Are you loyal to a particular brand of food?
I try not to be.
I'm a free man, not a number:) and not being too fussy makes shopping easier.
But I've sometimes come unstuck with this policy.
A recent purchase of a bottle of Co-op salad cream was a mistake - it will have to be Heinz next time.
I'm generally fine with any brand of baked beans, instant coffee, cola, bread, and ketchup.
Bran cereal is an exception, it has to be All Bran for me.
What food brands - if any - are you attached to?
And are there any own-brand bargains which are really the top brand in disguise?
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All Bran? Salad cream?
You sound like a Fray Bentos pie man, iffy :-)
Be seeing you!
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...You sound like a Fray Bentos pie man, iffy :-)...
Could be tempted, although I've not had one for years.
Cue lots of apocryphal stories of exploding ovens from people who've baked one without taking the lid off.
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Yes I dont like to compromise on food
Heinz Baked Beans /Spaghetti - No others will ever do
Walkers or Seabrook Crisps
Coca Cola (diet)
Schweppes Lemonade
HP Brown Sauce
Birds Eye Fish Fingers
Hovis Bread
As a Example i cant think of anymore
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>> Heinz Baked Beans /Spaghetti - No others will ever do
Not the best beans, by a long way. Thin tasteless pathetic effort.
Try Branston Beans, wont have Heinz beans in the house.
Mind only one ketchup will do. Heinz.
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>> Try Branston Beans, wont have Heinz beans in the house.
Ditto.
Out of curiosity (and because I had a discount voucher) I tried LIDLs beans once. Never again. It was about the only thing from LIDL I've bought that I didn't like.
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>> I tried LIDLs beans once.
>> Never again. It was about the only thing from LIDL I've bought that I didn't
>> like.
>>
A couple of years back they were revolting, yes. Recently they have changed their recipe/supplier - and they are now excellent. Give them another spin. Aldi's are top notch too.
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Redviper, you sound like a man happy to spend his money to fund the marketing campaigns at some rather large corporations. I recommend you blind test some of Lidl's excellent Lemonade against the hugely expensive, inferior Schweppes stuff. It's far nicer.
As for any diet soft drink, bleurghhh. Fake sweetner is one of the least appealing tastes I can think of!
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As for any diet soft drink, bleurghhh. Fake sweetner is one of the least appealing tastes I can think of!
Hear, hear!
Alas, over the past dozen years, artificial sweeteners have now been making their way into the non-diet equivalents.
(Not a big problem for me, since I don't consume a lot of fizzy drinks, but still annoying.)
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I recommend you blind test some of Lidl's excellent
>> Lemonade against the hugely expensive, inferior Schweppes stuff. It's far nicer.
I will give it a try Certainly but i do by own brand stuff as well, some of it more than happy to have
Supermarket Chunky Oven Chips, Supermarket baked Bread, Supermarket Cling Film and foil, Supermarket Fresh Orange Juice
All just as good as their branded equivlenats IMO
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>> Supermarket Chunky Oven Chips.
How long do these take to cook?
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"How long do these take to cook?"
About the same as chipping a few potatoes yourself , parboiling them for a few minutes, dry and drain and put them in a hot oven on a baking tray over with little oil on them.
25 kg potatoes cost £7
25 kg oven chips cost around £30
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>>25 kg oven chips cost around £30 >>
You'd be hard beat to better McCain's potato products, no matter what they are, especially Home Fries.
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>> About the same as chipping a few potatoes yourself , parboiling them for a few
>> minutes, dry and drain and put them in a hot oven on a baking tray
>> over with little oil on them.
I really dont think thats anywhere near as short ripping open a bag of Mcains and scattering them over a tray, not by a long shot.
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Guess you're right - that's a good 7 or 8 minutes saving . The thing is though if you buy a sack of spuds you can cook them in umpteen different ways, the chips will taste better and you save money. Still time is money as they say
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>>The thing is though if you buy a sack of spuds you can cook them in umpteen different ways>>
I know a man who sells more sacks of potatoes in a week than your family will eat in a lifetime - he (or rather his other half) uses McCain's products at home at least 95 per cent of the time...:-)
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>> >>The thing is though if you buy a sack of spuds you can cook them
>> in umpteen different ways>>
>>
>> I know a man who sells more sacks of potatoes in a week than your
>> family will eat in a lifetime - he (or rather his other half) uses McCain's
>> products at home at least 95 per cent of the time...:-)
>>
Selling that many spuds, he can afford to buy McCains..... ;-)
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If you'd ever tipped a load of spuds in McCains and seen the mess, or smelt the smell, you'd never eat an oven chip again!
Pat
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...If you'd ever tipped a load of spuds in McCains and seen the mess, or smelt the smell, you'd never eat an oven chip again!...
A guy I knew who ran a small transport firm said the same thing about Walker's crisps in Leicester.
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>>>If you'd ever tipped a load of spuds in McCains and seen the mess, or smelt the smell, you'd never eat an oven chip again!...
True... In the past I've worked on site at both the local McCains and London Brick works nearby. The brick works was tidier.
