I might try Aldi

I had to look twice at the OP - but no, it was not written by Hyacinth Bucket!

I shop mostly in Asda because they have quite a good organic range & Aldi in UK only do a small amount.
I buy their part baked bread as they do brown, organic wines (no hangover!), low alcohol fizzy wines, cereal, organic eggs and I love to root around the middle aisles where the goodies are ?

Saw in the news recently Aldi opening another 20 stores or more this year - must be doing something right. Reading this post I think they must source a lot of their products locally. As I already mentioned we get mainly Scottish beef and also a lot of dairy products, butter, cheese, etc,are from local producers. I suspect Lidl's are the same. I like the sound of West Country butter with salt crystals but doubt we will get it up here!!

Well, Purpledaffodil judging by the comment above, some people do!

Reminds me of a comment made by the late Alan Coren, "I like Sainsburys, it keep the riff raff out of Waitrose" (or something like that)

Honestly Shizam do you really think that Aldi customers are something less than those in other stores?

I shop in Waitrose, Sainsburys, Morrison's and Lidl.

Of couse, I change my appearance for each, Hermes scarf and tweeds for Waitrose (plus pearls, natch), designer jeans and Joules sweatshirt for Sainsburys, jogger bottoms and fleece for Morrisons, and pyjamas, slippers and a cardi for Lidl.

Honestly, some people need to get..........m

Aldi convert here! Had to shop elsewhere before Christmas as car park queues for Aldi were daft. Really noticed the much bigger bill at Sainsbury’s. Love Aldi veg, meat and choice of cheeses. Had a box of their specially selected biscuits for cheese at Christmas and they were very good. Also West Country butter with salt crystals. Find the customers the same mix of people as anywhere, but who goes food shopping for the social interaction??

The Aldi near me is like something out of a communist regime. Dark, small, badly stocked. Customers are something else too.

Well, just finished dinner and realised that every single thing on the plate was from Lidl!

Steak, 36 day matured Hereford rib eye (absolutely gorgeous, tender and full of flavour)

Jacket potatoes

Butter used on potatoes

Black pepper, ditto.

Sweet baby leaf salad

Deluxe Piccolo vine cherry tomatoes (been in the fridge since before Christmas, fresh as a daisy, not even a shrivel or a wrinkle!)

Deluxe Caesar Salad dressing.

Delicious!

Don't like Aldi but love LIdl. We have Lidl next door to a Waitrose so the best of both worlds.

Milk, butter, cheese, hams, chicken, fruit and veg plus their lovely frozen chips all from Lidl.

Meat and fish plus free coffee and paper from Waitrose. Also use their loos.

Do any of you shop locally? I get meat from the local butcher, fish from the fishmonger, bread from the baker and cheeses and cream from a deli. I do this partly to support the High Street shops. We don't have a greengrocer any more but I get a veg box delivered. Our meat does not drip water when grilled unlike that from the supermarket. The fish has a totally different taste than when I buy it at Tesco. The problem, of course, is carrying it home.

We have a bit of a drive to Aldi, so only visit approximately fortnightly.

We enjoy shopping there (large store with much variety) with excellent meat, fish and some ready-made desserts.

However we have noticed that prices have soared over the past few years and many items are on almost par with the main stores, Tesco, Sainsbury's etc!

Don't have an Aldi here but there is a Lidl in walking distance. Fab food at good prices, can't fault it

Tonight we are having Lidl Hereford 36 day matured rib eye steak.

We have had Lidl steak most Saturday's for yonks! Only once have we had a slightly disappointing one.

I always buy mince from Lidl, clearly labelled with the fat content (20%, 10%, 5% etc) use it to make chilli, spag bol etc.

Also chicken breasts or thighs, depending on what I'm cooking (chicken parcels tomorrow)

Jaqui1 why are you "wary" of it?

The smoked salmon in Lidl is better and cheaper than any of the other supermarkets and not greasy. We buy to eat and keep in the freezer. I am a bit wary of buying meat but the fish is very good.

Well done SirChenjin - I have seen some speedy trolley packers at the tills who certainly don't hold up anything - mind you it is usually" a team of two" with the male directing operations and have it off to a fine art!!! The other scenario I find amusing at the checkout is when another checkout opening is announced and there is a race to get there. Most of the time you are as well to stay where you are as by the time the assistant comes your queue can move quite quickly especially in Aldi's. I make it a rule never to go into a supermarket and expect to come out in a hurry with exactly what I went in for!!

A new Aldi has opened close to me. Very happy as I love their products and the price. Watched the inside Aldi programmes on tv which was interesting especially watching people tasting the products and choosing the Aldi ones.

