Things to look out for in Lidl and Aldi

[nogojones]

It's Italian week so I bought 12 packs of the bechemel sauce and six big jars of olives yesterday. I wish they would just sell their international stuff all the time.

It's the jars of artichokes I stock up on in this week. 6 jars.

However, I think they're putting a couple of artichokes less and more oil to cover it than a year or so ago

 

[TopCat]

I have four branches of Lidl within a mile radius. All busy all the time.

 

[Saul Goodman]

I have four branches of Lidl within a mile radius. All busy all the time.

I don't do snobbery or brand loyalty, so I don't understand why anybody would shop anywhere else for everyday stuff. Whatever is cheaper is better for my wallet.
The only things I buy from Tesco are cat litter, wine gums and jam doughnuts, and maybe something from the Yellow Label's finest section. Everything else is cheaper from Lidl, and the only reason I buy those things from Tesco is Lidl don't do the wood pellet cat litter, Lidl jam doughnuts are shite, and Tesco wine gums are the bollocks and cheap.

 

[gentlegreen]

The "ready to eat" kiwis still haven't - nor have the ones I was usually buying so I've speculated on some nectarines...
I initially regretted buying the bargain red cabbage cos it's so damn small but now I see I only paid 15p for it !! So I may well make a second trip - I can make it worthwhile by buying other stuff...

I recently realised why I so like the "Acti Leaf" unsweetened soy <insert preferred noun> so much and am happily paying 79p instead of 50p.
Not only does it have bonus vitamins and calcium, but the creamy "mouthfeel" is thanks to "gellan gum" - which is made by a bacteria first isolated in a lily pad 50 years ago that is apparently grown on waste plant material ... it's "dessert" for me and probably at some point in the future I will make my own plant milks and get the benefit of the left-over pulp, but for now I'm happy to indulge in "ultra-processed" food shock horror while also maintaining my "soy boy" status...

 

[RubyToogood]

Epona how are you getting on with your stick blender? I find mine very useful. Also silicon muffin tins, I freeze portions of things like pesto in then put in bags. Possibly might need to use a paper cake case next time I bake with them

 

[Epona]

Epona how are you getting on with your stick blender? I find mine very useful. Also silicon muffin tins, I freeze portions of things like pesto in then put in bags. Possibly might need to use a paper cake case next time I bake with them

I haven't actually used it yet
Mostly because the freezer is currently full of onion rings and squid, and I intend to batch cook some soup which means I need a bit of space in the freezer. Might do some celery soup over the weekend though, as I have a head of celery that's been hanging around for a bit and needs using.
The Lidl one comes with various bits and bobs - a whisk attachment, a measuring jug, and a jug with blades so you can use it like a mini food-processor for chopping nuts, herbs etc.

Like the idea of using the silicone cases for freezing small portions of things to bag up, I might do that!

 

[gentlegreen]

It being a festive weekend I thought it just as well I go to Aldi again and it seems they were flogging off the small red cabbages first so I got another couple of whoppers for 15p each.
Red cabbage is apparently up there with broccoli etc for healthfulness and they keep well in the fridge...

And they had a couple of interesting French reds for £8.49.

Still no sign of tofu .. unfortunately the XXL hummus is back but I thankfully forgot that in the bad old days I would buy crackers to go with it.

 

[sojourner]

I hate shopping. If it wasn't for the cats needing food and litter, I'd probably starve to death rather than face queuing at a checkout.
I took my mother shopping a few times lately, because she'd recently had a hip replacement and couldn't manage it alone. I love my mother but after about an hour of her picking up and examining about half of the items in the shop, I was ready to walk out and leave her to it. I've now insisted she stays at home and rest while I do the shopping for her.
Have a list and stick to it. If it takes more than 15 - 20 minutes to do the shopping, you're doing it wrong.

My old Dad once spent TWO FUCKING HOURS in a Tesco doing that picking up/examining/putting back down. Last time I ever took him shopping. Was ready to throttle him! I did online shops for him after that.

 

[Johnny Vodka]

Don't know if it's been mentioned, but I'm really enjoying Aldi's spiced lentil and tomato soup. Reminds me a bit of Moroccan harira, albeit a veggie version. Homify it by serving with a squeeze of lemon and chopped parsley.

 

[Epona]

My old Dad once spent TWO FUCKING HOURS in a Tesco doing that picking up/examining/putting back down. Last time I ever took him shopping. Was ready to throttle him! I did online shops for him after that.

This is basically my life if I don't carefully time my grocery shopping for when N is unavailable

 

[Epona]

Well N came with me today so we were in there for a couple of hours until I put my foot down.

Got some reduced Easter eggs however

 

[Saul Goodman]

Well N came with me today so we were in there for a couple of hours until I put my foot down.

Got some reduced Easter eggs however

They were probably in date when you went in

 

[Epona]

Lidl's chilli poppers out of the freezer cabinet have been shrinkflated from 6 pieces to 5 pieces, N is up in arms.

