Supermarket Chat

[coconochanel]

My Asda has been ransacked of everything as well! No pasta or eggs didn't have any baby formula for a few days either so had to go to Sainsburys. I hate the panic buying

They need to start limiting people again I know some shops are.

 

[Routron]

Sorry for the random question but does anyone know if the M&S clothes stores are open if they have a food hall, or is just the food hall open inside the stores? I'm in desperate need of new bras but I don't want to voyage out only to discover I can't get them

My one has the clothing shop section open, not just the food area. But only the downstairs floor.

 

[Gym&Tonic]

I’m really lucky as within 10 minutes drive I have a Sainsbury’s, Morrison’s, Tesco, ASDA, M&S, two Aldi’s and two Lidl’s. The only thing we don’t have around here is a Waitrose! I mainly use a mixture of Sainsbury’s, Morrison’s and the two Aldi’s for convenience as they are the nearest. The Aldi’s often stock different things and one is slightly bigger than the other. ASDA is the one I’d say I use the least as it’s really rough (popular with the local druggies and drunks for some reason?) and a bit grimy inside, there was no social distancing the last time I went there and the staff are often quite rude there as well. Does the Co op count as we have a few of those as well, but they are usually quit expensive.

 

[Itsallaboutmememe]

I discovered those last year. VERY tasty

They are the ones!lol
i have to buy one box at a time cos I’d scoff as many as I bought
we found them by mistake (I picked up the wrong ones one day)
they are just the bees tits

 

[emm]

I go to Morrison’s only because it’s the closest to me. We don’t have any local butchers or fruit and veg shops but people still cry about Morrison’s on the local Facebook page and moan at us to shop local. I always feel like saying shop where!? I can’t get any essentials in a takeaway or barbers.

I love Morrisons, there isn't one where I live now (sadly) but I always found their fish counter good. In contrast, the nearest big supermarket to me with a fish counter now is Waitrose (which I go to occasionallly) and despite being vastly more expensive the fish counter fish is mostly frozen and thawed

I'm like the opposite of a lot of responses on this thread - love aldi and lidl. It's genuinely all the same stuff as other shops, just in different packaging and much cheaper. I actually like the experience of it, love the fact they scan items quickly. Whenever I go to sainsbury and have to go to a normal checkout I'm always surprised how long it takes when there's only one person in front of me in the queue. And if I buy the same stuff as I would in aldi its usually like a tenner, when it would cost me half that in aldi. Plus all the middle aisle stuff in lidl and aldi is class.

Went to waitrose the other day and they had some good offers on things i wanted so that was great, but the experience was awful- people walking about with zero spacial awareness and all the security starting at me like I'm stealing. I didn't even look dodgy what's that about?

exactly my experience of waitrose, the one near me is huge yet even staff aren't distancing. I have given up going and thinking of making a complaint as it was so stressful

 

[coconochanel]

How many of you get your meat from the butchers?

 

[coconochanel]

Yeah I get this, I find M&S and Waitrose quite relaxing! My closest Waitrose is so big but always so empty and it's just nice to walk around.

I find Sainsburys relaxing and couldnt put my finger on why until I realised they dont have any music or radio playing.

 

[TJ90]

I used to be an aldi snob and wouldn’t go but then our shopping bill got ridiculous so I started to go and I have to say I’m impressed. It’s not a pleasant shopping experience but is anywhere these days?
I’d say 80% of my weekly shop is Aldi and 20% Morrison’s. Every few months we normally go to Iceland and get stuff for the freezer, Holland’s pies, frozen veg (normally have fresh but great to always have frozen in) potato waffles, pizzas that kind of thing. Every so often we will have a treat from M&S or Booths but this isn’t regularly at all. There’s a big Tesco near me but I never shop there and I think all Asda stores are quite dingy. We don’t have Sainsbury’s and I went to Lidl once but never again.

 

[Sw4]

Aldi mainly, Sainsbury's/Tesco top ups to buy anything we can't buy from Aldi. Once every few months we will do a massive Tesco shop rather than Aldi.

We have a big Asda near us too but I literally hate it. I find fruit and veg is way worse quality than the other 3 supermarkets mentioned above, and any own brand Asda stuff tastes so cheap and sugary. Plus I find the supermarket itself looks really dirty compared to the others, might just be my branch in particular.

Oh and every once in a while eg Xmas we will treat ourselves to posh stuff from M&S or Waitrose

 

[SpiceWeasel]

Every so often we will have a treat from M&S or Booths but this isn’t regularly at all.

I love Booths I’m the same though only go in there for a treat or if I need some really niche ingredient as it’s pricey. I got a few special bits in for Christmas and it was all gorgeous.

 

[NP]

How much to do you all spend a week for how many adults/ children?

I currently spend over £100 every week for 2 adults. want to try and bring it down!

We spend around £100 a week on 2 adults, one preteen and one toddler. It used to be around £80 but what with being at home all year it’s gone up. If I try to spend less I end up doing a top-up shop midweek anyway!

