Lidl. Advice For A Newcomer.
Discussion
Morning all. A bit like the Aldi thread - looking for advice from those in the know.
I've recently discovered that a Lidl has opened in the town where we do our food shopping. Previously there was only a Waitrose.
We've been in to have a look around. Plenty of unfamiliar brands at low prices, so difficult to make any real comparison. Lots of tools, and other useful stuff, which seems to be available "while stocks last". I've had a look at their website too, which lists weekly offers.
So, looking for guidance really. Any good wines, for example? Are there any useful tools etc, which come up regularly, and are worth looking out for?
Cheers.
I've recently discovered that a Lidl has opened in the town where we do our food shopping. Previously there was only a Waitrose.
We've been in to have a look around. Plenty of unfamiliar brands at low prices, so difficult to make any real comparison. Lots of tools, and other useful stuff, which seems to be available "while stocks last". I've had a look at their website too, which lists weekly offers.
So, looking for guidance really. Any good wines, for example? Are there any useful tools etc, which come up regularly, and are worth looking out for?
Cheers.
As ever really, with the value / low priced stuff the quality is reflected in the price. What's good is stuff like a big jar of olives is the same price as a small one is Tesco's or wherever.
Things like wine seem to be on a fairly regular rotation so you just have to take you chances really. I've found that most wines £6 and over are usually pretty reasonable for day to day drinking.
Things like wine seem to be on a fairly regular rotation so you just have to take you chances really. I've found that most wines £6 and over are usually pretty reasonable for day to day drinking.
the LTO's they do can be quite good, eg french week, Italian week etc, can sometimes get food items that you otherwise wouldn't be able to get in a main supermarket, and of decent quality.
Things like flammekueche for example that i love, and the only other place i see it is waitrose in the unearthed range but find the base a bit thick in that one.
Things like flammekueche for example that i love, and the only other place i see it is waitrose in the unearthed range but find the base a bit thick in that one.
I’ll keep an eye on the website.A Lidl has just opened in our town, and I think it is an awful shop. Everyone says how amazingly cheap Lidl is, but I've yet to find anything in there that is significantly cheaper than Tesco. They insist that you take your trolley back to the store front door (no trolley points in the car park). They let kids have little trolleys to run around with which is a total pain. The checkout queues take forever. The whole store is randomly organised - deck chairs next to crisps and so on. They don't stock zero fat Greek yogurt (Mrs BF), or chocolate ice cream (me) so you have to go to Tesco anyway. The aisles seem really narrow. There's no markings in the car park for some reason.
TLDR: Lidl is rubbish - go to Tesco instead.
TLDR: Lidl is rubbish - go to Tesco instead.
Fresh meat, fruit and vegetables, and bread cooked in-store at Lidl are no different to Tesco quality and far cheaper.
Wine from their 'Wine Cave' selection (the angled baskets) which changes regularly is all quite drinkable. The run of the mill normal stuff (on the normal shelves) less so. They have a reasonable selection of beer, including their own brand which is fine.
Cleaning stuff such as dishwasher tablets work perfectly and are a fraction of the price branded ones elsewhere.
Some things such as the ready-meal ranges are quite poor (both in quality and range), but then I think even M&S ones are pretty rubbish and only Waitrose ones are edible.
Their 'Deluxe' products tend to be quite good, for example their frozen chunky oven chips beat anything I have found elsewhere (including Waitrose), and their frozen Deluxe meat pies they get in at Christmas and at other odd times are very good value.
Their Spanish/Italian/Greek/etc weekly food offers can be a little bit hit and miss, but are worth a try.
I particularly like the JD Gross brand chocolate, especially the 81%, and at less than £1 a bar is a steal.
Wine from their 'Wine Cave' selection (the angled baskets) which changes regularly is all quite drinkable. The run of the mill normal stuff (on the normal shelves) less so. They have a reasonable selection of beer, including their own brand which is fine.
Cleaning stuff such as dishwasher tablets work perfectly and are a fraction of the price branded ones elsewhere.
Some things such as the ready-meal ranges are quite poor (both in quality and range), but then I think even M&S ones are pretty rubbish and only Waitrose ones are edible.
Their 'Deluxe' products tend to be quite good, for example their frozen chunky oven chips beat anything I have found elsewhere (including Waitrose), and their frozen Deluxe meat pies they get in at Christmas and at other odd times are very good value.
