Bargain Basement Food & Ethics

later12 · 12-12-2011 11:06PM #1

Poll coming

I was at a low cost supermarket chain this evening and had a look around.

Although low cost meat and vegetables are a Godsend for families in the recession, especially those with young children, it left me wondering about the average consumer, and what he or she thinks about low cost grocery items.

Specifically, I'd be interested in finding out whether or not you shop in these low budget stores (in Ireland mainly Lidl and Aldi), and whether your decision to shop there or not to shop there relates to the cost, the quality of the food itself, or perhaps you are concerned about the ethics.

By the latter, I mean concerns over how the staff involved in production and retail are treated, and or about how the food itself has been sourced.

An interesting article on Lidl from The Guardian, raising some ethical questions about their produce (although in the interest of balance, the article neglects to mention that other supermarkets may treat their staff just as badly).
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2007/mar/14/businesscomment.supermarkets

flyaway. · 12-12-2011 11:20PM

We shop in Lidls sometimes. We won't buy everything there but some of the stuff is okay. We'd probably shop there more often but it is not even remotely close to us.

saa · 12-12-2011 11:39PM

No - for financial reasons, I just have so much money what if someone saw me, I would just hope the ground would open up and swalley me howell.

I don't have an issue with the food, I buy less junk I'm more efficient. But some things taste different.

The problem is I wish I could go to every supermarket and pic and mix things I like :~)

Aldi-
red pesto
frozen meat/veg
whiskey
39/69 fruit and veg deals
wraps

Lidl
Sugar free muesli
green packet white chocolate with nuts and crispy bits
milk is lovely compared to tesco or supervalu/dunnes especially
bakery
grated mozzarella 1.49
brown pasta!
wedges

All things that are cheaper and are tasty shít,
lidl and aldi is always cheaper would defo spend 30-50% less there.

saa · 12-12-2011 11:42PM

I can't buy the ethical considerations as its an issue within all supermarkets and I need to buy food If I refuse to shop there I have Tesco which can't be better and its sad but there are no independent food stores where I live

AstridBean · 12-12-2011 11:42PM

When you're on a tight budget, ethics often need to go out the window sadly.

12-12-2011 11:51PM

Tesco is disgraceful when it comes to fresh meat and veg. I once bought a packet of mince there and the next day it was grey and when I opened it I retched with the stink from it.

Just look at some of the veg there too, it is almost always rotten.

Aldi has great meat and Veg, its way cheaper and its all from Ireland AFAIK.

Chuck Stone · 12-12-2011 11:52PM

So workers who are ill treated will move on and LIDL will have to find a new worker.

The weak become heroes and the stars align.

Mr Benevolent · 12-12-2011 11:55PM

Ethics, schmethics. Fook that. They're cheap and good.

Aldi's better than Lidl though.

/controversial

admiralofthefleet · 12-12-2011 11:56PM

Edz87 wrote: »

Tesco is disgraceful when it comes to fresh meat and veg. I once bought a packet of mince there and the next day it was grey and when I opened it I retched with the stink from it.

Just look at some of the veg there too, it is almost always rotten.

Aldi has great meat and Veg, its way cheaper and its all from Ireland AFAIK.

the Aldi beef angus steaks are the best of any supermarket

the groutch · 12-12-2011 11:56PM

I'm pretty open minded and have tried a good few different products in Lidl.
The museli as mentioned above is pretty decent, but there's been alot more misses than hits.
If I do shop there now it's mainly brand name stuff on offer, and non food items

Aoifey! · 12-12-2011 11:57PM

Tesco is closer, so I go there.

Sky King · 12-12-2011 11:58PM

I buy almost everything in Aldi. I think it is an extremely well run operation.

Why should I subsidise other outlets' inefficiencies?

saa · 13-12-2011 12:05AM

Yeah its pretty obvious Aldi and Lidl are cheaper, all the others lower certain products so while you're saving on one offer you're paying more on multiple items to make up for it.

Anywho I am trying to get better at being cost efficient going to Spar/Centra.. offers do help, basic foods eggs, milk.. spar apple raisin oat honey cluster cereal 1.89 one of my favourites, because what is with cereal being 5 euro a box and bread being 2.50 naw not having that.

Hate buying frozen food in convenience stores, but Spar coke is nice.
Sorry gone off the point but I think its relevant.

somefeen · 13-12-2011 12:11AM

Its always lidl for me
I dunno why anyone shops in Tesco to be honest unless they're looking for name brand stuff.
Tesco's two for one deals and all that are usually bull**** and the club card thing is the stupidest thing ever.
I went on a spending spree in Lidl once after I came into a bit of money. I went around the whole shop going "I want that, I'll have it" got to the till and it still only came to 15 quid. Do the same thing in Tesco and its gonna be ridiculous.
Like someone else said, I usually get a 30-50% saving in lidl and when they do have name brand stuff its usually cheaper.
Tesco's meat is ****; doesn't last long enough and neither does their veg.
Lidl is way more efficient to, no crappy music playing constantly, less people getting in your way.

the groutch · 13-12-2011 12:11AM

saa wrote: »

Hate buying frozen food in convenience stores, but Spar coke is nice.

from America, f*ck yeah!

