Supermarket food that's much better that you expected: pls name.

We all know the supermarkets have a strong grip around the throats of suppliers but many of us don't live in areas that are rich in independant traders. Weekly markets are lovely in the sumer but not so great on a freezing cold wet and windy day. I need to keep a close eye on our food budget and I can do this easily thanks to the supermarket's website.

Ana when you think of the massive profits that Tesco take each year, they have a very, very small proportion of the recommendations on this thread. Same goes for Sainsbury, Asda and M&S.

I'm heartened by the huge enthusiasm shown for Lidl and Aldi. My one big surprise is that Waitrose (supposedly by far the most expensive) got so many mentions.

It seems to me perfectly clear what the purpose of this thread is. And it's had a big, fast, and let's hope continuing response.

Oh, I agree! It was just that the tone of your post regarding supermarkets generally had me wondering why you were looking for recommendations for any of them. My post wasn't a criticism - I've been very grateful for all the information and I'll be following up many of the suggestions.

To add a lighter tone to the last few posts, I went to northern Italy with my sister and brother in law a couple of years ago. Never again. He is a big Lidl fan and a bit mean to boot.

I have pictures taken from the back of the car of the car parks in several Lidl stores which I eventually refused to enter as every item was picked over, discussed and either put on a list for buying later or discarded as too expensive.

We never had a single Italian meal in a restaurant, we had bbq'd food almost every day from the food we had brought from Lidl in England and the car was so loaded with food and wine bought in...you guessed it....Lidl on the way home, there was hardly room for me!

I did manage to get an Italian ice cream one day from a proper shop but didn't visit a single museum or church as BiL could never find a free parking space in walking distance of town and we seemed to spend our whole time on roads looking for the next Lidl.

And to top it all I ended up being bitten by some nasty bug which gave me Denghi fever which you are supposed to get in North Africa NOT a Lidl car park.

Beat that for a Lidl story......

Brilliant post RINKY. I think you should write a magazine column, a blog or perhaps a comic novel about yr appalling BiL.

It's all the better for me because I love going to Italy. Warm, colourful, exciting, endless cultural vists, new flavours, new sounds. I just never tire of that country. Er... but your experience was so very different. He sounds utterly dreadful. And so selfish and self-absorbed! Absolutely like someone from a comic novel.

I look forward to hearing more. Please.

Tesco's Olive ciabatta. Really good flavour with plenty of Olives.

RINKY; we all know someone like that don't we . Does he follow the set pattern when it comes to buying drinks in pubs as well [or are they not on his agenda, ever?].

The old git next door raves about lidl
His latest moan was that he'd had to sign for a parcel for me. He'd almost put it in the dustbin.
He was a bit embarrassed when I told him it was carpet shampoo so that his wife could borrow my Vax carpet cleaner to do their lounge carpet!

Touché jeni!

That's hilarious, Rinky! And Jeni, I love your 'old git' stories - more please!

What a nightmare RINKY it reminds me of the trip we made to Italy with one of my husband's colleagues. We took him to all our favourite places only to find that he didn't eat pasta or rice - or anything really except steak & chips. You should have seen the waitress' face when we had to ask for tortellini in brodo with no tortellini! Actually Lidl in Italy are really good and carry all sorts of local specialities, our friends in Verona always shop at their local one (and the market of course).

Aldi Prosecco is brilliant. Also "cupshots" tomato and herb instant soup in a mug.

just to say Morrisons chicken breast with wrapped with bacon and mozrrello cheese is very yummy!! only 5 weight watchers points and quite filling!!

Am I only one who likes Asda?/ I love the fish they bag up for you with choice of butters - easy peasy to pop in oven or microwave.

Also love looking round George!! we went to small Asda near us and that not so good no changing room!!

I used to be Tesco Florence and Fred clothes fan but lately it is just rubbish to my mind, whereas George seem to have an eye for copying fashion trends and some of it yes is rubbish but also some very good bits!!
sorry that is not all about the food!!

