Reply With QuoteAnd you’d have your pick of twofers or some other significant discount code. Not any more.Originally Posted by xxnick1975
Pizza Express with the family used to be something to do almost on a whim, but not now. Prices there have at least doubled over the last few years
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And you’d have your pick of twofers or some other significant discount code. Not any more.
Yep always used Tesco points to get half price offers
Thanks for the recommendation for these. Bought a pack on Thursday and we've gone through them already LOL. Very tasty tomatoes ! I'm a huge fan of Aldi these days. Wish I'd switched to them years ago ... my dad still shops at Waitrose and his food bill is about a third higher than mine with no discernable improvements in quality ...
Talking of restaurant prices increasing, Italian food chain Prezzo have increased their pricing for relatively basic main dishes to a couple of pounds shy of £20, which is absolutely ridiculous seeing that it’s effectively just pasta with most likely a frozen pre-made sauce. Pizzas are slightly better but still not great value any more.
I occasionally receive discount vouchers by email but are only on awkward days.
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I have noticed olive oil seems to be a lot pricier than last year.
I think some of the wild fires we saw on the news last year has played a large part in that Ryan.
Seems my commodity olive oil seems to have increased as a percentage significantly more than my posh stuff. Perhaps it’s still coming.
Ocado price match Tesco.com, who price match with Asda, Aldi etc. in theory they’re all going to be the same, occasionally get a voucher back when the basket was higher, but it’s a few pence here & there.
When it’s all expensive & higher than before the matching doesn’t really bring anything to the table. Used to hate price matching when I worked as a buyer for a supermarket, total ball ache.
Yep came late to Aldi too. Always thought that the tatty looking presentation and low prices was a substitute for quality. But, couldn't be further from the truth.
The missus likes the warm glow that comes with a shinier supermarket, but I don't care as long as the quality is not sacrificed.
Does anyone have an opinion on the quality of meat and fish from Aldi/ Lidl compared to M&S/ Waitrose?
Thanks
Also groceries in the Uk are fairly reasonably priced and often times cheaper than many other comparable countries. I live in central London and my groceries are cheaper even than Tokyo with the weak Yen.
The quality is probably quite comparable, but IMHO all supermarket meat is generally of a pretty low quality (and welfare standard) when compared to a reputable butcher selling locally sourced genuinely free range, high welfare meat.
Agree with that. The best meat we buy comes from local farm shops. Very much depends where you live, unfortunately.
Shipping delays perhaps?
https://corleonefineitalian.com/prod...enco-olive-oil
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
It's down to climate change and the extremes of heat, drought in the Med regions, it's been so dry some trees are dying.
Oh and obviously input costs go up for olive farmers as they've do for any producer.
Last edited by Passenger; 20th May 2024 at 15:34.
Chicken from Waitrose always seem tastier to us.
I've just made a tasty chicken curry... all ingredients from Aldi. Never been disappointed with their meat products. I always shop there 😁
Depends if you consider welfare standards of chickens to be high on your list.
I only ever buy free range chicken from Aldi. I am not convinced their welfare standards in relation to red tractor stuff. Free range chicken at Aldi is a lot cheaper than Waitrose and I consider to be equal.
I will, and do buy higher welfare from Waitrose. While far from perfect, the welfare standards are better than other supermarkets, including Aldi.
I believe there has also been a virus/blight issue which has killed off a number of groves.
Re Aldi meat vs Waitrose/M&S, the latter have a wider range and in the case of M&S isn't actually much more expensive than Aldi for the Oakham chicken. Maybe a few quid per chicken but vastly better. Fruit is significantly better at Waitrose/M&S and you can use the Monday half price fruit and veg promo by Uber at Waitrose/M&S making it cheaper than Aldi!
Waitrose meat I've never really rated. For best quality stuff butchers and fishmongers are my choice.
I have heard that where Aldi really punches on the price/quality ratio is with some of its wines.
Aldi is absolutely fine on veg. M&S usually a cut above all of them but it could be due to smaller volumes allowing for better quality
Aldi's British lamb is fine when they have some but often from NZ, which we never buy out of principle. My experience with their beef was not an overwhelming success, mostly lacking flavour.
Tesco's Finest is usually fine for sirloin/ribeye/rump steak, tastier (better matured?) than Waitrose.
We hardly buy whole chickens nowadays, it's always a guinea fowl from Ocado/Waitrose: much tastier. But we do buy chicken thighs (with or without bones) for currys, BBQ (marinated or rubbed), and such like.
Tesco's Finest Pork roast is usually excellent. We just tried M&S' "Tomapork" (pork tomahawk) and it was superb.
We have a village butcher but unfortunately he is nowhere near the standards of the above
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Always a shame when a local butcher is just not quality enough, I know supermarkets got a bad rep for killing off butchers, but there were a large number of butchers too that just offered poor quality meats, many just buying from a wholesaler, no love for the quality etc.
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Yup that to.
Not sure about that. When I left UK in 2019/20 average weekly shop headed toward 100 pounds. Now in Portugal spend maybe 50€ a week. Maybe something to do with decent wine costing 2,50€ a bottle. Though we don’t drink loads. What I do like is fresh produce is mostly local or from nearby countries.
Tend not to buy ready meals though.
“ Ford... you're turning into a penguin. Stop it.” HHGTTG
Are you comparing branded products from Tesco to ASDA own brand? What is that supposed to demonstrate? If you did a like for like comparison, you'd probably find that overall costs were broadly similar.
Did you mean 'Tesco Local' rather than 'local Tesco'?