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Same goes for the Mars factory in Slough. Having a Dad work there for 10 years put me off sweets and chocolate for life. Revolting smell.
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I used to repair computers in Mars at Slough.
I watched a man climb into a chocolate vat with a spanner. The chocolate production never stopped while he was in there tinkering.
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Of course I won't mention the tonnes of tinned food we collect that has gone past it's best before date..........and take to firms who specialise in repacking and re-branding it, with yet another best before date.
Pat
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>>>I watched a man climb into a chocolate vat with a spanner.
But he never failed to pull the birds after that...
img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00432/snn0839gx1682_432480a.jpg
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>> I watched a man climb into a chocolate vat with a spanner.
I think he'd find a ladder would have worked better.
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>> I watched a man climb into a chocolate vat with a spanner.
>> I think he'd find a ladder would have worked better.
I reckon he was spanning you a yarn.
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...Same goes for the Mars factory in Slough...
Mmm, think I need to pay a visit to these factories.
Get off the crisps, chips and chocolate.
That should sort out the diet. :)
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I still eat Oven Chips and Walkers crisps with a true Leicestershire pork pie is probably my favourite food, so that won't work:)
Pat
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Regarding factory smells, I lived near a biscuit factory in my childhood, and the smell driving past it was very pleasant.
As an adult, I remember being inside the KP crisp factory in Billingham, and the foul odour of the flavouring they put on the crisps - cheese and onion I think it was.
Mind you, the smell of an open tube of sour cream and onion Pringles isn't much better.
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>> If you'd ever tipped a load of spuds in McCains and seen the mess, or
>> smelt the smell, you'd never eat an oven chip again!
Don't you wash potatoes and remove grotty ones before you cook them? McCain's do.
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??Selling that many spuds, he can afford to buy McCains..... ;-)>>
He's one of their suppliers......:-)
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25 min, all you to is put them on the tray and in the oven
Simples
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>> Supermarket Chunky Oven Chips
Had a money off voucher (that came through with my Tesco Clubcard points statement) for their own brand curry flavoured oven chips. I think they were something like £1.34, but with the discount voucher they only cost 34p. Took a chance and if rubbish, it was only 34p down the drain. Somewhat surprised, they tasted even better than I could have imagined. Will be buying another bag when there is room in the freezer.
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To the sane amongst us who shop in Lidl, the concept of a branded food is a little unnerving.
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>> To the sane amongst us who shop in Lidl, the concept of a branded food
>> is a little unnerving.
They do sometimes sell "brands", though.
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Indeed, FT, they do. And it really helps show how overpriced the branded stuff is.
I tend to think that anything which needs to be marketed so heavily (such as Coke etc) must by definition not be the best product in its class, nor the best value. If it were, then they wouldn't have to spend so much money brainwashing people.
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>> Indeed, FT, they do. And it really helps show how overpriced the branded stuff is.
But then, as someone once said:
"Not everything in life needs to be the most rational financial decision. I doubt any of us here are starving because of it."
Very true :-)
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Got me there, old Sockster!
I guess I'm happier burning my money on cars than branded food!
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Oh it's okay Alanović - I know what you mean!
I don't buy much food in Lidl, but some of the deli stuff does taste more like 'real food' than many a branded product.
Plus, I've lost count of the number of times I've gone in there for a bottle of milk,say - and come out with a socket set and a selection box of screws :-)
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...They do sometimes sell "brands", though...
So do Marks and Spencer, as of a couple of years ago.
I reckon there are some hidden gems in the likes of Aldi and Lidl.
Aldi lemonade and cola zero is among the best I've tasted, and their cooked meats are a match for anyone's.
I also like some of their lagers.
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he who shops wisely reaps the benefit of mind soul tongue and pocket
oh glasshopper
i find most branded stuff too sickly for my tastes and love trawling the likes of lidl trying to decipher the hidden goods of the foreign writing
heinz beans? yuk yuk yuk.......
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Anything 'lite' or 'reduced fat/sugar/salt' is more or less inedible.
I like a lot of mayonnaise with tomatoes/lettuce/eggs/tuna in sandwiches. But I don't agree with Zero that it has to be Hellmann's. I really prefer cheapo own brands, or even more cheapo imported Polish maijonez, because they have a bit more of that salad creamish side that appeals so to iffy. Hellmann's is too austere and salty for my taste.
White Americans slather everything in mayonnaise, but black ones don't. Remember a black comedian in some sort of cosy comedy having to eat a white man's sandwich, dripping with mayonnaise, out of politeness. He made great play with expressions of disgusted fear and horror.
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>> Anything 'lite' or 'reduced fat/sugar/salt' is more or less inedible.
Pate is an interesting exception - home-made is tastier and less calorific than "bought", and bought "low fat" has more liver in it and less fat than the "normal" bought stuff. Many pates are 40-60% fat. Yuck. Read the label.
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>> stuff. Many pates are 40-60% fat. Yuck. Read the label.
Of course they are fat, its what makes them tasty and creamy. You dont force feed animals to make the lean do you. If its not full of fat its not pate, but a terrine.