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar · 13-12-2011 12:15AM

I would shop in aldi/lidl but im not waiting 20 minutes in a 50 yard queue just to buy 10 euro worth of vegetables

Princess Peach · 13-12-2011 12:17AM

I love to Lidl.

I am delighted that Lidl is a verb these days.

noxqs · 13-12-2011 12:19AM

Food in Lidl and Aldi of select items are of higher or on par with Dunnes Store/Tesco etc. Meat is Irish and identical to equal wares in Dunnes / Tesco. Also Tesco mince meat is disturbing - the cheap mince - I accidentally bought it online for delivery and I had to bin it. Looked like 50% fat to me.

Also; Sausages, cheese, bread, cereals, vegs, jam, spreads, milk, ham, bacon, etc etc. Is pretty good in Lidl/Aldi.

Actually come to think of it the only reason I ever buy in Tescos/Dunnes is out of convenience due to my current whereabouts when I am shopping. Otherwise I'd shop exclusively in those shops as I find the quality higher or on par and the price lower. The only people who would avoid these stores are people who have some sort of social anxiety to be seen as plebs. Personally the people who would care about that - their opinions wouldn't even begin to register on my radar.

CYHSN · 13-12-2011 12:20AM

Shopped in Lidl once, thought a lot of the food tasted horrible so we went back to Supervalu, really depends on what you buy. The tinned beans were rank, good old bachelors.

Johro · 13-12-2011 12:21AM

I buy a fair bit of stuff from Aldi, not so much from Lidl, but that doesn't reflect on a lack of quality products, it's more because our Lidl rarely has more than one till open when there's long queues of people with full trolleys. It annoys the hell out of me. Can't fault the products though, or the prices.
So Aldi for some things, and the rest from Supervalu, nice fresh meat and veg, I look for Irish/local produce. Though Aldi are good for all kinds of Irish products too, especially meat, I mainly get that from the local Supervalu because they support local farmers.
As far as ethics go, I'd be far more concerned about the likes of Tesco.

phasers · 13-12-2011 12:28AM

I choose where to shop based on value and food quality. I'll shop in pretty much every shop except Tesco. The meat and veg in tesco is absolutely disgusting.

I spread my shopping between lidl, aldi and Dunnes generally, other places if there's a good deal. Luckily I have all three within ten minutes of my house.

Lidl for bakery and toilet roll, They sell lovely fresh dense German bread, and their jam donuts are amazing.
Aldi for dog food, veg, cereal and meat (They recently started selling giant boxes of knock off Cookie Crisp for 2.50, it's deadly)
Dunnes for brand name stuff like cleaning stuff, ketchup and baked beans

And everything else is a mixture between the three.

RE the queues in lidl and aldi, my local ones (Fonthill Road) always open another till when there's a big queue, I don't think I've ever been waiting more than five minutes and that was only because some old biddy paid in pennies.

miss_shadow · 13-12-2011 12:40AM

Edz87 wrote: »

Tesco is disgraceful when it comes to fresh meat and veg. I once bought a packet of mince there and the next day it was grey and when I opened it I retched with the stink from it.

Just look at some of the veg there too, it is almost always rotten.

Aldi has great meat and Veg, its way cheaper and its all from Ireland AFAIK.

The Aldi veg are full of chemicals which make the food last longer.

the groutch · 13-12-2011 12:42AM

what annoys me sometimes isnt the queues, but if I'm just going in for a browse and end up not buying anything, it can be hard to get out of the place because the till areas are so narrow, especially in the Moore Street one (which I no longer go into).

Wurly · 13-12-2011 12:42AM

I buy practically everything in Aldi. It's a great supermarket. I only go to tesco's for vegetarian food as Aldi don't do it. Also - their gluten free bread is rank so I buy the genius bread in Tesco too. I cant understand why people wouldn't shop in Aldi/Lidl. You literally save a fortune.

Johro · 13-12-2011 12:46AM

Princess Peach wrote: »

I love to Lidl.

I am delighted that Lidl is a verb these days.

:pac: I've seen those stickers on people's cars alright. Don't tell me you got one..

SeaFields · 13-12-2011 12:49AM

I thought the snobbery toward aldi / lidl died out with the end of the celtic tiger / boom. Evidently some of it still around. I shop there a good bit and find their food very good value and quality.

Ghandee · 13-12-2011 01:16AM

miss_shadow wrote: »

The Aldi veg are full of chemicals which make the food last longer.

Either provide me with your source for this, or I'll be forced to tell you what I think your 'full of' :cool:

pragmatic1 · 13-12-2011 01:54AM

Aldi have really good pizza, steak, sausages, fruit n veg. Everything else is cac.

Chuck Stone · 13-12-2011 02:03AM

You go into ALDI and LIDL to save a few quid and end up walking out of there with a screwdriver set or an LED torch or some other gadget :pac:

Hank_Jones · 13-12-2011 02:12AM

Aldi steak is class.

Go out of my way to get steak from Aldi, lovely and quite cheap, win win situation.

Paully D · 13-12-2011 02:12AM

Surprised to see so many people complimenting the meat in Aldi. I've always found it's the equivalent of eating a tyre. That goes for Tesco too. The best supermarket meat is SuperValue IMO.

Aldi and Lidl are great for everything else apart from meat though, IMO!

Bargain Basement Food & Ethics

Do you shop in a low budget supermarket like Lidl/ Aldi? 211 votes

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