

@PowerslidePanda

Anyone else starting to drown in carrier bags again?

Yes , it’s getting ridiculous

I folded 80 yesterday before I got fed up (hadn't seen the samosa technique though - it's better than mine!)

And yes - it grates that we're out-of-pocket for them all!

Last nights insomnia paid off - got a Waitrose slot for next week.

I am very disappointed with the range of ready made curry. I like to keep some in the freezer for ‘can’t be arsed’ days. There is bugger all.

For a vegetarian I should say. Plenty of meat.

They seem to have less vegetarian and vegan foods in general now. There were lots more M&S Plant Kitchen products available when M&S first came on board and they've reduced over time.

M&S hate vegetarians, that’s what I’ve decided anyway.
This is based on me once buying a potato gratin that I noticed, once I had got it home, had totally unnecessary chicken stock.

@StanfordPines

M&S hate vegetarians, that’s what I’ve decided anyway. This is based on me once buying a potato gratin that I noticed, once I had got it home, had totally unnecessary chicken stock.

I've thought the same @StanfordPines - I used to get Waitrose Minestrone Soup. M& S version = Minestrone and bacon

I am not a vegetarian so for us is fine, but I did comment to dh that they've automatically cut alot of their consumers out by doing that

But were you aware that this time round we are being charged for them, whereas 1st lockdown we weren't. So slightly fed up with the 1 item per bag packing!

Well I thought I was paying for them last time, it was someone on one of these threads who pointed out that wasn't - doh. Are they planning to refund when we can send a sackload back?

But yes, the packing has always been my biggest issue with Ocado - not just the nonsensical one bag per item but at the other end, eggs broken under a bottle of bleach, delicate times crushed under 4 pack of tins, cleaning fluid leaking in the same bag as foodstuffs with paper/card packaging just in the last few months.