Last edited by: Zero on Thu 6 Jan 11 at 15:29
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>> >> stuff. Many pates are 40-60% fat. Yuck. Read the label.
>>
>> Of course they are fat, its what makes them tasty and creamy. You dont force
>> feed animals to make the lean do you. If its not full of fat its
>> not pate, but a terrine.
If you were making home-made liver pate, you'd use liver and a cheap cut such as shoulder. "Bought" pate often lists "pork fat" as the primary ingredient. As I say, yuck. Lard is OK, but not when it's 40% of the content of a pate.
Brush up on the "difference between a pate and a terrine", BTW.
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Baked beans are baked beans are baked beans - it's the taste of the tomato sauce that makes the difference between brands.
Aldi, Lidl and, indeed, Netto (now part of Asda) are Continental based and sell both their own and branded products, but do take advantage of the vastly higher manufacturing volumes and therefore lower production costs of European companies.
There are not many own brand products from these three retailers that don't at least equal, if not better, the top brand names from Tesco, Sainsburys, Morrisons etc, whilst being more keenly priced.
By the way if, for instance, like me you buy a lot of fruit juices in cartons or bottles, then Lidl's choice is remarkable.
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Beware brands in Lidl/Aldi. Generally more expensive than Tescos/Waitrose. Nutella, McVities biscuits spring to mind.
Anybody have a non-branded version of Nutella that tastes like Nutella?
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Off the top of my head:
Napolina Tomatoes
Branston Beans/Pickle
Heinz Tomato Soup (don't much like any other tinned soup)
Garners Onions
HP Sauce
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>> They do sometimes sell "brands", though.
>>
And sometimes they sell Shi. Visited one today and it was carp carp carp. Maybe not all shops are the same, but here in North Devon I was less than impressed and I am up for saving a quid.
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"I'm a free man, not a number"
Are you free Mr Humphries? MENSWEAR. Glass of water for Mr Grainger.
I knew it...
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I tend to buy whichever is the cheapest - provided it does not taste bad.
I do sometimes buy premium brands food but only when they are on deals :o)
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I just love Fry's Turkish Delight. Bought in packs of 4. Since the Cadbury takeover by Kraft, the theiving bar stewards have raised the price of a 4 pack from £1.50 in June to £2...
Fortunately nearby local B&M store - highly recommended for cheap branded goods sells them at £1.59. Which shows the supermarket profit margins.
Sainsbury have an offer of 2 for 80p (£1.60 for 4 for the arithmetically challenged) - which confirms it's just pricing..
I refuse to pay £2 for 4 - there is virtually no difference Tesco/Sainsbury/Morrisons/Asda pricing.
Unfortunately , Fry's Turkish Delight tastes best..
But many goods are the same: Baxters soup 59p a can all the time.. vs 79p.
etc.
With food prices rocketing - wheat at record highs, food price inflation is going to significantly affect everything .. and make Food Aid less available as food mountains vanish..
EDIT
and if you buy sugar , try Farmfoods...
Last edited by: madf on Thu 6 Jan 11 at 16:23
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Kelloggs Corn Flakes and Rice Krispies
Coke/Diet Coke
Otherwise really not too fussy. Waitrose Essentials range is consistently good and cheaper than the brand names.
As an aside, the best Bavarian smoked cheese I've ever eaten came from Aldi. No surprise given the chain's country of origin I suppose.
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Flahavans porridge from Asda. Nothing else will ever do.
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Heinz baked beans, Branston are far too sweet and cheap one are hard.
Proper Pork Pie, no Pork Farms in this house.
Alpen too has to be genuine Alpen and Kellogs for other cereals.
Heinz and Baxters Soups.
Aunt Bessie not own brand
Birds Ete for fishy stuff too.
BUT, I have lived happily on Tesco Value brands when I've been broke and probably will do again at some point!
Life's good when a real tin of Heinz baked beans can make you so happy for a treat:)
Pat
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As far as possible I will not buy any own brand anything. Got caught out once with some coffee with almost identical labelling to Nescafe but was supermarket DOB. Took it back for a refund. Similar experience with DOB cornflakes not being the same quality as Kellogs.
Don't forget that the supermarkets own label stuff might be cheap and cheerful but it is the quality that has to suffer in order to get a low price.
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Waitrose offer a money back guarantee if you're not happy with anything you buy from their stores. There doesn't need to be anything wrong with it. Therefore it's worth the risk trying things out.
I have still to find any own brand breakfast cereal or cola from anywhere which can match the big boys though.
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>> I have still to find any own brand breakfast cereal or cola from anywhere which
>> can match the big boys though.
>>
Yes i forgot about that, as far as Cereal is concerned I like the proper stuff.
Have you ever had Morrisons Rice Krispies? - Look and taste like Polystyrene Balls
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>> Have you ever had Morrisons Rice Krispies? - Look and taste like Polystyrene Balls
>>
Ahhh! Polystyrene BALLS.
Swear filter swear filter..Mods mods mods............it ain't just me. tell 'im tell 'im.
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>>I have still to find any own brand breakfast cereal or cola from anywhere which can match the big boys though.>>
To the best of my knowledge, Kellogg's is the only UK manufacturer that steadfastly refuses to produce "own brand" products.