 

[High Voltage]

Our local'ish Lidl closed last weekend. They're knocking it down and rebuilding on a the same site but incorporating the next site space as well. The extra space used to be a Travis Perkins. Due to reopen next year.

The nearest Lidl now is nearly a 25 mile round trip, so I won't be popping there like I used to. Looks like the local Aldi will be picking up a lot of the last trade

 

[Elpenor]

A v nice Scottish black pudding in Aldi in the “meat special” section

 

[Epona]

Lidl Greek Week starts Thursday 25th April (I know I am not the only fan of their Aegean style offerings!)

 

[dessiato]

Our rechargeable vacuum cleaner charger has got mislaid so, while we try to get a replacement, we've bought the £40 Silvercrest corded one from Lidl. It has an amazingly good suck. It's lifting the carpet. We might not bother getting a replacement charger which is almost the same price as this Silvercrest was.

 

[gentlegreen]

Aldi seems to be a fair bit less adventurous than LIDL - I have never even seen tofu in mine.

 

[Epona]

Made it to Lidl for Greek offerings.
Stocked up on Retsina, also bought some pickled chillies, salted anchovies, a pack of frozen octopus tentacles, and some feta and olive pastry swirls

 

[klang]

Made it to Lidl for Greek offerings.
Stocked up on Retsina, also bought some pickled chillies, salted anchovies, a pack of frozen octopus tentacles, and some feta and olive pastry swirls

Bought EXACTLY the same minus the octopus, but the rest is identical

 

[The39thStep]

Made it to Lidl for Greek offerings.
Stocked up on Retsina, also bought some pickled chillies, salted anchovies, a pack of frozen octopus tentacles, and some feta and olive pastry swirls

Should make octopus salad with the tentacles

Octopus salad Recipe | Food From Portugal

A pleasant and simple recipe to prepare, cooked octopus cut into pieces, seasoned with onion, garlic, parsley, coriander salt and pepper...

www.foodfromportugal.com

 

[Chz]

I grabbed a few Manouris, since they keep for ages and they didn't have any last Greek Week. Probably still not enough for salads once the weather turns nice, but will do for now. The little one likes strong tastes, but feta sort of overpowers him.

 

[Epona]

Should make octopus salad with the tentacles

Octopus salad Recipe | Food From Portugal

A pleasant and simple recipe to prepare, cooked octopus cut into pieces, seasoned with onion, garlic, parsley, coriander salt and pepper...

www.foodfromportugal.com

Well I've got enough for more than one meal, but I bought it with the intention of doing a Greek braised octopus dish, with skordalia, tzatsiki, roasted peppers, and bread, so I'll do that first!
Not warm enough here yet to consider salad as a main meal, but I do like octopus salad

 

[Epona]

Also the Lidl we regularly go to has a load of 1l bottles of Pastis left over from presumably French week at some point - they've been in there for at least a couple of months now and every time I walk past them I waver - I think next time I go if there are still some in there I might crack and buy one, was on the verge today but decided not to as my alcohol budget was earmarked for retsina, a bottle of cheap and cheerful red wine, and whatever bottle of spirits N wanted. But I'm in danger of buying a bottle of pastis in the not too distant future when we aren't stocking up on other stuff.

 

[two sheds]

Saw this in reddit, after a woman was left shaking and crying in front of her children because of the speed the aldi checkout was throwing products at her.

I didn't realize but:

What the cashier at Aldi really cares about is how many seconds it takes them per transaction. I know from chatting with my own local Aldi employees over the years that they are literally timed like this, and stats are compiled and kept for them for every shift, every customer they check out.

With the following delightful post, most of which I actually did when I went to Aldi because I hate making people wait around for me, and I like a challenge.

 

[iona]

With the following delightful post, most of which I actually did when I went to Aldi because I hate making people wait around for me, and I like a challenge.

Going to Lidl here is really weird because rushing to pack and pay if someone's queuing behind you generally isn't a thing at all in other shops. If you want to stand and blether for a minute then people just wait. In Lidl they kind of fling things at you, but in a slower way that makes it seem like their heart's really not in it. I got stuck behind a woman telling the poor cashier all the latest news about the Norwegian royal family the other week.

 

[chandlerp]

If people did what they're supposed to and pack at the back wall there wouldn't be any issues

 

[Epona]

If people did what they're supposed to and pack at the back wall there wouldn't be any issues

Aye, I just put everything back in the trolley and either pack at the counter which exists for people do pack their bags at, or if the weather is nice outside in the car park.

 

[Chilli.s]

If people did what they're supposed to and pack at the back wall there wouldn't be any issues

On the shelf of shame? nfw

 

[Saul Goodman]

If people did what they're supposed to and pack at the back wall there wouldn't be any issues

This. If you're unable to do olympic packing, pack your bags in the designated bag packing area.
The people who hold the queue up with their bag packing are usually the same people who spend another couple of minutes realising they actually have to pay for their shopping, then five minutes finding the exact change... "Oh I know I have it here somewhere. I put it there when I went for coffee yesterday with Susan. Ooh, Susan has such a wonderful daughter. She visits her every week..."