I’m afraid I do pack at the till but I don’t take up any more time - I have 3 large bags for life open across the trolley and fire the items in as they are scanned. I can do it so quickly I’m usually waiting for the checkout operator to catch up.

Crossed posts, jacq10

RillaofIngleside The low prices in Aldi and Lidl are fuelled by fewer tills being open. Packing bags takes time and slows down everyone's progress through the checkouts. When you have to stand and wait, have a look forwards and you will probably see someone playing Tetris with her goods while the assistant twiddles her thumbs waiting for her to pay.

When I go to these supermarkets that rely on people getting through fast rather than having a lot staff on the tills, I don't even try to pack at the checkout. I put the shopping anyhow back into the trolley, pay up, and take it all to the packing shelf to to arrange it in the bags. It doesn't take any longer for me and the people behind me are not champing at the bit.

I could probably fill the page with my thoughts on both Aldi and Lidl. The one thing they have done is bring down prices in the other big supermarkets especially fruit and veg. I used Lidl's a lot when living in Spain but prefer Aldi's here. I do my main shop there and use Morrison's for an occasional top-up. I also use Lidl's now and again. As for products my favourite bargain is their fresh butcher meat. A poster further up the thread complained about the quality of their steaks which, in our area of Scotland) is fantastic. I have compared them against our local butcher, M&S and they definitely come out top - they are labelled Aberdeen Angus and most of butcher products are produced in Scotland. The only problem I have is with the customers who will insist on packing their bags at the checkout instead of the shelf provided!! Have they not noticed the signs and also that the cash desks are not designed to hold multiple items that should be just going straight into the trolley? Even if I have a basket shop I put everything back in the basket and pack at the shelf.

Aldi regular shopper here. Good Gluten free items. I like it, find all I need there, nice staff, other shoppers seem more sociable. Only minus would be nice if had an express checkout and if there was a help desk. Also some favourite items have a habit of disappearing and may not come back. I only get two food items from Lidl but like to browse their specials.

We have tried Lidl and Aldi but find very few things there that we like and always drift back to Waitrose. I don't understand people preferring Lidl's fruit and veg; a new superstore has opened near us and every time we tried it much of the broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower were already yellow and mouldy in the store. The choice is limited and I found it frustrating.
My husband will buy Aldi's pale ale and chocolate and that's about it. The queue for the checkout alone puts us off. I found I was spending more than usual because of the top up shopping afterwards.

All of this supermarket choice is swings and roundabouts and it depends on principles and preferences. I have shopped in Aldi on several occasions but not regularly, and the reasons are twofold. Firstly, I have to travel to Aldi whereas Sainsbury's is much closer, but secondly I know something of the way Aldi treats its staff and that is seen in the pressure they are subjected to on the shop floor. I have known graduates work for Aldi and be burnt out after six months because the company takes its pound of flesh. I have also read economic reviews about Lidl and other cut-price supermarkets that talk of the strategies they use to undercut suppliers of fruit in poor countries. So, whilst we have the luxury of saving pounds by shopping in these places, other people in the supply chain may be working under terrible conditions and being exploited. I know the big UK supermarkets (and Aldi and Lidl are not) may also not be squeaky clean but I think they're better in their provision of work conditions and fairness to suppliers at source. Who says what will happen though after Brexit.

What is a professional Aldi shopper?

Neither is local to me, both have things I love. When I go near a Lidl, I stock up on their jam, which my husband really likes (and it's cheap and very fruity). I got 9 jars the other day! Love Lidl Milbona FF Greek yoghurt, also a bargain. I get quality German marzipan chocs before Christmas for OH. Their flowers are great value, roses keep for such a long time.

Aldi good for wines, and jars of pesto at 59p. Gluten free coconut macaroons. Lovely bread crumbed ham. Halloumi and other cheeses are great and a good price.

I get Felix cat food which neither stock, so still go to other shops too.

My daughter is an English teacher and she raves about Aldi. We both shop there frequently but not the one in our own city ( it’s a bit of a jumble sale inside) the Aldi in a market town nearby is superb, large spacious aisles, well stocked shelves and brilliant wines and spirits section. The organic prosecco is absolutely delicious. I always find though that many of the cashiers tend to throw the shopping over the scanners and expect you to pay before you’ve even had time to pack the bags at the other end. Some cashiers are patient however it rather depends on how busy the store is at the time. I am happy to use their cleaning products but I tend to use fresh veg and meat instead of many tinned varieties that fill the shelves.Frozen goods are Terrific value too. I do not buy pet food from Aldi though. On the whole you get far more in your trolley there for £100 than you would in Waitrose or Sainsbury’s. I do wish they’d have the in store bakery like Lidl though.