So my ever so moreish Crunchy Nut Cornflakes will never be compromised..:-)
Last edited by: Stuartli on Thu 6 Jan 11 at 17:32
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>>Got caught out once with some coffee with almost identical labelling to Nescafe but was supermarket DOB.>>
Which? did a comparison of own brand/low cost coffee with Nescafe a while back.
One of Lidl's matched Nescafe for both taste and texture and was less than half the price...:-)
In any case, you can buy Nescafe 200gm jars (imported by a Leicester cash and carry firm from Brazil) in many local discount stores for around £2.49, which is about two-thirds or less of the cost of Nescafe's usual price.
When these first became available, the price was only £1.99 and sold like hot cakes. I couldn't tell any difference in the taste or quality and now they are becoming available in the curved Nescafe jar.
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Due to finances I tend to buy Tesco value where I can.
Ive got used to the taste over time, so things like baked beans and coffee taste fine to me, infact I rather prefer value coffee to the Nescafe Gold that my parents serve up.
I do have a thing for BirdsEye Chicken Chargrills, only the real thing will do, but they are often on offer anyways so its no biggie.
Im not loyal to brands as such though. I shop in Morrisons too when the mood takes me which is often cheaper overall and they have a better fresh meat selection, with cheaper cuts and beef olives which I love.
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Up to December ish last year I always bought Australian Soft Eating Liquorice from Lakeland.
Fantastic product, in moderation I might add.
Last lot were rubbery and different sized sticks. I will be advising them of my disappointment on my next visit.
I will have to search again
Opies minature gherkins. No stuff floating around in the jar. Fantastic taste and nothing else like them on the market. I have to raid a large Sainsburys to stock up.
Waitrose crisps. Salt your own and Crinkly ( no salt ).
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>> Waitrose crisps. Salt your own and Crinkly ( no salt ).
Thanks, Henry. As someone who shares your dislike of salt, I'll give these a try.
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Clk Sec
I assume you have tried the strangely named Tyrrells Naked Crisps
www.tyrrellspotatochips.co.uk/products/
and last resort of course is Smiths and watching what you select from the bag so to bin the little blue crisp. :-)
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>> I assume you have tried the strangely named Tyrrells Naked Crisps
>> and last resort of course is Smiths and watching what you select from the bag
>> so to bin the little blue crisp. :-)
henry k
I've just bought a pack of the Waitrose Crinkle Cut and the Tyrrells Naked Crisps that you kindly recommended, and will be tucking into a packet or two later with a few glasses or Merlot. I used to buy Smiths with the blue bag, but as far as I was aware these were discontinued years ago, then resurrected, and discontinued again. However, they were also on the shelf in Waitrose today.
Incidentally, have you tried their excellent (in the shell) roasted peanuts? They're a treat, and without the salt, you can actually taste the nuts.
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A good find! Naked and Merlot an interesting image.
My local Waitrose omits "Crinkles" so have to go further afield for supplies.
I will look for the peanuts. At least unsalted cashews and other items are becoming easier to find these days. Happy salt fee hunting.
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>> Don't forget that the supermarkets own label stuff might be cheap and cheerful but it
>> is the quality that has to suffer in order to get a low price.
>>
It's more to do with the fact that unbranded stuff requires no marketing budget, so you're not paying for Heinz's nifty adverts.
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>> It's more to do with the fact that unbranded stuff requires no marketing budget, so
>> you're not paying for Heinz's nifty adverts.
You dont get their ketchup either,
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Only genuine, proper, original, real Heinz Ketchup will do.
I can take any other cheap brand, but never skimp on the ketchup.
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Famous Grouse whisky
Gordon's gin
Schweppe's tonic
Branston beans (much tastier than Heinz).
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Do most of our shopping in Waitrose and find that most of their own brand is a match for the branded stuff, and in some cases better IMO.
Guess the one brand I do stick to is Bombay Saphire Gin
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Two 'P's' please. Or you haven't drunk enough.:))
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Get lots of stuff from Lidl's, their own biscuits arn't up to much, but apart from those most foods are good, Strawberry jam is the best i've tasted, moreish.
Heinz beans used to be the one, but they are pap now and Branston are preffered.
Wouldn't shop in tesco's if you paid me, prefer Morrisons for an alternative.
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Is it me, or is the meat much better in Morrisons than in Tesco? Certainly as to choice - I can buy brisket, skirt and shin of beef, never seen them in the local Tesco.
Morrisons sells Tiptree brown sauce as well. For anybody who doubts this could be better than HP, read the list of ingredients and compare.
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...Is it me, or is the meat much better in Morrisons than in Tesco?...
The range of lager in Tesco has always struck me as limited compared to other supermarkets.
You'll not die of thirst shopping there, but the others have more to offer to drinkers such as me who like to chop and change.
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Co-oP used to do an own brand brown Belgian beer, much tastier than many an imitation an more authentic.
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HP Sauce, no other brown is the same. Mayonnaise and Ketchup are, for preference, sourced in France. Why Unilever won't offer the Amora brand over here is a mystery equalled only by why Heineken don't offer Pelforth beer.
