Lidl - what's worth buying?

[jbg]

I'm tightening my belt and have decided to shop in Lidl which is close to home. I've already discovered Formil washing liquid (whites & colours) recommended by MN - its fine. Any other recommendations so i don't make any unnecessary buys.

i use the tabs, also excellent.

erm.

veg is great
pasta, not rice though for some reason
fruit juice and lunchbox juices
the bucket of greek yog is To Die For
cheeses, esp parmesan and bags of cheap mozzarella.
their philly is much nicer than normal, as is their own brand cottage cheese.
flour
eggs
fair trade stuff is good
coffee
chocolate

and fruit as well, obv.

Their olive oil is worth searching out, a very good price. Some of the Continental chocs are good too, marzipan etc.
Also their wine.

Personally I wouldn't buy the meat.

And don't forget to take a stash of carrier bags, otherwise you have to pay for them. I have handed them out to 'the needy' in the past, and felt my halo shining all day!

They sell proper chorizo sausages & lots of other continental meats too which is great for recipes

For 'naughty' stuff:

Their kids crisps (chipsticks/frazzles/cheese wheels/onion rings - a - like type) are great for late night munchies/snacks for when friends come round
Some of the pizzas are very nice
The desserts/ice creams/gateaux

oh yes, agree about the olive oil. actually i have found pretty much anything from that crazy greek range they do to be pretty delicious.

i used to buy the cold meats but tbh they're a bit salty and plasticky and not that competitively priced imo.

The Lidl olive oil was a best buy in Which?

Other good things:

Parmesan
Frozen chicken nuggets (random shapes, but made from real breast meat)
Tomaotes on the vine
free range whole chickens
mozarella
Basmati rice
Spaghetti all uovo (ie the good spaghetti with egg)
Cava
Mini fruit jucie cartons (the multi-juice/vitamin ones)
Red Leicester cheese
Dishwasher tables (I am really Scottish thrifty and half the tablets as we live in a soft water area, so a box lasts even longer )
Frozen tiger prawns
74% cocoa bars of chocolate (aka "healthy chocolate" in our house )
Jaffa cakes (better than the real thing)
Choco rice and cornflakes
Chopped tomatoes
Baked beans
Passata
Legs of lamb (frozen and fresh)

I now shop weekly in Lidl and once a fortnight in Sainsbury's (for luxuries like freshly squeezed Orange juice and darjeeling/earl grey tea) and have drastically cut my groceries bill while not compormosing on the quality of waht we eat

agree about cereals, forgot we buy them too.

You. Have. Got. To. Try. Chocco Softies

Heaven! It's the only thing I go in there for.
I could eat the whole box but they are the most sickliest things ever.
Think a coss between a choc tea cake and a Walnut Whip

I want a box now!

Their dishwasher tabs came top in a Which thingy.

Lovely continental chocolate

Apple toothpaste for fussy peppermint hating dds

choco-almond magnum type ice lollies - divine

proper vanilla icecream (in blue tubs)

individual apple juice cartons in packs of 5

diet lemonade for 8 pence a huge bottle and way nicer than others we've tried

I use them They're good.

Christmas stuff -chocolates, choc santas, cakes, stollen etc

Fruit&veg

Croissants

Aloe vera loo paper smells nice

frozen whole lobsters

Parmesan

Fruit juices

Gammon steaks

yy cereal, though do do price comparison as their raspberry crisp stuff is only about 5p cheaper than Tesco and not as nice

cheap ground coffee for work (£5/kg, bargain)

also (seasonally) the gingerbread house kit

Forgot to put baby wipes on my list

OOh glad I came across this they are opening a Lidl and a Sainsburys 2 minutes away.

Never shopped at Lidl, have Aldi so going to give them a try

Thanks

Thanks everyone for speedy and useful suggestions. Will pop in onl my way home from work and check em out.

Fruit and veg - the trays of dates are nice, tomatoes usually good.
Christmas stuff - stollen, panettone, lebkuchen are all lovely, and there's a gingerbread house kit in at the moment too
huge tubs of yoghurt
parmesan & mozarella cheese
salami, chorizo etc
frozen lobster
waffles, biscuits
piccalili (!)

Take a pound for the trolley and your own bags.

Parmesan - best I've had from a supermarket - 3.50 for a big wedge.

Lebkuchen - yummy german gingerbread.

Tomato puree in a tube is great and unbelievably cheap.

The 9 quid champagne is pretty good too. But steer clear of the prosecco with a screw-top, not dry or fizzy enough to be drinkable.

Small cans of borlotti beans are a very useful ingredient for soups and casseroles.

They have seasonal squash at the moment - very good roasted.

Agreed re: the coffee, it's cheap and good for work.

Breadmix makes excellent German-style bread. If only I had the time.....

ps Lidl beats Aldi on most things IMHO

oh yes agree about the bean can size, it's excellent. we are mad for borlottis here and they're so much cheaper. i find everything from that campolargo range good, the baked beans are much nicer than heinz. not quite so sweet, i think.

and canned toms. how oculd i forget those?

except aldi do that delicious mini brie with green peppercorns.... lush.

I get the pull up nappies which are fine for big-bottomed ds.

Their honey is yummy too and they have the best sweets ever!!!

My mum swears by their ham joints - much cheaper than buying ham for packed lunches etc. Their creme fraiche also yummy.