Lidl/Aldi brands v names brands

Name Changed · 22-01-2011 4:14pm #1

Does anyone have any good/bad experiences of Lidl or Aldi brands v named brands?

I was just in Lidl and but a load of stuff for next to nothing. However, I usually go to Tesco and get the named brands.

I presume stuff like fruit and veg would be the same quality in Lidl/Aldi as it is in other supermarkets. If anything, I find the fruit and veg better in Lidl/Aldi.

I am enquiring more into products that Lidl/Aldi sell such as their tomato puree, cartons of tomato paste, pasta, cooking sauces, this kind of stuff.

For example, I just bought these products for next to nothing in comparison to Tesco:

Golden Sun jasmine rice
Nostia sieved tomatoes (carton)
Glensallagh smoked bacon joint
Fresh meadow Organic pasta

Has anyone ever tried these brands and how do they compare to big name brands?

When buying sauces, I usually go for Uncle Bens, probably because of the name. I am thinking of trying the Lidl sauces but I'm a bit fussy and always ending up sticking to what I know. Do the Lidl ones compare in quality?

Milk is another thing I'm wondering about. I drink a lot of milk and only drink Avonmore, but it is particularly expensive.

mike65 · 22-01-2011 4:57pm

Dairy products are just fine I think. Fresh meats ditto, Bixies beat Weetabix every time for me as they are actually bigger and taste the same. Buscuits excellent value.

Good sauces are something that can't be done cheap and comparing pasta sauces is a thumbs down for the stocked lidl brands. The pastas etc they go on are perfectly okay though.

the beer revolu · 22-01-2011 5:04pm

Well, if Uncle Ben's is your bench mark of quality, then I think you can be assured that the quality of pretty much everything in Lidl/Aldi is just fine.

I can't find a better cloudy apple juice than the Lidl one.
I find the Lidl milk a bit watery compared to Tesco Milk.
Their tinned tomatoes are as good as any other cheap tinned tomatoes.
Aldi selected steaks are very good (not particularly cheap, though)
I've found Lidl cheese to be better than your average factory cheese.
I find that the Lidl sunflower oil goes rancid rather quickly.

Basically, there is no reason to assume that the 'branded' goods are any better in quality than any Aldi/Lidl product. They are more expensive cause of all the TV ads which don't come cheap, not because they are made with more expensive ingredients.
You just have to try and see if it's better or worse. Sometimes it's a matter of taste, too.

If you're shopping on a budget, being brand loyal makes no sense for the vast majority of products.

faw1tytowers · 22-01-2011 5:13pm

I used to work for Aldi and I know Lidll work the same way.. all fruit and veg as well as bread and dairy is sourced locally. For eg most of the breads when i worked there were Brennans they fruit and veg was from Fyffes and the dairy from a farm up north. The dearer brand of beans were Heniz etc etc...

Aldi simply buy in bulk from other wholesalers and package themselves. Most places the price hike is down to packaging. They have a high standard and will replace or refund ANYTHING you are not happy with.

I personally find I always can never do a full shop in Aldo or Lidl. Infact I tennd to shop in Aldi, Lidl and then which ever supermarket has the best offers that week.

Hope this helps!

faw1tytowers · 22-01-2011 5:16pm

mike65 wrote: »

Dairy products are just fine I think. Fresh meats ditto, Bixies beat Weetabix every time for me as they are actually bigger and taste the same. Buscuits excellent value.

Good sauces are something that can't be done cheap and comparing pasta sauces is a thumbs down for the stocked lidl brands. The pastas etc they go on are perfectly okay though.

I agree on that lidl pasta (tomato based) sauces are pretty yeuk. However they do great indian sauces etc

baldbear · 22-01-2011 5:17pm

I was always a Lyons tea man. But i changed to McGrats gold from Aldi and it's nicer!!!