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>> Wouldn't shop in tesco's if you paid me, prefer Morrisons for an alternative.
Nout wrong with Tesco. Probably 80% + of the food in the house came from their store, the remainder from Sainsbury's, Waitrose & M+S. Have to admit that I've never been in a Morrisons though - too far away for starters.
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"...Is it me, or is the meat much better in Morrisons than in Tesco?..."
Funny that you should say that. I had a conversation with someone fairly recently, who knew something about the meat business, who told me something about Morrisons' meat being superior to that of other supermarkets.
[My recollections are vague, and it sort of went in one ear and out the other, since a) we don't shop in Morrisons, and b) I'm not much a meat eater.]
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Get lots of stuff from Lidl's, their own biscuits arn't up to much, but apart from those most foods are good, Strawberry jam is the best i've tasted, moreish.
Lidl jam is good. Especially their Morello Cherry Jam. Even my wife, who has almost no interest in jam, loves it.
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Flahavans porridge from Asda. Nothing else will ever do.
Legacylad, that takes me back to the porridge of my teenage years, and Flahavan's Progress Oatlets - wonderful name.
tinyurl.com/yd5bt4n
(Though, if I am honest, we seemed to have Speedicook oats more often.)
tinyurl.com/37yyhfj
But here is the curious thing.
I suppose that while I have mild loyalties to various products - e.g. we always get Heinz Salad Cream rather than the alternatives - I have a peculiarly fanatical loyalty to Mornflake Oats.
tinyurl.com/2v7uezp
It's enough to turn one into a Crewe Alexandra fan.
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The only problem with brand names - and indeed all processed food - is that you're never quite sure what might be in it, however reputable the source. Look, for example at L-Cysteine.
The following info is from an American site but the basic point is relevant I think.
The good thing about it is:
L-Cysteine is used as a reducing agent in bakery products. It is used to:
1. Reduce the mixing time of the flour dough.
2. Stop shrinking of pizza crust after it is flattened.
3. Help move the dough through various bakery processing equipments or dough conditioners.
L-Cystein is used in Bagels, Croissants, Hard Rolls, Cake Donuts Pita Bread, some Crackers and Melba Toast. It is also used as a nutrient in baby milk formula and dietary supplements.
The bad thing about it is:
The source of L-Cysteine is human hair, chicken feathers, cow horn, petroleum by-products and synthetic material.
Last edited by: Crankcase on Fri 7 Jan 11 at 09:18
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l-Cysteine is an an amino acid. Your body is manufacturing it right now. Can be found in all sorts of meat.
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>> l-Cysteine is an an amino acid. Your body is manufacturing it right now. Can be
>> found in all sorts of meat.
Let me just check how comforting I find that...no, it's just not working for me. :)
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I'm not that fussed over brands other than: -
Cereal - the own brand stuff, especially Bran Flakes simply will not do
Ketchup - Heinz all the way
Crisps - Kettle Crisps only
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Agree re Hz Ketchup, definitely prefer their beans but will try others now that they have been recommended. Can't beat their Tomato Soup, especially out of Greggs with a sausage roll!
In my supermarket days it was never a surprise when an own branded item came in in the exact same packaging as a branded item. I remember 20 odd years ago having a tour of the United Biscuits factory in Glasgow and I can't remember what their brand was at the time, say it was Penguin, but they had the same production line for the products, it was just different packaging it went into at the end to include all the own branded items.
If any of you like Chinese curry sauce, the type you may well get poured over chips in a chippie, then Farmfoods do one for a pound which is exactly spot on and so easy to make (easier than mince :) )
I shop in Aldi / Lidl for a lot of stuff especially snacks etc for the kids but I really don't like their fruit. Again, I may well have been brainwashed in my supermarket days, but many of the items we used to keep chilled, they now just display them in carboard boxes in the middle of the shop.
For chicken and mince, I now prefer going to Makro for these and buying in bulk. Makro usually have 5kg of chicken fillets, right good chunky fat ones, for about £18. OK may be dearer than supermarkets when they have their offers on but the quality is just totally different. The mince boils up so well :)
But there is only one Irn Bru !!!
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>> In my supermarket days it was never a surprise when an own branded item came
>> in in the exact same packaging as a branded item. I remember 20 odd years
>> ago having a tour of the United Biscuits factory in Glasgow and I can't remember
>> what their brand was at the time, say it was Penguin, but they had the
>> same production line for the products, it was just different packaging it went into at
>> the end to include all the own branded items.
Ditto Cadbury and M&S branded chocolate.
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>>Ditto Cadbury and M&S branded chocolate.
I don't think that is correct.
For all chocolate products M&S have a list of approved suppliers from whom the chocolate must be purchased. (so the chocolate in their chocolate ice cream for example must come from one of these suppliers). The list is short and currently does not include Cadbury. Of course, Cadbury may well not make all their own chocolate (in fact I'm fairly sure they do not) so one their suppliers may be on the M&S list.
M&S also have approved suppliers for milk, cream and various other materials.
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>> But there is only one Irn Bru !!!
