I might try Aldi

I have tried both Aldi and Lidl and am not convinced by the quality of their fruit and veg. Also I am told that their meat is packaged in Britain but not necessarily produced and slaughtered here - that I find worrying.

I refuse to swap quality for a few pence less, so have gone back to Waitrose where I get money-off coupons and vouchers to spend in John Lewis and Waitrose.

I refuse to set foot in Aldi after my daughter bought some steaks for Father's Day. They looked lovely on the top of the pack but when we opened the pack up and got them out, they were smothered with a layer of fat on the bottom! By the time we'd cut the fat off, I ended up with one mouthful of steak! (And, of course, being a Sunday, the shop shuts at 4pm - it was too late to exchange them).

My husband is an avid shopper at Aldi - sometimes he brings some nice food back and I eat it but the fruit and veg go off within a day and the mushrooms always look bruised.

I'm very anti-Aldi!

Prefer Lidl to Aldi- we have both in our town - feel Lidl has a better range of food which is nicely laid out but don't like the jumbled up non food items

Goodness me - if I decided not to step foot into a supermarket because of one (or even a few) experiences I’d have nowhere to shop.

That’s odd your fruit and veg from Aldi go off after 24 hours - mine never do. Given the popularity of Aldi and Lidl right across Europe it would suggest that your experience is not widely shared. Maybe complain to head office?

No probs frankie just surprised it was reposted so soon.

A bit 'Curate's egg'. Good in parts. I find fruit disappointing, apples bruised. Potatoes black when you cut into them.
Good deli products.
meat good.
Butter better than Lurpack in my husbands opinion.
Tinned goods that we have tried tasted like 'Poor people's food'.

Despite living in a large town, until recently we had no Lidl or Aldi, then suddenly both decided to open a store across the road from each other and just down the road from Tesco.
The Lidl one was purpose built, the Aldi one, which still hasn't opened, has taken over a ToysRUs unit.
I've been loving Lidl, especially since ours changed it's hours so that it now opens at 7am. We go there most mornings after we've walked the dog round the local park so it's always pretty quiet.
Just love the sourdough bread, much nicer and also a lot cheaper than the Tesco one. I still go to Tesco to buy my free range chicken as the ones in Lidl look so tiny, apart from that been happy with most things. Not sure if I have saved any money as I have been buying lots of marzipan stuff for my mum

Binkibonk I can’t agree about Aldi flowers. They are excellent value, and last at least a week, and often longer.
I do a lot of my shopping in Aldi, and think that their goods are excellent quality and value. I also bought some toys for my GD which were really sturdy and very inexpensive.
The nearest Lidl store is rather far away from me. I have shopped there a few times, and was very happy with the quality and prices.
I mainly go to Sainsbury’s and Asda if I want clothes. I bought some lovely childrens’ clothes in the end of season sales at amazingly cheap prices.

We dont live in the UK and here there isnt Aldi but we do have Lidl which I enjoy, you dont get a shock at the check ut, its almost a pleasure to shop at Lidl, products are good and there is a great variety.In this Country we cant buy spirits etc in supermarkets, I only wish we could, but everything else is good.
Must try Aldi and Lidl next time we are in the UK.

My daughter prefers Aldi but I can shop daily and often get bargains from the reduced shelves at our local Tesco (Christmas Day dinner was reduced price Duck Breasts picked up at Tesco and popped in the freezer until the day!) so prefer to get our meat from Tesco. Fresh fruit/milk/bread/veg are all good from Aldi, though what we save on the grocery bill often goes on 'extras' that Aldi stocks in the non-food section that I didn't even realise we needed (but daughter thinks we do).

I Love aldi prices but not enough organic fruit and veg.

It depends.There are items for which I would choose Tesco and Morrisons , likewise Aldi and Lidl. Being retired I am not pushed for time so do not have to use which is most convenient.Staff attitude for me is important and find Tesco and Morrisons will personally take me to what I am looking for where as L and A will point or give the aisle number. Not leaving their shelf filling where as T&M will do this.

I like the meat and fish, it's good value, but I found I couldn't do a full shop there. I need Ariel and comfort pure as one of my girls has horrendous eczema and if I change the washing detergents etc she fares up bright red, cracked and itchy!
The fruit and veg don't keep very well either. I was finding berries, and salad was fluffy or slimy after three days or the broccoli had gone soft and yellowed.
The flowers are fantastic though.

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.

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.

What is a professional Aldi shopper?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Crossed posts, jacq10

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.

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.

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!!