ALot of the stuff in Aldi/Lidl are from big name companys and are just packaged different, biscuits,beans,bread milk, etc. and Aldi do class fillet steaks!!!

mathepac · 22-01-2011 5:25pm

I find the LIDL own-brand pasta, rice etc to be very good and very good value; their basmati rice in particular has excellent texture and flavour, as have their Indian cooking sauces, authentic and far superior to some branded products priced at 2 to 3 times the LIDL ones. Their tins of chopped tomatoes (try the Arrabicia flavour in your chili-con-carne), kidney beans etc are at least on par with quality branded products but very keenly priced.

Disappointingly some of the branded products they sell (Nescafe, HB Magnum multi-packs, Head and Shoulders shampoos, etc) are frequently on offer in other multiples at prices lower than LIDL's e.g. 200g Nescafe Gold Blend, €5 in Dunnes, €6.56 in LIDL.

Their fresh meat, fruit and veg are top class, as are some laundry and cleaning products.

ElleEm · 22-01-2011 5:27pm

faw1tytowers wrote: »

I agree on that lidl pasta (tomato based) sauces are pretty yeuk. However they do great indian sauces etc

+1.

Their korma sauce is one of the better ones I've tasted outside of an Indian restaurant.
I was there today to get spices, herbs ( very cheap), veg, cheese etc.
I defo feel like I've to go to Dunnes afterwards tho, to get the named brand stuff I like.
I dont know what it is, but I wouldn't trust their meat so I get that from the butchers.

Name Changed · 22-01-2011 6:18pm

the beer revolu wrote: »

Well, if Uncle Ben's is your bench mark of quality, then I think you can be assured that the quality of pretty much everything in Lidl/Aldi is just fine.

Uncle Bens isn't really my bench mark of quality, it's more to habit and sticking with what I know.

I'd rather find a ready made sauce that is less fattening than Uncle Bens.

Name Changed · 22-01-2011 6:19pm

What about Golden Sun rice?

Surely rice is rice anyway??

highlandseoghan · 22-01-2011 6:25pm

I started buying the lidl and tesco branded products over a year ago and find most of them the same as the branded products. I do agree with a previous poster you have to buy some products in lidl and then aldi but it makes a huge saving to the shopping bill.

Name Changed · 22-01-2011 6:27pm

baldbear wrote: »

I was always a Lyons tea man. But i changed to McGrats gold from Aldi and it's nicer!!!

ALot of the stuff in Aldi/Lidl are from big name companys and are just packaged different, biscuits,beans,bread milk, etc. and Aldi do class fillet steaks!!!

I'm a Lyons tea man myself. I must try these McGrats tea-bags. Heard good things about them.

Name Changed · 22-01-2011 6:36pm

faw1tytowers wrote: »

I agree on that lidl pasta (tomato based) sauces are pretty yeuk. However they do great indian sauces etc

Basic tomato puree and tomato paste (which is usually what I use for pasta sauce) is presumably grand though?

Name Changed · 22-01-2011 6:59pm

highlandseoghan wrote: »

I started buying the lidl and tesco branded products over a year ago and find most of them the same as the branded products. I do agree with a previous poster you have to buy some products in lidl and then aldi but it makes a huge saving to the shopping bill.

I tend to go to both as well, but I actually find Lidl that little bit cheaper. It's a pity they don't really do too many deals though that Tesco do for example.

loyatemu · 22-01-2011 10:41pm

for basic ingredients - rice, pasta, dried herbs & spices, tinned tomatoes, eggs, milk etc - lidl is fine and consistently cheaper than Tesco (tesco may have offers on, but Lidls regular prices are cheaper). Also good for things like ham and salami.

their processed food is hit and miss, all you can do is try it and see if you like it. There's some basic stuff they don't have - bread flour is the one that I keep noticing as I bake my own bread (they don't have yeast either).

JONJO THE MISER · 22-01-2011 10:45pm

Had 2 of Aldi's fillet steaks for €9 yesterday, you wont get not even in Marks and Spencer.

faw1tytowers · 22-01-2011 10:47pm

Name Changed wrote: »

Basic tomato puree and tomato paste (which is usually what I use for pasta sauce) is presumably grand though?

yes they seem to be grand.

The Sparrow · 22-01-2011 11:29pm

JONJO THE MISER wrote: »

Had 2 of Aldi's fillet steaks for €9 yesterday, you wont get not even in Marks and Spencer.

