Aldi v Lidl

[thewillow]

Which stocks better quality produce - Aldi or Lidl?

[keirah]

none

[Dick Cheese]

For god sake, just spend the extra 5p and go to Tesco's. Aldi & Lidl are cheap for a reason, there crap! I hope this does'nt sound too negative?

[ewand]

To answer your question thewillow if would say that Lidl probably scrapes it, though it very much depends on store, area etc.  However, they are both pretty low quality, though very cheap, so if shopping buy all your branded products that you'd usually buy there, then go to waitrose and splash out on a load of good stuff!

[camille79]

I'm wondering whether either keirah or dick cheese have actually shopped at Aldi or Lidl?  They've got a bad press but I have found them both to be excellent in terms of variety and quality.  They are especially good if you have got a taste for continental foods as you will find many ingredients and foods that are usually the preserve of up-market delis.  I don't do my usual shop there (not local) but go to Lidl one a month or so and stock up on great cheese, black forest ham, jars of marinaded artichokes as well as olive oil, wine etc. 

Lidl is more local to me so I go there but I think they both offer great value - lets face it, they're just european supermarket chains (the equivalent of asda, tesco etc) who have stores over here.  There's a lot of snobbery about shopping in these places but faced with the choice of 12 different types of olives or 12 different variations on the tinned spaghetti shapes reformed meat products I know which one I opt for! 

[country_boy]

Only got experience of Lidl but they do some really good beer called Graffen Walder for about 55p a can!  Some of the snacky stuff is a bit hit or miss but if you're into European foodstuff you should find something you like.

[flanker]

Don't know about those two, but avoid Netto at all costs: about ten years ago I nipped in to a Netto to get a lemon - I didn't want to go to the Sainsbury's accross thhe road just for a single lemon - couldn't find a lemon so grabbed one of the assistants who advised that they don't stock lemons as they don't have much call for exotic fruits!!!

 

Haven't been in once since, so may well have changed.

[sft42]

Shop at both and find them to be equally as good as one another but I go to Lidl more often as it is closer.....As others have stated some stuff is naff but most of the produce is good quality. They are both german owned companies as far as I can see and stock a large range of continental goods which makes a nice variety to the diet.

[clarabel82]

I love the stuff from Aldi, continental food and choccies! They also sell computers :-O There is a Lidl being built up the road so that will be really handy.

[pipsar6]

usually about the same. tend to use lidl which is just around my corner, but I think I prefer aldi in some ways...though don't actually buy much when I do go there...

Flowers are great too if you buy em fresh (both have daily deliveries) and they last for ages at a fraction of the price.

correct - it is snobbery that brings  a lack of enthusiasm about these stores

[keirah]

i have been there long time ago its crap

 

stick to normal supermarkets and anyway half the stuff in lidl isnt written in english well it wasnt whaen i went in there 4 years ago never again

[Dick Cheese]

Good answer Keirah, the're both totally crap.  Why support the Germans when we have good English supermarkets?  Only one other comment to make though, you say that half of the stuff isnt written in English, however neither is your answer!

[mash]

It is wrong to say that Lidl and Addi do cr*p food. Amittedly you need to be selective however as a regular cook I always get some things from Lidl as they are better and cheaper than the likes of Tesco and Sainsbury (for example feta cheese). Seems the huge advertising by mega brands has worked on some of you.

[camille79]

Well said, mash!  I get quite nostalgic for the food I enjoyed when I was living in Europe and have always been surprised by the very British attitude that something "foreign" should be regarded with suspicion.  Personally, I enjoy being able to incorporate continental foods in my diet at everyday prices -  also, the salami etc in my local tesco isn't up to much!

[jackimaaal]

I have shopped all over the UK as well as Europe Aldi and Lidl provide good quality as in everything some products are better than others it's a matter of personal preference ( the Germans don't accept crap in any thing) why pay inflated Tesco prices shop carefully and enjoy the savings play all the supermarkets at their own game take advantage of the special offers there are plenty of web sites to enable you to do just this

[SunnyandCher]

Not quite sure about some of Lidl`s hardware. For instance - they have introduced some lamps onto their shelves. Although they carry CE labels . (Do they comply with the UK lighting regulations which are quite stricked).

[peers]

As a truck driver who used to work for Lidl, their bread is made by British Bakeries - bakers of Hovis. Their milk comes from Dairy Crest. Their sparkling bottled water is from Silver Spring, who also supply Tesco, Sainsbury, Asda etc. Just because they have their own labels does not mean it's rubbish. I now drive for Allied Bakeries who supply own label bread to Aldi's (Incidentally, the same bread that they supply to Sainsbury's!)
OK, some stuff is not brilliant, but most of it ain't bad at all.
So to all you foodie snobs, carry on wasting your money by all means, but at least try products before slagging them off!