Another visit to Aldi

This post is not an advertisement, just reporting on something I have done and my thoughts.

I am still not sure I like Aldi.  Yes it has a great range of items at reasonable prices a lot of which I have not bought yet as the freezers still need scrubbing out.  I am hoping to get that done this weekend.  I think it is perhaps that it is a very good limited variety of stuff - and not the sort or type of shopping I usually go for.  Their meat and fresh stuff is excellent and what I have seen of the freezer stuff looks promising too.

We have had a mahoosive thunder and lightning storm here in Peterborough with torrential rain.  It has been horribly hot all day so I am not at all surprised.  It has gone horribly muggy again now.

I now have to go and scrub the fridge out and get all the new bits and bobs in situ.  For a change we have tried one of their pre-prepared curries I had Prawn Bhoona and OH had Chicken Tikka Masala.  OH enjoyed his and I enjoyed mine.  Nice and spicy but not over-spicy so that I could not eat it served with Pilau rice.  I enjoyed it.

I bought a larger chicken again, a Topside joint 21 day aged for £5.99 - more than enough for the two of us. Pork chops, bacon, gammon steaks, stewing steak, fish smoked haddock for me and cod fillets for OH.  Have also bought some cold meats and other bits and bobs and lots of salad.  I still have not bought off all the sections but Aldi is certainly good for a basic shop. The baking section look very promising. We need to get back on track again and watching the shopping budget always helps in the first instance.  We need to eat well and reasonably cheaply.  I still need to do a tinned pantry overhaul as well and I am hoping to go to B & M sometime this week to stock up on the basics.

Aldi is very different to Lidl which I love although I prefer the meat from Aldi at the moment.  There is however a lot of stuff at Lidl on the deli side that we actually like and of course the continental specialities like different flavoured chocolate spreads, and items.

So will see how it goes.  It is early days yet.  Unsalted butter is about £1.49 per pack at Aldi.  At the Co-Op I have been paying £1.80 per block.  It therefore pays if you find a stash of double cream that has been reduced to buy it if you can and make some flavoured butters for your freezer in any event.  Then you have basics at a good price and artisan at a reduced price.  What I call a "win-win" situation.

Right I have a hot date with a scrubbing brush and a cold fridge and then I have to persuade said fridge that it wants filling.

Catch up again soon.

Pattypan

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