They are lovely too. I go out of my way to but fillet steak in Aldi. They also do good frozen Tuna steaks.

ladypip · 22-01-2011 11:41pm

I went to Tesco yesterday and i picked up a very small shop no veg or meat and it came to 79 euro i know for a fact id have gotten the same shop in Lidl for under 50. I shop in lidl allot and most of their products are great i love the tinned chopped tomato's esp the arribiata one with chillis or the one with garlic an herbs, they are great as a base for pasta or mince sauces. The ice cream, pasta, rice, bread, biscuits, chocolate and veg are all the same if not better quality than Dunnes or Tesco for a fraction of the price. But like some posters i find myself going to Lidl, Aldi and Dunnes to get a full weekly shop of everything i like.

Darkginger · 23-01-2011 12:30pm

We now do all of our 'big shop' in Aldi and Lidl. Their rashers are something like €1.99 a pack (is it Brannigans, their 'own' brand? Something like that anyway), and seem to exude less water than many more 'known' brands. Aldi apple sauce is good, so are their blocks of mild cheddar.Last Sunday's roast was a piece of round from Aldi, and it was tender and tasty (I usually try to buy our meat from the local butcher, but he was shut for a while after Christmas).

One thing I won't be buying again is Aldi's frozen lamb chump chops - very little meat on them, I found. I will be buying their fresh herbs, sacks of spuds and veggies. Lidl were selling bags of dried porcini the other week for 99c - I bought 5 - they're just the same as the ones from Tesco, but more in a bag, and cheaper.

Lidl wholetail frozen scampi is good - had a yearning for scampi, bought 4 bags, then got alarmed by a news story abut a lot of scampi being bits of fish stuck together, so read the packet closely - they seem to be the real deal. Those little packets of cubed bacon or ham (in Aldi) are handy for the freezer too, and crisp up nicely when pan fried.

Aldi free range whole chickens are €5 something - and they're good to eat. I remember paying over €16 for a free range chicken in Centra a couple of years ago. Lidl had a set of 3 French mustards (Dijon, Dijon with parsley, and wholegrain) that's lovely, too. Aldi Lime marmalade is REALLY good - not too sweet, with a real tang to it - I'm addicted!

Can't help on the ready-made sauces, 'cos I don't buy them from anywhere

faw1tytowers · 23-01-2011 2:06pm

Darkginger wrote: »

One thing I won't be buying again is Aldi's frozen lamb chump chops - very little meat on them, I found.

Oh I love the chops with mint. only like 3 euro a box well worth it I think?

Darkginger · 23-01-2011 6:05pm

Mine weren't in a box, just a packet with a green label, and no added mint. I'll look for the others next time.

Kerikosan · 24-01-2011 7:08am

Lidl & Aldi all the way

jill_valentine · 24-01-2011 7:58am

Staple stuff like rice and pasta is grand. Stuff that requires a bit of processing can be pretty terrible though.

One thing I do always wonder is why they bother with their own brand spirits - a lot of them sell for the same price as the real thing. The cheap beer is grand, but the whiskey etc is very nearly the same price as an equivalent bottle of Jamesons.

Corsendonk · 24-01-2011 1:09pm

faw1tytowers wrote: »

Aldi simply buy in bulk from other wholesalers and package themselves. Most places the price hike is down to packaging. They have a high standard and will replace or refund ANYTHING you are not happy with.

!

I think you will find that Aldi and Lidl are so large that they get their suppliers to do all the packaging. Most food companies provide supermarkets with the supermarket own brand these days. The market has changed were consumers have moved from top brand loyalty to supermarket own brand. It makes sense for supermarkets to give you a good quality product in their own brand so you will become loyal to them. Some products are different recipes but some of the basic essentials are just a change over of packaging on the production lines.

listowelbelle · 25-01-2011 9:01am

Name Changed wrote: »

Does anyone have any good/bad experiences of Lidl or Aldi brands v named brands?

I was just in Lidl and but a load of stuff for next to nothing. However, I usually go to Tesco and get the named brands.

