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March 29, 2024, 07:39:29 AM

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Better than Marmite

Started by confettiinmyhair, August 01, 2020, 07:32:25 AM

Previous topic - Next topic
I've been trying to save a bit of cash on the weekly shop and have started shopping at Aldi again. I've been really surprised how their own branded products have been better than the brand goods. Their marmite equivalent was surprisingly great and I also found that their Bourbon biscuits were delightful.

What other store brand items are better than their branded equivalents?

Glebe

Yeah, there's a cheapo brand of hot chocolate they do that's fucking ace. They also have yummy official Hobnob bars on the discount shelves that I've not seen elsewhere.

PlanktonSideburns

YES MATE

ALDI hot chocolate (not the lid one, that's a bit bland)
ALDI stock cubes (rip off of those posh knorr ones)
LIDL posh chocolate

Pijlstaart

Used to have a big-weakness for Ritter-sport, which I could only find in Lidl. Regarding own-brand biscuits, Aldi/Lidl used to retail theirs at the same price as the sainsburys/tesco/morrisons basics range, but the quality was far better, and it was the custard creams and bourbons that stood out, they had structural integrity and a more subtle flavour. Fig rolls are the same everywhere.

paruses

Quote from: PlanktonSideburns on August 01, 2020, 08:33:12 AM
YES MATE

ALDI hot chocolate (not the lid one, that's a bit bland)
ALDI stock cubes (rip off of those posh knorr ones)
LIDL posh chocolate


Yes to above. Plus basics salted peanuts are much better than KP for fraction of the price in Aldi.

They also do a corned beef crispy bake. Fantastic. Not sure if there is a brand equivalent but just saying.

Jockice

Aldi's okay but avoid the chocolate mini rolls. They're absolutely rank.

seepage

Yes, it's silly not to get most stuff from Aldi if possible; some things seem to be 1/3 the price of elsewhere. Not tried many Lidl products as nearest one is a bit too far away on foot. Aldi disappointments so far:

Aldi Bacon & Cheese Straws vs. Co-op Bacon & Cheese Bites - horrible, DNPM
Aldi Cheese Thins vs. McVities Cheddars - nasty, strong cheese powder taste - DNPM, unless you like that sort of thing   

Glebe

Quote from: Pijlstaart on August 01, 2020, 08:45:09 AMFig rolls are the same everywhere.

Let's keep the thread light, mate - that's a pretty heavy statement!

paruses

Personally I think their breakfast cereals are as good as branded ones. I am not massively adventurous so bran flakes, cornflakes, weetabi[x/sk], posh muesli. However, others have said that the flake side of things are not as good with the frosties version getting American Beauty levels of denunciation.

I like, or even possibly prefer, Lidl but is much more like shopping in a continental European supermarket (which I also like and prefer. Not sure how they get the veg smell to hit you as hard as they do. Plus the temperature is kept just above absolute zero as part of the theme). They tend to have an onsite 'bakery' too which I like.

chveik


flotemysost

Quote from: PlanktonSideburns on August 01, 2020, 08:33:12 AM
LIDL posh chocolate

The dark chocolate with bits of freeze-dried raspberries and blueberries is FIT AS FUCK

Also their sweet chili flatbread cracker things are better than the Ryvita version - I have yet to open a pack of those and not finish it within the same sitting.

The one near me used to do fresh pesto-filled gnochhi, always a good option for hungover gluttony, which I've not seen elsewhere.

Shoulders?-Stomach!

Said it before but ALDI is often a false economy (unless you know the time they start slapping the discount stickers on), as the model is based on doing smaller sizes at slightly worse quality than big brand food people buy. Obviously that isn't uniformly the case, but that is their way of making money. It is true that their products are sometimes better than other supermarkets own brand products, but they are often not cheaper and they aren't directly squaring off with them. If you look at ALDI's tv adverts they always compared their products with big brands, not supermarkets own brand.

It's worth popping in for bits and bobs nevertheless. The wines are sometimes reasonable value, there are some other reliable go-to products - as you'd hope for. I'm not convinced by the arguments that it's that great value though.

PlanktonSideburns

their kinder bueno knockoff is the bee's back bollocks too

Sebastian Cobb

dunno, but lidl gravy is a fucking abomination.

Cuellar

Their own brand Fruit and Fibre cereal is better than Tesco's own brand Fruit and Fibre cereal.

That's more or less all I've got to say on the matter.

steve98

You've said enough. This threads attracting a right shower of foody windbags; pity there's not more like you (and me).

