Substitutes on the grocery order. List your triumphs and disappointments.

[UrbaneFox]

I have just received a delivery from Waitrose, and the substitutions were disappointing, but not so appalling that I rejected them. As follows:

Instead of a red cabbage they sent a white Duchy cabbage. Not only has this foiled my spiced red cabbage plans, but it is a small one, and I would not have chosen it in-store. I expect I'll shove it in something.

Organic milk replaced with Essential - ok.

Lovely custard sauce replaced with standard custard sauce. I struggled with this, but decided to accept it.

The delivery man was kind enough to bring my stuff in to the kitchen, rather than decanting it into shopping bags at the door, which is now a staff option, so I suffered in silence.

Might sample the custard as late night compensation.

 

[Sue]

First World problems thread that away =>

 

[farmerbarleymow]

I believe High Voltage was most put out when they received a pack of Bonio instead of digestives.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

I've not had too much of a problem with this - only rejected a couple of things.

Cinnamon and raisin bagels instead of onion and chive. Cinnamon and dried fruit in bagels is just wrong.

Yogurts with artificial sweeteners instead of wholesome sugar. Much prefer full fat stuff.

 

[8ball]

4 pounds of loose carrots became 4 pounds of lovely smoked salmon.
I'm assuming "substitutions" on the scab tills count, right?

 

[pseudonarcissus]

Lovely custard sauce replaced with standard custard sauce. I struggled with this, but decided to accept it.

Might sample the custard as late night compensation.

If I was in charge of the substitutions department you’d have got eggs, icing sugar, cornflour, vanilla extract and some extra milk

 

[ash]

100g coriander replace with 25g- computer can’t do maths

 

[friedaweed]

I ordered a whole cow from Lidl but they were out and recieved some magic beans by way of replacement. I threw the beans out, they were no use to me, I wanted milk and steak. To my astonishment when I woke up in the morning there was this huge plant growing outside my window.
I climbed up the plant and found the home of a sleeping giant. Next to his slumber frame there was a huge pot of gold coins. Careful not to wake him, I slipped one of the gold coins into my pocket and climbed back down the magic plant.

I know what you're all thinking, I should of tried to grab a few more coins but I'm not a greedy man and with the gold prices as they are I can probably afford to shop in waitrose now.

 

[moose]

Occasionally they bring meat things instead of vegan. Hate crime.

What's the point in them collecting so much data on me if they don't use it.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Occasionally they bring meat things instead of vegan. Hate crime.

That's an odd substitution for a customer who has never ordered meat - surely they have a basic profile for everyone who gets stuff delivered.

I'm disappointed the few subs they've done are so boring.

 

[StoneRoad]

I mentioned on another thread the most irritating sub we've had recently.

This was the own label "low sugar" ginger nuts instead of the "full-fat" version ...
And I suspect that the allergic rash reaction I've just had was the result of eating them.
[since I stopped consuming them, the rash healed up]

This is the story [reposted]
I've just had the unpleasant experience of attempting to consume some own-label "low-sugar" ginger nuts.
[picked as substitute on the grocery order this week]

Absolutely dire ! Quite disgusting and nothing like the real deal.

I recall that as a consequence of flooding in Carlisle, a "few" years ago [2005,2009,2015], MacVities were unable to produce Ginger Nuts - and several other ranges - for anyone. There was a serious shortage for weeks, while they replaced / cleaned and dried out the equipment on their ground floor of their city centre site.
Months later - 2016 - I was collecting another hire care from a place nearby and was able to smell the wonderful scent of cooking ginger nuts once again ...

 

[pogofish]

First World problems thread that away =>

There was an ongoing thread for supermarket substitutions going long before the First World thread!

 

[Epona]

There was an ongoing thread for supermarket substitutions going long before the First World thread!

I hate the whole "First World Problem" thing - I know it's intended a lot in humour (like the way it has been on this thread, not having a go at anyone), but the basis for it is that if you have the basics then you shouldn't complain about anything else, just put up and shut up, and I find that a horrific viewpoint.

 

[Epona]

My worst substitute was when I ordered fresh haddock fillets and what turned up was fresh smoked haddock fillets - substitution for pretty much any other unsmoked white fish would have been fine, but smoked haddock is a very different beast indeed and I am not that keen on smoked fish. Fortunately OH is so I accepted it* and made something for him with it, but had to alter my cooking plans for the week!

*Actually thinking about it, I think I tried to give it back but they let me keep it for free - I guess once it's been out of the shop they probably can't return and resell chilled meat/fish.

 

[platinumsage]

I still haven't recovered from this:

https://www.urban75.net/forums/threads/the-first-world-problems-of-urban-75.285394/page-195#post-16917155

Turned out the tins they sent were slightly bigger than the ones I ordered, but the weights aren't listed in the descriptions used for substitution purposes.

 

[QueenOfGoths]

That's an odd substitution for a customer who has never ordered meat - surely they have a basic profile for everyone who gets stuff delivered.

