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!

On their Facebook page it says to start folding them in plastic bag samosas.
Looks like I’m going to be having a joyful weekend 😩

Gosh I wondered who it was snaffling all the yeast back in March and April. I've ended up buying and freezing 1/2kg catering blocks in 30g portions.

If you don't mind splurging on a few other bits, Scandikitchen have just received fresh supplies:
www.scandikitchen.co.uk/product-category/bread-grains-and-flour/flour-and-bread-mixes/

I'm fairly certain that they used to supply Ocado - they certainly imported the meatballs that I have multiple packs of in the freezer.

It was round about this time last year that I arranged a big Ocado shop, unaware that it would be my last for weeks!

The carrier bag email amused and delighted me. Just before reading it I’d had an Ocado delivery. I asked the driver about bags and he said they wouldn’t be taking them back until all drivers were vaccinated!

I noticed this week that they’ve stopped selling Kingsmill bread. That one is annoying as it is my children’s bread of choice and our local supermarket doesn’t sell it.

And no buttermilk. I know you can make your own etc but I never seem to get it quite right.

@Timbucktime

On their Facebook page it says to start folding them in plastic bag samosas. Looks like I’m going to be having a joyful weekend 😩

Once you get into it, it is very theraputic. I might set up a mental health clinic promoting samosa-ing. It keeps my teenager happy!

I won’t be folding bags into samosas - life is too short

No small pots of custard or rice pudding two weeks in a row, a staple for my Dad

Bizarrely one of the apples had a big slice out of it!

I've never found buttermilk on Ocado. I've put in a product request several times, to no effect.

Anybody else find that some basic M&S foods are never, ever in stock? What's the point of having them listed? Still, I suppose it's better to know at the point of placing the order, rather than have the stuff just not turn up or get substituted.

Ocado have started stocking the Like Meat range which I’m really excited about. Tesco used to sell this but stopped ages ago. Really good vegan/vegetarian range.

Do we tell the driver the actual amount of bags or the total amount they charged? I've been charged way more than i received weekly since they stopped taking it back. Two weeks ago 15 bags and i got only 8. Last week 14 bags and i got 7! It has been going on since before but it was only 1-2 bags less.

Are we excited that we can buy Charlotte Tilbury makeup on Ocado from tomorrow? Over-priced lipstick, just what I need at this time when I've had no occasion to wear makeup for a year!

I'm sure there is a market for that, but I don't think I am part of Ocado's market anymore. My problem is that my main faves from M&S are weekend type food - pizza, meal deals, desserts, percy pigs. Ocado/Waitrose was much better when it came to buying food for our whole week.

Charlotte Tilbury? FFS, I just want all the food products back that they’ve removed.

I've been charged way more than i received weekly since they stopped taking it back. Two weeks ago 15 bags and i got only 8. Last week 14 bags and i got 7! It has been going on since before but it was only 1-2 bags less.

It didn't even occur to me that they might be doing this

So along with checking the shopping when it arrives to make sure nothing is missing, checking the use by dates to make sure they haven't once again given me two things that both expire the same day they arrive, and also monitoring the offers to try to make sure they honour them, we have to count the bags too!

@VivaLeBeaver

Ocado have started stocking the Like Meat range which I’m really excited about. Tesco used to sell this but stopped ages ago. Really good vegan/vegetarian range.

Ooh. I don’t know that brand. I don’t often have ‘fake meat’ but I’ll look out for that.

Ooh. Look what I’ve just spotted.

That’s really odd StandfordPines. They actually had that custard for weeks and then stopped stocking it for a couple of months. Now it’s back but touted as “new”. It’s very nice!

my mum loves this custard (then complains about putting on weight - I imagine its about 500 calories per spoon).

@TheSparkleJar

I've been charged way more than i received weekly since they stopped taking it back. Two weeks ago 15 bags and i got only 8. Last week 14 bags and i got 7! It has been going on since before but it was only 1-2 bags less.

It didn't even occur to me that they might be doing this

So along with checking the shopping when it arrives to make sure nothing is missing, checking the use by dates to make sure they haven't once again given me two things that both expire the same day they arrive, and also monitoring the offers to try to make sure they honour them, we have to count the bags too!

Don’t count the actual bags, go through your receipts after they stopped taking them and add up the number you were charged for. They won’t be counting how many you return! My last bag refund was Dec 5th so they stopped around then.

I can’t sleep so thought I’d post about my shopping post Ocado!

I had enough last year. My Smart Pass was hiked to £9.99 a month while my Mum who lives down the road was paying £2.99 a month and getting far better slot availability than me despite being a lower spender. Our bill had shot up too since the M&S switch and we just couldn’t get a lot of the basics we use. Plus the shelf life of items being delivered was ridiculous. Having been a customer about 10 years enough was enough. When I cancelled I too was told I’d be unable to sign up for a smart pass again.

We’ve swapped to Sainsbury’s with the occasional click and collect for Waitrose. Have had no problem with Sainsbury’s at all. Minimal substitutions - only one last week which we kept as it was fine, only one the week before which we handed back without problem. Our food bill has noticeably dropped. Very glad we cancelled Ocado.

Suddenly getting a lot more dates to choose from this morning - looks like they're finally letting me have more than one a week.

Good tip @GiantKitten. Samosa-ing each individual bag takes way too long - i flatten out bags, put them in stacks of 9 then sort of fold the stack into quarters. I put the folded stack into a 10 bag and fold that around and fold the handles around the width so they are holding the rectangle in place. Doesn't look as pretty as samosas but quicker!

^a 10th bag, that should say

No complaints about the size of the cauliflower today!

Corkscrew for scale and wine opening.

Me too @PowerslidePanda - since yesterday I seem to be allowed a delivery every day if I want.

I'm probably just late in realising this but until yesterday I didn't realise that some (not sure if all) M&S products are more expensive on Ocado than in store? I just assumed they'd be the same price, but apparently not. Just 2 examples but pasta and rinse aid both 10% more on Ocado.

@IsThisNameTaken

Me too *@PowerslidePanda* - since yesterday I seem to be allowed a delivery every day if I want.

I'm probably just late in realising this but until yesterday I didn't realise that some (not sure if all) M&S products are more expensive on Ocado than in store? I just assumed they'd be the same price, but apparently not. Just 2 examples but pasta and rinse aid both 10% more on Ocado.

custard creams - 35 per packet in store; 50p on Ocado.

The higher pricing has been a feature since the start:

www.chargedretail.co.uk/2020/10/08/ocado-accused-of-ramping-up-prices-of-ms-goods-as-its-share-price-drops-10/