Brundle-Fly

Quote from: seepage on August 01, 2020, 09:39:18 AM

Aldi Cheese Thins vs. McVities Cheddars - nasty, strong cheese powder taste - DNPM, unless you like that sort of thing

Cheese Thins are in a heat sealed packet so a bugger to open compared to the executive Cheddars packaging. Thins are more brittle (see Aldi's Shakin' Cream Crackers too) and do have a wallpaper paste quality to them when they've melted in your mouth. They suffice when you want to save 80p.

poo


Sebastian Cobb

Quote from: Cuellar on August 01, 2020, 12:53:42 PM
Their own brand Fruit and Fibre cereal is better than Tesco's own brand Fruit and Fibre cereal.

That's more or less all I've got to say on the matter.

Lidl/Aldi do decent shreddies knock offs as well.

Lidl's Aberdoyle, Scottish extra mature coloured cheddar is some of the best cheddar going and beats premium mass-produced brands.


Icehaven

#19
Aldi is the only supermarket that still has queues outside round my way so it must be considered the cheapest even if it isn't. The Iceland directly opposite hardly ever had much of a queue even at the height of lockdown and has none now but still they're all still determined to go to Aldi. Power of advertising?

seepage

Usually big desolation queue for Iceland 'round my way. Mustn't go in there lest I buy several Mattesons Smoked Sausages and scoff them all in one go.

Posh neighbours have Iceland deliveries. Why? Perhaps they're saving up for another stupid big car or something.

pancreas

Quote from: Pijlstaart on August 01, 2020, 08:45:09 AM
Used to have a big-weakness for Ritter-sport, which I could only find in Lidl. Regarding own-brand biscuits, Aldi/Lidl used to retail theirs at the same price as the sainsburys/tesco/morrisons basics range, but the quality was far better, and it was the custard creams and bourbons that stood out, they had structural integrity and a more subtle flavour. Fig rolls are the same everywhere.

What earnest hell is this? Why on earth would you want structural integrity in your biscuits, when this will obviously adversely affect the crumb cache you keep in your bedclothes?

seepage


Sebastian Cobb

Quote from: icehaven on August 01, 2020, 01:46:36 PM
Aldi is the only supermarket that still has queues outside round my way so it must be considered the cheapest even if it isn't. The Iceland directly opposite hardly ever had much of a queue even at the height of lockdown and has none now but still they're all still determined to go to Aldi. Power of advertising?

It's probably been decades since I've been in an Iceland, do they sell veg or refrigerated stuff now? If so fair enough, but I've considered them a different market to Lidl/Aldi, in my mind they're like farmfoods where you wouldn't be able to get refrigerated meats. Although I know they've supposedly got a side-hustle of quite decent vegan food now, spurred on by the owner's vegan son or something.

Utter Shit

I find that you cannot compromise on bread or beans. As someone already mentioned, breakfast cereals are usually fine, in fact often I find they are better than respected supermarket brands as they are more packed with delicious sugar.

Oh also surprisingly steak is a winner as well, I was extremely sceptical when I was first told that Lidl steaks were really good as I am a snob when it comes to the type of cut when it comes to steak, but there doesn't seem to be any drop-off in quality from Waitrose to Lidl, and you get way more for your money.

shiftwork2

Haven't been in one since I shopped at the Rusholme branch in 1994 and discovered my 29p vegetable spread had separated into solid and liquid components.  The only supermarket where you were scared to open what you had bought.

Small Man Big Horse

I found the lidl 50p cornflakes to be a bit cardboardy, but I cannot tell the difference between Sainsbury's £1 cornflakes and Kellogs. And I've tried. Tried all fucking night.

Pink Gregory

Can get Cinnamon Grahams from a non-nestle source

Marner and Me

For the Morrisons own stuff is better than the branded equivalent.

Icehaven

Quote from: Sebastian Cobb on August 01, 2020, 02:14:48 PM
It's probably been decades since I've been in an Iceland, do they sell veg or refrigerated stuff now? If so fair enough, but I've considered them a different market to Lidl/Aldi, in my mind they're like farmfoods where you wouldn't be able to get refrigerated meats. Although I know they've supposedly got a side-hustle of quite decent vegan food now, spurred on by the owner's vegan son or something.

Yeah they have vegetables and fridge meat, limited range obviously so if you're not fussy it's fine but there's plenty of staples like chicken, mince, steak etc. Plenty of cans, dried goods and bread too so they're basically just like Aldi without the queue.