 

[Barbie2020]

I’m an Asda gal. Love scan and go. I get in right old flap at the self checkouts so it’s nice to scan as I go along. Sometimes go to Aldi as well because you can’t beat them for price but we like some branded stuff that you can’t get from there.

 

[kev1974]

We are spoilt where I live, I have a mega Sainsburys, Tesco, Waitrose, Aldi and Iceland all within walking distance. And Asda are down the road in the next town. Loads of Co-ops in each of the the villages round about, and I think Morrisons are about 10 miles away.

No M&S anywhere near though, except two little petrol station ones on the bypass. My mother was horrified at there being no M&S. I think she goes to the massive M&S in Newcastle almost every day it's like an old people's centre for her.

But when I do occasionally go into a proper M&S (not the petrol station pretend M&S) it just looks to me like they are the world's biggest purveyor of ready meals and junk food treats really aren't they. They are upmarket Iceland, but in a fridge not a freezer. Yes I know they have a token counter or two of fresh veg and the odd set of shelves of tinned ingredients and toilet paper, but who goes there for any of that? It's all about infinite ways to make every treat going out of the Percy Pig theme and the ready meals in M&S.

I do like their bone-in chicken kiev from M&S though. They are a thing of wonder. We probably have that every couple of months and really look forward to it.

We also have a couple of "general" shops that are like a mini B&M selling all kinds of cheap tat but their food aisles are brilliant. One is called Thing-Me-Bobs and has branches in several of the local towns and the other one I can't remember the name of but it's in the former Woolworths shop in the next town. They are both brilliant for weird biscuits, crisps, and sweets from Europe, or odd "special edition" flavours that UK manufacturers have tried out but even Poundland and B&M didn't want. Love those shops, always come away with a giant carrier bag of wacky flavours and cheap junk when I go there.

 

[WilmaHun]

You do realise that M&S food is exactly the same as Aldi.. it's all the same, comes from the same place, just in different packaging.
I worked previously preparing food for M&S, Aldi, Morrisons and Asda. Meat, ready meals, the lot. All from the same place.

I've also worked for various supermarkets and can say it is all very much the same. I used to be such a snob too until I saw where it comes from and all that. Still a snob with certain things, like beans & ketchup it HAS to be Heinz. Any cheap beans or ketchup make me ill.

I will say Aldi and Asda are my go to because they're close and I can get everything I need. I won't shop at Morrisons after seeing the behind the scenes there, especially the cafe. Save yourselves and avoid Morrisons cafe. Won't say why but honestly I've never seen anything like it!

Now I feel like I NEED to know what goes on in Morrisons cafe....


Ps, I'm the opposite. Heinz beans make me want to puke! I can only eat cheap ones.

 

[ProphecyGirl]

I shop at ALDI mainly. I bought the Thai green curry kit and it was so nice, I've bought it a few times

I then bought the blue dragon one from ASDA and it just wasn't as nice!

 

[Web30]

Lidl for our mainshop, sometimes morrisons for extras. We are getting a heron soon which will be walking distance from home so will be using that aswell

 

[ChloChlo]

I usually go between Asda and Sainsburys for my main shop. I find Asda quite depressing and I've always put it down to the cold colours they use as opposed to Sainsburys warmer tones. As far as supermarket clothing goes I find Sainsburys are of superior quality.

I do midweek top ups as Co-Op as it is closest to me but it can work out very expensive.

On weeks I am shorter for money or for nappies I will opt for Aldi and maybe visiting the Iceland next door to pick up a few branded/frozen goods or take to Heron food in town to see what deals are on. I find Lidl lacks in variety past the baked goods section, so give it a miss. I avoid fruit/vegetables from these stores as they seem verging on the turn.

Morissons is my favourite. The food seems fresher and a larger variety. It often works out more expensive and is a little out of the way for me to get to. So it is a treat.

 

[LaurieLaurie]

This is the problem I also find with Aldi you cant get all of your shopping so you end up going to another shop which is not best during covid. So most of the time I end up shopping at Asda as I can get everything in one go.


I like Morrisons, for me Lidl is the shop I wont shop in I dont like it at all.

I don’t like Lidl or Aldi. I don’t think Morrison’s is any more expensive.

 

[CherryAcid]

I usually get Gousto delivery 2-3 weeks of the month and as im on my own that leaves me with plenty of leftovers. I might nip to Tesco for a few bits like fruit,snacks and drinks though I do prefer popping to the local butcher and fruit and green grocers.

 

[Itsallaboutmememe]

Aldi as my partner loves the place
then either Asda (for vape juice and a joint of beef) or Tesco (for their onion rings crisps and finest ginger and dark chocolate biscuits)
I might swing by Sainsbury’s (in non COVID days) to have a look at their home wear and pjs) on my way home from work
we go to the butcher about once every 6 weeks or so just to top up the freezer