Their Spanish/Italian/Greek/etc weekly food offers can be a little bit hit and miss, but are worth a try.
I particularly like the JD Gross brand chocolate, especially the 81%, and at less than £1 a bar is a steal.
TIGA84 said:
Pack your shopping back into the trolley at the till - then pack into bags on the shelves at the back of the store.
Don't pack at the till unless its basket or only a few items.
The new Lidl stores have 'real' checkouts and not a small teardrop area by the till, so although you could put the shopping into the trolley and repack at the shelf, I have never in the three or four years the store has been open ever seen anyone do that.Don't pack at the till unless its basket or only a few items.
I think the lidl bakery is outstanding and head and shoulders above even the artisan bakery near it in my town.
As for their own brand stuff, some of them I find as good as, if not better than the big brand equivalent (McCoys rip offs, Nutella rip off, Peanut butter, jam, Muller corner rip offs, salad cream, tuna, teabags, fever tree rip off etc.) and plenty of stuff not quite as nice but given the price you can put up with it.
All subjective obviously.
As for their own brand stuff, some of them I find as good as, if not better than the big brand equivalent (McCoys rip offs, Nutella rip off, Peanut butter, jam, Muller corner rip offs, salad cream, tuna, teabags, fever tree rip off etc.) and plenty of stuff not quite as nice but given the price you can put up with it.
All subjective obviously.
Lidl, like anywhere , is not all things to all men, but my overal impression, from what I've bought is excellent, and very often considerably cheaper than the big four. In the wines they do a good aussie shiraz at £5.99 and a cracking NZ sauvignon blanc at the same price. The meat I also find punches above it's weight, for its price. The dry hung angus steaks really are superb, the duck breasts likewise.
I used to use Sainsbury for my weekly buy , but no longer,Lidl has taken that ritual, Sainsbury's only gets the odd shop for specific brands I like.
I used to use Sainsbury for my weekly buy , but no longer,Lidl has taken that ritual, Sainsbury's only gets the odd shop for specific brands I like.
In my opinion the good stuff are:
- Meat: as good as anywhere else, but cheaper
- Wines
- Nuts: fantastic prices and very good quality. Really, the best place for nuts
- Beer: the selection is small, but prices are good
- Cheeses
- Most of the Deluxe products
- The Deli selection and the sausages
- Fruits
- Bakery
The not so-good stuff are
- Veg
- Fish, much better deals in Morrisons
- Spices, very poor selection
- Milk: the fridge is always empty in my local store!
All in all, I do a lot of my shopping there, and the value for money is probably among the best. I recently did a shop in Waitrose for a change, ended up spending twice as much for food which wasn't any better at all, so I'll stick with Lidl.
- Meat: as good as anywhere else, but cheaper
- Wines
- Nuts: fantastic prices and very good quality. Really, the best place for nuts
- Beer: the selection is small, but prices are good
- Cheeses
- Most of the Deluxe products
- The Deli selection and the sausages
- Fruits
- Bakery
The not so-good stuff are
- Veg
- Fish, much better deals in Morrisons
- Spices, very poor selection
- Milk: the fridge is always empty in my local store!
All in all, I do a lot of my shopping there, and the value for money is probably among the best. I recently did a shop in Waitrose for a change, ended up spending twice as much for food which wasn't any better at all, so I'll stick with Lidl.
Tony Angelino said:
I think the lidl bakery is outstanding and head and shoulders above even the artisan bakery near it in my town.
As for their own brand stuff, some of them I find as good as, if not better than the big brand equivalent (McCoys rip offs, Nutella rip off, Peanut butter, jam, Muller corner rip offs, salad cream, tuna, teabags, fever tree rip off etc.) and plenty of stuff not quite as nice but given the price you can put up with it.
All subjective obviously.
Avoid the maple syrup and pecan plaits at all costs, they're like crack cocaine only more addictive As for their own brand stuff, some of them I find as good as, if not better than the big brand equivalent (McCoys rip offs, Nutella rip off, Peanut butter, jam, Muller corner rip offs, salad cream, tuna, teabags, fever tree rip off etc.) and plenty of stuff not quite as nice but given the price you can put up with it.
All subjective obviously.
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