Aldi... what do you recommend?

Kat1170

Anybody who is hesitant about Supermarket Own Brands should check out 'Eat Well for Less' on BBC, its also on YT. It really is an eye-opener how people react to own brands when they don't know they are own brands.


Its even worth putting up with that pillock Greg Wallace

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Kat1170 wrote: »

Anybody who is hesitant about Supermarket Own Brands should check out 'Eat Well for Less' on BBC, its also on YT. It really is an eye-opener how people react to own brands when they don't know they are own brands.


Its even worth putting up with that pillock Greg Wallace

I saw an episode of that before. They put the food into unmarked packets and some was the usual name brands and some was the store own brand. If I remember correctly quite often the people preferred the own brand stuff. Sometimes they could tell they were different but still preferred them.
That show was a bit mad. There were people who were spending £700 a week on food. They'd do a big shop but would be picking up bits from the local shop 5 or 6 times a week. A lot of the overspending was coming from people just being really unorganised rather than buying name brands.

odyssey06

The own market brands did reasonably well on Channel 4's "Tried and Tasted" programme recently with Michel Roux Jnr.
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/tried-and-tasted-the-ultimate-shopping-list/episode-guide/

Some of the own brand stuff came first in the tasting, some last... definitely there's good value and bargains to be had there but you have to be prepared for a few disappointments.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Quite a few store own brands are made by the same people that make the name brands. You are literally paying more for the packaging.

inforfun

Kat1170 wrote: »

Anybody who is hesitant about Supermarket Own Brands should check out 'Eat Well for Less' on BBC, its also on YT. It really is an eye-opener how people react to own brands when they don't know they are own brands.


Its even worth putting up with that pillock Greg Wallace

Years ago they did a fancy bottled water test on tv in The Netherlands. Unmarked bottles.
Tapwater from Rotterdam, taken from the Maas and Rhine, finished 3rd from 10

caviardreams

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Quite a few store own brands are made by the same people that make the name brands. You are literally paying more for the packaging.

Whilst this is sometimes true, sometimes they may be made by the same company but to slightly different recipes as well. Both can still be great products obviously but they are not always identical.

One_Of_Shanks

inforfun wrote: »

Years ago they did a fancy bottled water test on tv in The Netherlands. Unmarked bottles.
Tapwater from Rotterdam, taken from the Maas and Rhine, finished 3rd from 10

Peckham Spring

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

caviardreams wrote: »

Whilst this is sometimes true, sometimes they may be made by the same company but to slightly different recipes as well. Both can still be great products obviously but they are not always identical.

Yeah, I didn't mean they were identical recipes, just that they're being made by reputable suppliers. I know I used to see the plain packaging and question how they were being produced. It's funny how marketing works like that.

flipsat

flipsat wrote: »

http://www.mirror.co.uk/money/aldi-launches-brand-slimming-world-11244997 wonder if this range will be available in Ireland?

Found two of the range in Aldi New Ross today slim free chicken Tikka masala 2.49 and meatballs and pasta 2.99 presumably others will follow. I tried the meatballs they were a little spicy but OK. Haven't tried the Tikka yet.

fussyonion

Like I said previously, I have been going to Aldi for a few years now but still did my main shop in Tesco.

After watching grocery hauls on Youtube (don't judge me!) I became very interested in what people are buying; mostly supermarket own brands and very little branded items, so today I went to do my shop with the intention of trying to get the majority of my groceries in Aldi.

I also wanted to try more supermarket own label and just see if I get the costs down but at the same time see if we like the cheaper versions.

So obviously, as I've just gone shopping, I can't give you feedback on what I bought yet but I will update you all.

I did buy a 12-pack of Champion Potato Waffles for €1.25. I am very interested to see if these are nice as I've been very loyal to Birds Eye over the years.

Also picked up Aldi's own label peanut butter for €1.09 and here I'll be comparing it to Tesco's own brand which is €1.19.

I sampled the 85% dark chocolate by Moser Roth just now and it is really nice. It was €1.59 I think.

I'll report back during the week with my views on some of the other bits I got.

PS I bought a lot more groceries in Aldi this week rather than Tesco. My food bill in Aldi (for two) is normally €40 but this week it was €30 AND I got way more stuff than usual because I was trying more own label/cheaper stuff.

Spent €23 in Tesco.

etselbbuns

Have Aldi discontinued the Cooked Ham Trimmings 400g €1.99?
It is imported from Germany and was very nice.
Have not seen it for the past few weeks.