LIDLs own brand of this was excellent. Shame I had to stop drinking it when I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. For a short time they also had the diet variety of their Iron Brew, but unfortunately discontinued it.
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Lidl' £2.99 Christams Pud was excellent : it was Best Buy in Telegraph I think.
And Aldi's thick crisps - 8 packs for 99p - put all others to shane. even to shame..
as does its Three bird roast.
Aldi are also cheapest for 15 x33cl Stella- £9.99..
Last edited by: madf on Fri 7 Jan 11 at 14:03
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>> Aldi are also cheapest for 15 x33cl Stella- £9.99.
"Stella". Eurgh. It would've been illegal to brew it in Germany before the repeal of the Reinheitsgebot in 1988. It's not a quality product, but a premium price is charged for it.
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>> "Stella". It's not a quality product, but a premium price is charged
>> for it.
>>
Yet another example of consumers paying for the marketing budget of an inferior product.
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>> >> "Stella". It's not a quality product, but a premium price is charged
>> >> for it.
>> >>
>>
>> Yet another example of consumers paying for the marketing budget of an inferior product.
>>
Why did 'i-phone' just pop into my mind?
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>>..as does its Three bird roast.>>
A first class buy.
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I hate stuff like Stella and that other french crap, 1664. It is not premium, even most german ales aren't premium but they are damn site better than that crap.
I must admit I do have a taste for Carlsberg Export though for some reason, and I often drink Carsberg weak stuff if I am trying to pace it out.
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Stella is known as 'wifebeater' for its propensity to turn anyone who drinks large quantities of it into violent morons. Or is it that violent morons have a propensity to drink large quantities of Stella?
Either way, it's awful. Gives me a rotten headache after a couple of pints of it.
Last edited by: DP on Fri 7 Jan 11 at 16:04
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>> I hate stuff like Stella and that other french crap, 1664.
Stella's Belgian, IIRC.
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Bottled Stella tastes different from cans and is a fine drink..
Some people have no taste.
Wife beater? Who me? Beating is no good. I find whipping more effective..
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...Stella is known as 'wifebeater'...
Also known in rhyming slang as 'Uri'.
I've heard the phrase 'beer in, brains out' used several times in court by barristers on behalf of violent clients.
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madf, in fairness I'd differentiate between Belgian brewed and UK brewed Stella. Guess which one is nice, and which one is undrinkable?
I actually proposed to my wife in the shadow of the proper Stella brewerey in Leuven as she was living there at the time. We did a brewery tour once, and Stella fresh out of there is nectar. As it is in all the local bars, heaven sent. There's a bar in town called "Commerce", which celebrates its birthday every November with a day of free draft beer (Stella) for everyone, all day and night. Used to plan my trips over there to coincide with these events, funnily enough.
The imitation stuff brewed here, however packaged, is revolting.
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"I hate stuff like Stella and that other french crap, 1664. It is not premium"
Don't agree with your first point (I like them both!! and I've never beaten my wife!! - I'd lose anyway, even if I'd ever felt the desire to beat which I ain't!!) but you are right on second - in France and Belgium neither are marketed as "premium" and are cheap (based on alcohol strength). Bit odd that Stella used to be advertised here as "reassuringly expensive" didn't it?
One continental beer I can't stand is Carlsberg!! - "reassuringly bland"!! It's all down to taste!!
At least I know what you'll have when I say "What's yours Rattle?"
Must admit I'm particularly partial to "weissbeer" in Germany and Austria.
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Mmmm Warsteiner (Warstarter, as my Canadian buddy calls it!) is a superb German beer, and Duval my favourite Belgian.
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"Mmmm Warsteiner (Warstarter, as my Canadian buddy calls it!) is a superb German beer, and Duval my favourite Belgian."
I'll join you there smokie -cheers!
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The aldi three bird roast is disgusting.
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>> The aldi three bird roast is disgusting.
>>
We have got one in the freezer - do you want to come round?
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...I've never been in a Morrisons though - too far away for starters...
Make the journey worthwhile by buying the ingredients for the others courses as well.
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Like everything else in the UK from cars to newpapers there is a class hierarchy for supermarkets;
from the top;
Waitrose
Sainsburys
Tesco
Morrisons
Co-op
Asda
Aldi
Lidl
Doesn't reflect the quality of the food or value, just what sector of the population regularly shop there.
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>>Doesn't reflect the quality of the food or value, just what sector of the population regularly shop there. >>
Or the level of your snobishness.....
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CG I think Farmfoods should be in there somewhere !
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>>I think Farmfoods should be in there somewhere !>>
Very true....
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>>I think Farmfoods should be in there somewhere !>>
Right at the very bottom.
And Asda should be above the Co-op too.
Pat
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" Asda should be above the Co-op too."
Not sure about that, at least round here. Co-op seem to have made a determined attemt to improve their image since taking over Somerfields. Seem to have given up on large supermarkets and concentrating on local stores.
Never been been in a Farmfoods? Are they like Iceland?
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>> CG I think Farmfoods should be in there somewhere !
The screen's not deep enough.