I presume stuff like fruit and veg would be the same quality in Lidl/Aldi as it is in other supermarkets. If anything, I find the fruit and veg better in Lidl/Aldi.

I am enquiring more into products that Lidl/Aldi sell such as their tomato puree, cartons of tomato paste, pasta, cooking sauces, this kind of stuff.

For example, I just bought these products for next to nothing in comparison to Tesco:
Golden Sun jasmine rice

Nostia sieved tomatoes (carton)

Glensallagh smoked bacon joint

Fresh meadow Organic pasta

Has anyone ever tried these brands and how do they compare to big name brands?

When buying sauces, I usually go for Uncle Bens, probably because of the name. I am thinking of trying the Lidl sauces but I'm a bit fussy and always ending up sticking to what I know. Do the Lidl ones compare in quality?

Milk is another thing I'm wondering about. I drink a lot of milk and only drink Avonmore, but it is particularly expensive.

IWORKED IN TESCO FOR YEARS AS A MANAGER ALL THE BREAD BAKED IN PAT THE BAKER IS SAY £2 a loaf and they also make ALL THE TESCO BREAD AND LIDL BREAD WITH DIFFERENT LABELS FOR SAY 55 cent!!

had a laugh at LIDL in Listowel during the week a lady took all the plastic wrapping etc off her goods and left it after her!! it came to quite a bundle. An post irritate me with all the unnecessacary flyers in my door so I store them all together in a box and every now and then I POST THEM BACK IN THE POST OFFICE BOX LETS SEE HOW THEY LIKE GETTING THEIR OWN JUNK BACK IN THEIR MAIL BOX!!!!

listowelbelle · 25-01-2011 9:07am

The Sparrow wrote: »

They are lovely too. I go out of my way to but fillet steak in Aldi. They also do good frozen Tuna steaks.

Has anyone noticed we are all singing the praises of Tesco and Lidl and Aldi I don't see any praise for Super Valu!! and rightly so im a single person and unemployed I drive to Tesco 10 miles away every ten days or so and can get all my shopping for about 40 a week trying to do the same in my own local Super Value would cost me about 20 more!! I never seem to get a bargain in Super Valu

listowelbelle · 25-01-2011 9:12am

jill_valentine wrote: »

Staple stuff like rice and pasta is grand. Stuff that requires a bit of processing can be pretty terrible though.

One thing I do always wonder is why they bother with their own brand spirits - a lot of them sell for the same price as the real thing. The cheap beer is grand, but the whiskey etc is very nearly the same price as an equivalent bottle of Jamesons.

Was in spain recently (himself is a trucker) so I went into a Cash and Carry there and got a case YES A CASE of Smirnoff Vodka at 9 euro a litre, it is 30 and more here for the same litre. and to add insult to injury Baileys was 6 a bottle!! and don't even start me on the wine. we are being ripped off so much.

snubbleste · 25-01-2011 9:16am

Imagine if Lidl/Aldi had never come to Ireland 10 years ago?
We'd be paying extortionate prices for groceries..
I've noticed that some of the european meats/cheeses/produce have been phased out over the years in favour of more bland irish products. There is less variety than there used to be. All their stuff is top notch.

snubbleste · 25-01-2011 9:18am

listowelbelle wrote: »

Was in spain recently (himself is a trucker) so I went into a Cash and Carry there and got a case YES A CASE of Smirnoff Vodka at 9 euro a litre, it is 30 and more here for the same litre. and to add insult to injury Baileys was 6 a bottle!! and don't even start me on the wine. we are being ripped off so much.

Most of alcohol pricing make-up is government duty and taxes. It's not the shops fault.

olaola · 25-01-2011 9:50am

snubbleste wrote: »

Imagine if Lidl/Aldi had never come to Ireland 10 years ago?
We'd be paying extortionate prices for groceries..
I've noticed that some of the european meats/cheeses/produce have been phased out over the years in favour of more bland irish products. There is less variety than there used to be. All their stuff is top notch.

Yes, this gives me a big sad face

no more Nuremburgers... BAH!

Lidl/Aldi brands v names brands

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