Kat1170

fussyonion wrote: »

I did buy a 12-pack of Champion Potato Waffles for €1.25. I am very interested to see if these are nice as I've been very loyal to Birds Eye over the years.

I think they are the nicest ones you can get

Dial Hard

Kat1170 wrote:

I think they are the nicest ones you can get

I have to say, I do think Lidl's are better (and I generally prefer Aldi). The potato is fluffier, imo.

Dial Hard

DP

French_Girl

fussyonion wrote:

Also picked up Aldi's own label peanut butter for €1.09 and here I'll be comparing it to Tesco's own brand which is €1.19.

As a massive PB addict, I can say I've tried both Aldi' s and Tesco's peanut butter on numerous occasions and can definitely confirm that Aldi's is far superior!!!

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

French_Girl wrote: »

As a massive PB addict, I can say I've tried both Aldi' s and Tesco's peanut butter on numerous occasions and can definitely confirm that Aldi's is far superior!!!

I can't compare it to other store own brands but personally I don't like Aldi's as much as the Panda brand. That said it's perfectly nice, just a bit of a different texture.

Alun

Personally I find the standard Aldi peanut butter far too sweet, it seems to have quite a bit of sugar added. However they have another version on the shelves next to the standard one at the moment from "The Foodie Market" with no added sugar that, IMO, is much nicer.

rubadub

Peanut butters can be compared by looking at ingredients. I reckon if the own brand ingredients match your current favourite then it is more likely to taste like it.

this is panda smooth
Roasted Peanuts (90%), Sugar, Fully Hydrogenated Palm Oil, Salt

tesco smooth
Roasted Peanuts (90%), Peanut Oil, Palm Oil, Sugar, Salt

Ingredients are listed in order of greatest, so the panda must have more added sugar compared to tesco. say the salt was 1% in both, then there is only 9% left for the stuff in between. So panda could be say 5% sugar and 4% oil, and the tesco could be say 3.5% peanut oil, 3% palm oil, 2.5% sugar.

Others in the meridian & kelkin range are 100% nuts, no salt or anything else.

Ryath

My 7 year old is a peanut butter fiend will eat out of the the jar with spoon since she was 2 if she can get away with it. Used to eat kelkin but its meridan she loves now. Tried the Aldi Foodie market one I found it ok but she turned her nose up at it.

French_Girl

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote:

I can't compare it to other store own brands but personally I don't like Aldi's as much as the Panda brand. That said it's perfectly nice, just a bit of a different texture.

I've only tried Panda once, didn't like it, don't know...

fussyonion

Alun wrote: »

Personally I find the standard Aldi peanut butter far too sweet, it seems to have quite a bit of sugar added. However they have another version on the shelves next to the standard one at the moment from "The Foodie Market" with no added sugar that, IMO, is much nicer.

Funny enough I actually said to my other half today I thought the Aldi one was less sweet than the Tesco one. I prefer it. I know it's not the best quality peanut butter out there but it's grand.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

French_Girl wrote: »

I've only tried Panda once, didn't like it, don't know...

Different strokes for different folks.

French_Girl

fussyonion wrote:

Funny enough I actually said to my other half today I thought the Aldi one was less sweet than the Tesco one. I prefer it. I know it's not the best quality peanut butter out there but it's grand.

Exactly.
It might not be the best quality-wise, but for me, definitely the best taste-wise.

nlrkjos

Aldi cheese with cranberry.....delicious !!! put a lump on top of a digestive biscuit, can't bate it boy !

odyssey06

nlrkjos wrote: »

Aldi cheese with cranberry.....delicious !!! put a lump on top of a digestive biscuit, can't bate it boy !

If its the Wensleydale then yep... but for me on a savoury cracker with a glass of a soft, fruity red wine.

yosser hughes

Aldi Lime Sorbet and Coconut Ice Cream. Absolutely gorgeous. Not many left the last time I was there. I hope they continue with it.

McMurphy

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Different strokes for different folks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCrjLVSapII

fin12

The rock shandy 2 litre bottle is lovely.

willmunny1990

Anyone ever try the turkey sausages?

McMurphy

yosser hughes wrote: »

Aldi Lime Sorbet and Coconut Ice Cream. Absolutely gorgeous. Not many left the last time I was there. I hope they continue with it.

This.

100% this.