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>> Like everything else in the UK from cars to newpapers there is a class hierarchy
>> for supermarkets;
>> Doesn't reflect the quality of the food or value, just what sector of the population
>> regularly shop there.
What a strange statement. I regularly shop at Aldi, Lidl, and Waitrose. I like studying other people in there, too - I have formed the opinion that Aldi and Lidl shoppers tend to have a high number of foreigners. I think that many who shop at Waitrose are somewhat pretentious, and shop there mainly so that they can show off their shopping bags. Ho hum.
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What a strange statement. I regularly shop at Aldi, Lidl, and Waitrose......
The rest of your post confirms exactly what I am saying. Each of the supermarkets serves in the main a segment of the population. Those who shop in Waitrose or Sainsbury are by and large not the same people as those who regularly shop in Asda or Iceland. As is virtually everything in England, it has all to do with perceived class. The English are amazingly good at differentiating everything into a social pecking order.
Just try it yourself. Towns,cars, holiday destination, clothes shops, newspapers. Give anyone a list of these things and tell them to sort by social category - they will all come up with basically the same list. Advertisers do it all the time. Why do you think Waitrose advertise on Classic FM.
I am not saying this is a good thing, its just a fact of life.
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>>Why do you think Waitrose advertise on Classic FM.
They must be after the Hyacinth Bucket segment!
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>
>> Asda or Iceland. As is virtually everything in England, it has all to do with
>> perceived class. The English are amazingly good at differentiating everything into a social pecking order.
Not so.
I shop in Waitrose because the quality of service, quality of goods, range of goods and the whole shopping experience is Better than Lidl or Aldo.
I don't shop in Tesco because they are too large, the place is untidy, it smells and it takes an age at the checkout, plus I have a fundamental dislike of some of their business and social ethics and practices. Sainsbury suffers from none of these issues so they get used by me as well.
Class has nothing to do with it.
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>> and the whole shopping experience is Better than Lidl or Aldo.
>>
>> I don't shop in Tesco because they are too large, plus I have a fundamental dislike
>> of some of their business and social ethics and practices.
Point one i disagree with, 'shopping experience' is something to be avoided at all costs it's shopping hell more like.
Apart from one or two products i like Lidl's, their cleaning chemicals etc are second to none and their checkouts though often busy are very fast, meaning we get out quickly and saved a few bob in the process, works for us...their checkout operators can scan your purchases faster than you can put them into the trolley, no time consuming bag filling at the till.
Point two, Tesco, i couldn't agree more, can't comment on their store layouts/aroma as i never go in.
Morrisons are good for many things, especially good bogoff hunting there, our local town one is an ideal size and well laid out...good bakery, fishmonger and butcher.
Asda we don't really like, nor Sainsbury's, but will use them if convenient for odds and sods.
Only bought one or two items at Waitrose, interesting and pleasant enough store though it is SWM will not pay that much for the privelidge, nor M&S.
Edit...Manatee's link only confirms my dislike of the company.
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Sat 8 Jan 11 at 10:53
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>>Edit...Manatee's link only confirms my dislike of the company.
Do you mean Tesco or Aldi, GB?
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>> Do you mean Tesco or Aldi, GB?
>>
The former MT, no one else should have a slice of the market, which i understand but don't support.
I used to like Kwik Save too, no frills being their brand as i recall.
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Sat 8 Jan 11 at 11:11
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It would be interesting to see the demographics of those respective customer sets. I don't see Aldi & Lidl as being 'lower class'. That's not a defence of my personal preferences, I don't really car about labels.
What are sometimes called the 'lower socio economic groups' are on the whole very brand conscious, and as Aldi/Lidl don't sell many mainstream brands the appeal there is perhaps not as great as you think.
According to this article, Aldi under-indexes in groups A&E, but is strongest in the middle groups.
goo.gl/P6BS9
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"According to this article, ."
I know the facts probably haven't changed a lot but that article is three years old...
Last edited by: smokie on Sat 8 Jan 11 at 11:17
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Correct Smokie. Tesco has since launched its 'discount brands' AFAIK.
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I see Tesco is being made to suffer on here for what might be termed the "Murdoch factor".
The company is absolutely brilliant at what it does - in this case retailing.
I would be surprised if its "methods and practices" are so very different from Asda, Sainsbury, Morrisons and the rest.
Their businesses are just too similar for it to be otherwise.
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Iffy, here is a tale in the public domain that is a prime example of why I despise their tactics.
There is a largish town in Scotland that had a shopping centre. Tesco wanted to build a large store outside but were refused planning permission. A brand "new property" company bought the shopping centre and then over a few years ran the place down, refusing to do repairs, not letting vacated premises, until it turned into a liability and destroyed the business of the whole town centre.
Tesco came onto the scene offering to knock the whole place down and build a large store, which the now desperate council agreed to.
It came to light that the "new property" company were set up by Tesco.
If you need any more info, google "tesco landbank" whereby they buy, and keep empty, development sites to prevent competition in areas.
Tesco is now abusing a dominant market position.
Last edited by: Zero on Sat 8 Jan 11 at 12:02
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...Tesco is now abusing a dominant market position...