I'm disappointed the few subs they've done are so boring.

Sometimes the handsets the shoppers use suggest ridiculous substitutions plus the shoppers themselves have no indication of who they're shopping for or what 'habits' etc.. the customer has.

You can circumvent the handset and choose something more appropriate, or nothing at all, but that depends on the shopper and the stores policy.

I only help out very occasionally with shopping so can get away with not sending what I consider a stupid substitution, full time shoppers often can't

 

[8ball]

Occasionally they bring meat things instead of vegan. Hate crime.

at hate crime.

But yeah, I’ve never had stuff delivered and assumed on your site profile there would be options like veggie/vegan/Halal etc. and some options for allergies etc.

 

[A380]

I ordered a whole cow from Lidl but they were out and recieved some magic beans by way of replacement. I threw the beans out, they were no use to me, I wanted milk and steak. To my astonishment when I woke up in the morning there was this huge plant growing outside my window.
I climbed up the plant and found the home of a sleeping giant. Next to his slumber frame there was a huge pot of gold coins. Careful not to wake him, I slipped one of the gold coins into my pocket and climbed back down the magic plant.

I know what you're all thinking, I should of tried to grab a few more coins but I'm not a greedy man and with the gold prices as they are I can probably afford to shop in waitrose now.

See I ordered the magic beans but got a coach and four as a replacement instead. Trouble is at midnight it turned into a pumpkin, four white mice and a couple of lizards.

I did get one lovely glass slipper though that fits like a glove.

 

[girasol]

I did an online order with Waitrose as I had £10 voucher for first 3 shops. I ticked off substitutions, no thanks! When it came to applying my voucher it got denied apparently I shopped online before at some point but I've no memory of it. Must have been years ago.

None of the items on offer were allowed because the earliest available delivery slot was AFTER the offer period. So, fuck you Waitrose. Not impressed.

 

[felixthecat]

I had basil substituted with coriander.
Wtf?

 

[friedaweed]

See I ordered the magic beans but got a coach and four as a replacement instead. Trouble is at midnight it turned into a pumpkin, four white mice and a couple of lizards.

I did get one lovely glass slipper though that fits like a glove.

To be fair though mate you have all the ingredients for a nice risotto there if you had some good rice.

 

[8ball]

I had basil substituted with coriander.
Wtf?

Leaves and dust, innit.

 

[20Bees]

I work in a supermarket (on tills, not picking orders), and there is a massive gulf between the teenagers and students who have learned to cook and are enthusiastic about recipes, and those - males especially, but not exclusively - who have always had their meals prepared by someone else.

I often train new starters on checkouts, a required couple of hours training even if they’ll actually be working on replenishing stock, or picking orders. The enthusiastic ones are great. Then there are lads who neither know nor care that a carrot and a sweet potato are not interchangeable. They’re bright and clearly got through the interview but “Why do you want to work here?” doesn’t seem to weed out the ones who just aren’t interested in how foods are put together to make a meal.

I think you can specify no substitutions but then you wouldn’t have the fun of working out how to construct a quite different meal plan!

 

[Epona]

I had basil substituted with coriander.
Wtf?

Is that just a case of "oh it's a herb, any herb will do"?

Bizarre. They have quite different uses.

 

[Epona]

I work in a supermarket (on tills, not picking orders), and there is a massive gulf between the teenagers and students who have learned to cook and are enthusiastic about recipes, and those - males especially, but not exclusively - who have always had their meals prepared by someone else.

I often train new starters on checkouts, a required couple of hours training even if they’ll actually be working on replenishing stock, or picking orders. The enthusiastic ones are great. Then there are lads who neither know nor care that a carrot and a sweet potato are not interchangeable. They’re bright and clearly got through the interview but “Why do you want to work here?” doesn’t seem to weed out the ones who just aren’t interested in how foods are put together to make a meal.

I think you can specify no substitutions but then you wouldn’t have the fun of working out how to construct a quite different meal plan!

Tbf, when a supermarket is paying new staff barely above minimum wage, I have some sympathy with not being that interested.
There's a problem generally with people having to pretend "This Is My Dream Job" at interview in order to secure a job.

I think I'd be good at pick and pack, apart from not being able to move with great speed. But I understand the culinary uses of stuff.

 

[8ball]

Is that just a case of "oh it's a herb, any herb will do"?

As per #22.

I guess also maybe they are under pressure to stretch the meaning of “substitution” because someone is trying to make their stats look better.

 

[UrbaneFox]

I believe High Voltage was most put out when they received a pack of Bonio instead of digestives.

I hadn't noticed that High Voltage is now gender non-specific.

 

[8ball]

I hadn't noticed that High Voltage is now gender non-specific.

Or possibly just gender-unknown to farmerbarleymow.

I get these things mixed up sometimes.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

I hadn't noticed that High Voltage is now gender non-specific.

I couldn't remember so used they just in case.

 

[Aladdin]

A bunch of bananas became one banana.