Last edited by hogthrob; 21st May 2024 at 02:41.
No.
and
No.
Our experience in Spain with shopping cf UK reflects yours albeit we left Blighty in 2011. Perhaps our respective countries of residence are not the comparable countries kp had in mind??
Last edited by Passenger; 21st May 2024 at 06:37.
Well done.
The only way things will change is when customers make the choice to change their spending habits and buy higher welfare meat. Otherwise it is a race to the bottom in terms of animal welfare.
Chicken should not be seen as a cheap meat, but so often is these days. Same applies to other meat too.
What I find really frustrating is that higher welfare standards have now so often become a supermarket ruse to charge customers more with clever branding and labelling, but the welfare standards of the actual meat being sold remains rather poor. It is positive that things are (in some areas) improving, but there is a very long way to go and it will only ever change when people start buying higher welfare meat - ideally from a local source. Obviously that chnage isn't made any easier by the current high cost of food generally.
thanks to all for your responses.
There is a local butchers in Ruislip, so may try them, but its not a farm shop
Last edited by samswatch; 21st May 2024 at 11:47.
Welfare standards of all animals should be high on our list. It is on mine having kept ex batt chickens for a while and seeing them turn from weak, half bald creatures into fully grown feathered birds. I would never buy eggs or chicken unless it's free range.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
We used to eat out every weekend, my 6yo loves Chinese food, but I'd say it's once a month now at the most. The cost is just ridiculous.
I make pizza every weekend so that feels like a take-away, and the cost of that is still reasonable. I'll soon be in profit after the outlay of the oven and dough mixer!
I had to nip to the local hot food deli yesterday as I had forgotten my lunch, and 4x small chicken gougons and portion of potato wedges was almost £8!! I nearly died!
Another vote for Aldi here. Their steak and wines are (if chosen well) exceptional for the price.
Lunch is becoming a bit of a joke.
The independent sandwich shops and roach coaches dotted about central London are charging £8, 9, 10 for their lunch options.
If you don't want to spend that it's a sloppy Tesco meal deal, which is cheap but a bit dull
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£14 for a bloody Pastrami ciabatta near my office in Barbican today.
You could always make some sandwiches and add an apple or orange and take that for lunch. Probably a lot cheaper, and you get to choose what to eat. Or, if you can't be arsed, pay a tenner.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
£5.95 for a delicious coronation chicken sandwich on artisan baguette in 'Paul' bakery in the City (of London) today.
Paul is a step up from Pret, so not too shabby.
The crisps and drink did take it over £9 though.
Jesus wept. Wheres that exactly. So I avoid it!
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They’ll only charge it if people pay it. More fool you Ryan.
Lots of people charge it and lots of people pay it - that's why it perpetuates.
As for suggesting a home made sandwich and a flask of tea - PMSL!
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
It's an Italian deli located where I've put the red circle at the end of Gresham Street
Here you go Ryan. A lunchtime stroll for you. No sacrificing quality, and nowhere near £14 for a lunchtime sanger! Unless you hit a couple of tarts from the patisserie for pud.It's an Italian deli located where I've put the red circle at the end of Gresham Street
Last edited by noTAGlove; 22nd May 2024 at 22:08.
I took sandwiches for lunch for years. Good wholesome food and any filling I wanted. Obviously a bit of a quaint idea in some quarters, where being seen with a Sub and a Costa perhaps is de rigour.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
You should walk to Whitecross Street food market or buy a Waitrose's GLO or Pollen & Grace £5 meal deal.
Hear, hear...Ryan/ anyone could easily save himself/ themselves 50 quid a week so around 200 pounds a month, making his/ their own sarnies...2500 gbp p.a. cost of living crisis what cost of living crisis! Pretty sure that's more than the NIC reduction tax cut...
So many people need to be ‘seen’ - drinking a cup of Starbucks/costa while walking to the office.
They think it makes them appear busy and important - so have to drink on the move.
As mentioned - a bought lunch can be a bit expensive when regular.
£4.65 for a lunch at last client’s offices in Aberdeen. Good nosebag too!
I remember when in my last job I worked out of the Milan office what you could get for 10 Euros was worlds apart from what you get in London. The Italians also had their lunch subsidised to the tune of 8 euros a day so it cost them about £1.50 net for a proper meal.
I popped into our local Coop yesterday and was amazed at just how empty the fruit and veg section was - at least three quarters of the shelves were empty. And not for the first time.
I'm seeing similar in Tesco and other supermarkets too.
So clever my foot fell off.
That's odd, because I was in Tesco's in Baldock this morning and all the fruit and veg shelves were full. Was it early evening before the shelves were re-stocked perhaps?
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
That's a fact. It's been going on so long it is part of their uniform now.
Cheers,
Neil.
During the week many restaurants, cafes here offer a 3 course meal, sometimes a choice of starter, main, desert, may/may not include a drink, wine, beer or soft for around 12 to 14 euros. Eat like that 5 days a week if you're not labouring in some sense, I'd be a blimp....we usually go out for one most weeks now, more frequently in the early days...then skip tea/ dinner or just make do with a sarnie, leftovers. Last weekend there was a book sale and a couple of other stalls in the square by the church, mrs P was on the stand, there was also a giant paella, 5 euros for a generous plate with a hunk of good bread...visitor numbers were low, so the diners were invited to another helping on the house, bless her she brought me another whole portion home, lovely bit of bread!
As an eating enthusiast I feel lucky to live here.
Obvs we're in the boonies here not Madrid in fairness.
Last edited by Passenger; 23rd May 2024 at 13:44.
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