I believe all the major supermarkets - and housebuilders - operate land banks.
They are prepared to sit on the land for years, applying for permission every now and again, in the knowledge they will eventually wear down the local opposition, planning departments and councillors.
Tesco's use of their bank may be more aggressive than the rest, but to me that is just another example of Tesco doing the same as the competition, only doing it more successfully.
I don't approve of those tactics, but I can't believe the others aren't at it as well.
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round my way old mills that are in the way and stand on valuable land mysteriously self ignite in the night, so nothing new here , just a new twist to get what you want-
as for tesco they opened a supermarket on the norfolk coast it could have been cromer ?anyway locals had a plebiscite and tescos won and the next year i was down there the local butcher and a grocer had gone
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>>s for tesco they opened a supermarket on the norfolk coast it could have been cromer ?anyway locals had a plebiscite and tescos won and the next year i was down there the local butcher and a grocer had gone
Sheringham is to get a Tesco. Very sad, I visit there often and it's currently a town with lot of choice that will just disappear.
Tesco only do what they all would like to do, Tesco are just better at it. It shouldn't be allowed though, and the planning committee that could have turned it down have acted thoughtlessly in my opinion.
Tesco (and others') defence is that if they didn't offer people what they wanted, they wouldn't desert the local shops. The problem with this is that it probably only takes 20% of the butcher's or baker's business to disappear and it's enough to close them, even if 80% of people would still have used them.
It's too late now of course to think about how planning could help preserve choice and local variation. What sort of a choice is it between Tesco, Sainsbury, and Morrisons?
It's bizarre that there's more choice now in tiny places that are too small (so far) for a Tescburysons. But they have a plan for that, high turnover convenience stores that can stay under 2000 sq ft so open all hours and finally exterminate all local competition.
www.edp24.co.uk/news/tesco_succeed_in_sheringham_store_battle_1_682332
www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/mar/02/the-tesco-chumps-of-norfolk
Last edited by: Manatee on Sat 8 Jan 11 at 13:24
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Trouble is, Tesco got there first with such tactics. And not always openly.
Plus of course there is
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerrards_Cross_tunnel_collapse
A simple tale of how tesco openly despised the objections of the local people.
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It's a bit naive to assume that Tesco's are alone with this kind of behaviour though.
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>> There is a largish town in Scotland that had a shopping centre. Tesco wanted to
>> build a large store outside but were refused planning permission. A brand "new property" company
Can you name the town, and give some more facts, please?
>> Tesco is now abusing a dominant market position.
>>
So what else do you expect? Any business in a free market aims to become a monopoly, to the maximum extent that the free market regulators will allow, and will try to abuse its dominant position to its own advantage.
BTW, what has the tunnel collapse at Gerrards Cross got to do with Tesco's business tactics?
>> It's a bit naive to assume that Tesco's are alone with this kind of behaviour though.
yes, almost all businesses do it, - even those that claim to follow an "ethical" policy.
Last edited by: John H on Sat 8 Jan 11 at 12:59
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>> >> There is a largish town in Scotland that had a shopping centre. Tesco wanted
>> to
>> >> build a large store outside but were refused planning permission. A brand "new property"
>> company
>>
>> Can you name the town, and give some more facts, please?
Link in this post
www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?v=e&t=3052&m=61153
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...Can you name the town, and give some more facts, please?...
If you were selling a knackered old shopping centre you'd probably put up the price if Tesco offered to buy it, as opposed to an unknown property company.
Commercially, it makes sense for Tesco - and all the other supermarkets - to disguise their dealings if they can.
I once had a conversation with an executive of the Japanese bank FujiBank during which the subject of the number plate FUJ 1 came up.
The bank had it on a Merc saloon.
"When we were buying the plate we did not tell the seller we were FujiBank." the banker told me. "We got an Englishman to buy it for us."
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>> Commercially, it makes sense for Tesco - and all the other supermarkets - to disguise
>> their dealings if they can.
OK. But letting it go derelict for 6 years? Cynical, arrogant, anti-social.
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...Cynical, arrogant, anti-social...
True, true.
But as we've both said in earlier posts, Tesco are only doing what they all would like to do, but are just better at it.
Doesn't make them morally right, of course.
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Indeed, but a growing minority are going to punish them for their arrogance by boycotting them.
Last edited by: Zero on Sat 8 Jan 11 at 16:10
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I don't think so Z, afew drivers won't work for Stobarts for the very same principles, bet there are far more who think they are the dogs danglies.
( Sorry PU, I revert back to lorry driver speak now and again:) )
Pat
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The latest sales figures are revealing Pat
Tescos growth is slowing compared to the others. If keeping my 5 grand a year from them is a mere pinprick cause of that, it makes me happy.
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That's simply because people in general have less money and are having to try and eat cheaply, hence are using Aldi/Lidl for their shopping.
Pat
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>> That's simply because people in general have less money and are having to try and
>> eat cheaply, hence are using Aldi/Lidl for their shopping.
Nope, Sainsbury had the largest growth in December, beating tesco by 5%
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Food brand loyalty - Old Sock