Remember when the in store cafes used to by great, now Tesco is dreadful and we went to largest sainsbury couple time recently cos OH had vouchers ws not impressed, the coffee was dreadful tasted like from a flask and the tables were so stained. Chicken was yummy but chips cold grrrrr they did replace them but somehow will not rush back there!! also find their products always pricier yet they say there not, too complicated for me!!

Just eaten half an Aldi "Specially Selected Luxury Fish Pie". Cook from frozen, 50 mins in fan oven. Described on box as "smoked haddock, haddock, salmon and prawns in a creamy white sauce, topped with mashed potato and Cheddar cheese". Which is exactly what it was.

Delicious with big chunks of fish. On side it says "No artificial colours, flavourings or preservatives". I'd recommend it, very like home-made.

Reminds me, had a bottle of Aldi sparkling wine the other day, Cremant du Jura £6.99, again excellent.

Though nobody's perfect. I bought both these, Parma Ham and also Bresaola.

https://aldi.co.uk/uk/html/product_range/product_range_17479.htm

Disappointing. The Parma Ham stringy and greasy. The Bresaola (traditional cured, spiced beef) looked unappetising and was pretty tasteless. The first disappointments I've had from Aldi (and no, I don't work there )

Thank you for the info about the Aldi venison steaks. Absolutely delicious and a great help, as despite the fact that our weekends resonate to the sound of gunshot, not much game reaches the shops here. We started on the Christmas stuff at Lidl yesterday, petits fours, sicilian lemon cheesecake and tiny savoury tarts all in the freezer.

I don't think that Lidl Sicilian Lemon Cheesecake would make it to my freezer! I might have to conduct "quality control tests" first! Sounds excellent, did you buy it frozen?

Lidl not very convenient for me, bit of a haul to get there. But I love the flavour of Sicilian Lemons, so if you give the thumbs up to the cheesecake......

I go to Lidl for the 'surprise' element, because I know my local Waitrose like the back of my hand (it's across the road so I treat it as a pantry) and ... it gets a bit samey. I've been enjoying the amusing Lidl stories - here's mine: we were at a social gathering and somehow the question of Lidl came up. Everyone joined in enthusiastically until a posh sounding woman haughtily said "Shudder, I'd never go in to Lidl" only for her teenage daughter to pipe up "You were in there just the other day!" to which posh woman responded "Certainly not knowingly!" 10 out of 10 for her come back capabilities, but we did all laugh! I don't have an Aldi near me, had no idea, somehow I thought it was a wholesaler, but am definitely going to investigate this Christmas. I bought a packet of Morrisons Maple Roasted Mixed Nuts with Chocolate Raisins yesterday (meant to go in the Christmas collection, they were so delicious - all gone!) I really like Morrisons quality, I avoid Tesco if I can, poor quality IMHO.

Grannyknot agree totally about Tesco, poor quality and expensive. Also the Tesco Extra near me really pongs when you walk in.

Sorry, meant to agree about Morrisons too. Since they took over my nearest supermarket from Safeway (who'd really let it go downhill) the transformation has been amazing. Their fresh fish and meat are both excellent.

Yes, the lemon cheesecake was frozen, it will be for Christmas Eve. We like Lidl because you can buy stuff that is not French. Our local one has a bakery too, where they sell hot baguettes, croissants etc.
My OH treated himself to a 99 euro electric guitar (Fenderstratathingy lookalike) for his birthday last week. He says it is to help the arthritis in his fingers.....

Sicilian Lemon Cheesecake sounds Yummm!

I made a casserole on Thursday using Lidl diced shoulder of venison. Delicious, and the chunks of meat weren't too small.

That's handy to know Phoenix. I've been looking for more cuts of venison, since trying the Aldi steaks. I can see a lovely slow cooked stew being made here by weekend.

Lidl had loin steaks, leg steaks and the shoulder, which was the cheapest and best value option and was perfect for the casserole I made.