Aldi/Lidl specials - recommendations

[herbidacious]

Ooh I forgot. Mind you it’s been very wet to walk there for me.

[herbidacious]

So I went and bought a bag load of stuff... I still have a lot of Italian things to eat in the fridge. I need to start working things down before I buy anything else.

[KeenCook]

Sue, did you get the capers wrapped in anchovies? They are wonderful in a salad nicoise (sorry, can't do cedillas on here)

[Stokey Sue]

I still haven't opened the ones with caper,s last time they had several varieties, will try on a Niçoise (spell checker has cedillas it seems! )

[KeenCook]

I picked up a jar of (for Lidl, £5 +) expensive Albichore tuna in olive oil as part of their Spanish promo.

Now I don't know what to do with it ... has anyone else bought it there? And if so, please share your ideas!

Thx!

I also got a couple of cartons of those lovely olive oil pastries

[Ameew]

On bruschetta , especially if you can get some decent tomatoes , or a Salade Nicoise

[KeenCook]

Bruschetta a lovely idea, thx ! Yes, deffo Salade nicoise as well. I also got some more of those capers wrapped in anchovies I mentioned above, which were extremely good in a nicoise

[herbidacious]

Are the olive oil pastries part of Iberia week, KC? Sweet or savoury? Frozen or pantry?

[KeenCook]

Yes they are, Herbi, sweet, not frozen. I love them!!

ETA https://eurousa.com/wp-content/uploads/ ... tas-02.jpg

[herbidacious]

Ah those!

[herbidacious]

This is a bit sad but I got quite excited by the HUGE (compared to Sydenham) Lidl in Epsom, this afternoon. They had so much more in the Iberian range that we have - such as those olive oil sweet flat pastries. I realize now the ones our branch has is a different, more expensive brand. (And also a lot of German Christmas things that we never get.)
Unfortunately I couldn't indulge.
I am not wondering if range is purely related to size (and if so where is the biggest one closest to me) or perceived demographics (and actual sales, of course).

[Stokey Sue]

I switch between three fairly large Lidls, and used to go to Hanwell which is even bigger and I think had just about everything ever sold in the UK.

I think Well Street (Hackney) is a little bigger than the new Finsbury Park one (the old Finsbury Park one is still going but it's small, and effectively an Express/Metro) but Tottenham Hale, the oldest, is about the same size as FP

There are definite difference in the inventory, Tottenham for example seems to focus more on the Middle of Lidl offers and booze, Well Street has the best fruit & veg, and as it has a car park sells a lot of plants (good value) and so on. Sainsbury (years ago, it's more subtle now) used to have A-K stock lists, and if your store was designated H, it got mainly baked beans and sliced bread, I think Lidl have something a bit similar lurking in the background. A small thing but clear - Well Street and Tottenham sell those cube boxes of tissues with pretty boudoir pattern on them, and other boxed tissues, FP only sell pocket packs of tissues, no boxes of any kind. And so on in the food section, less baking in FP I think but more frozen food

I used to go up to Tottenham for things like rye bread, I'm quite disappointed that all branches of Lidl and Aldi have anglicised to the point where there isn't any of that stuff in any of the three branches, apart from small areas like bratwurst.

[herbidacious]

We used to go to the Tottenham Hale one when it opened, but were so short of money at the time had to be careful of the temptations of the middle aisle!

I gather that Wimbledon has the biggest in the country. It is much bigger than Epsom. Not sure if it's worth a pilgrimage. It takes so long to go west from here even though the mileage is small. But if I can find something else to do while there, maybe. I shall investigate the one on Southend Lane which is undoubtedly bigger than Sydenham High Road, but it's a half hour walk or a half hour bus journey or a 5 minute car journey so will probably wait to be taken.

Will definitely go to the one near(ish) to our place in France again, having eschewed it for years on the assumption it would be too like the ones at home. In fact, all the non-Lidl brands are (in retrospect not surprisingly) very French, and they have a lot of clothing (albeit mostly in small sizes). But they also had things in their Italian week that were not available in our Italian week in any store, I think.

It feels like Lidl are very sensitive to local interests. But I imagine all supermarkets are and I just don't notice it.

[Pepper Pig]

When Harrow Weald Lidl opened about 5 years ago it boasted it was the biggest in the country. The new one being constructed in Hemel looks even bigger. Many Lidls took over old supermarket buildings of course. Round NWLondon a lot started up in defunct Safeways.

I’m just off to art. I think it’s water lilies in pastels. I might manage that. Josh is coming over later with a van to collect all his stuff. I may be able to move around upstairs again.

The dogs have gone for a walk with Molly and I’m off. See you later.

[herbidacious]

The Wimbledon is supposed to be 27,000 square feet.

Much as I like a Lidl 'foreign' week, I do hope they don't take over our huge Sainsbury's (opposite Aldi) when the lease runs out imminently. That would be depressing and the nearest 'comprehensive' supermarket is miles away and an unpleasant if very big Tesco (apart from Waitrose which is small and always ends up being expensive).
None of the German supermarkets have all the things I want to buy. The desserts, deli and vegetarian ready meals (I do very occasionally buy them when too tired to even construct a meal) are unimaginative in my local branches.
I do hope that M&S opens a food shop as planned next door but one to Aldi.

Lidl has been opening new shops at a fast rate of late and thinking big. They are actually asking the public to alert them to possible sites with 18,000-27,000 square feet.

[Stokey Sue]

It occurs to me I occasionally go to a fourth Lidl, Tottenham Court Road nearl Warren Street tube but other side of the road, it’s a big store but you can go past it on the bus without seeing it as it has quite a small frontage most of it being set back from the street.

It has a very different vibe, definitely slick urban, but aimed at the roughly 10 000 students, similar number of hospital workers within a few minutes stroll other workers in the area. you enter through the bakery.

[PatsyMFagan]

( One reason I don't post much these days is that I am usually catching up on my phone, in bed, either in the evening or early morning. Today I posted on here, from my phone, just got to the end and the phone connection was interrupted, probably by me pressing a wrong button, losing my message Also, when I am using my phone I make so many typos, I spend a lot of time correcting the predictive texts ) This message is from my laptop....

Anyway, this was just to say that I paid a rare visit to my local LIDL today..... not that local as I need to drive there and it's never on my way to anywhere else.

I found the Sweet Biscuits with Olive Oil and really wish I hadn't. Not because I didn't like them, but because they were delicious and I don't think they will last long. I also bought some Pinchitos in the Spanish range . A tasty little snack

[herbidacious]

I would have bought the gazpacho flavoured crisps if they’d had them in my local one…

[PatsyMFagan]

I have never liked any flavour crisps except just plain, lightly salted....Kettle crisps best, closely followed by Tyrells. Lidl's own brand are good value..

Sorry didn't mean to hi-jack this thread

[herbidacious]

I don’t really like crisps much but I am a sucker for novelty.