Aldi has lost its crown as the UK’s cheapest supermarket after almost 20 months, with rival Lidl beating the store in a price comparison of popular grocery items. Which? compared the prices of 76 branded and own-brand items across the leading supermarkets, and found that Lidl was the most affordable, beating Aldi by 85p on average. The price comparison found that the average basket price at Lidl was £128.40, or £128 with a Lidl Plus card, while Aldi came in at £129.25. Both supermarkets were over £10 cheaper than their next closest rival, Asda, and more than £40 cheaper than similar items at Waitrose.
© iStockAs a regular shopper at both Tesco and Sainsbury's - both of which cost between £10-£15 more on average than similar items at Lidl - I decided to give the budget supermarket a try for myself to see if it could make a difference to my family’s ever-increasing grocery bills. The reason I don’t currently shop at Lidl more often is simply a matter of convenience, as I don’t have a store as close to my home, and can benefit from home delivery or click and collect from the bigger supermarket chains. But it could be worth the effort to travel a little further if it means making consistent savings on the weekly shop.
Cheaper fruits and vegetables
© Getty ImagesMy first impression upon entering the store was that the fruit and vegetables were really reasonably priced, and definitely cheaper than what I am currently buying, even with the use of reward cards like Clubcard and Nectar. With large bags of pears for 99p and a 600g punnet of British Strawberries at £2.59, it means I can keep up with my sons’ berry consumption without spending a small fortune each week!
Meat selection
The fresh meat and fish section was equally impressive. I’ve often thought that Lidl doesn’t have as much choice as other bigger supermarkets, but there was a huge selection to choose from, including my regular grocery buys of chicken thighs, sausages and salmon at marginally cheaper prices.
Bakery highlights
One of the highlights of Lidl is its bakery section, with fresh bread, pastries and sweet treats baked in-store daily. Its selection surpasses anything available in my local supermarket, and I know it is something I would make more regular use of if I lived closer to the store.
© Getty ImagesFrozen food
Meanwhile, the freezer section had a lot of choices across everything from main dishes to sides, and frozen fruits and vegetables that are always handy to have in for making healthy meals and smoothies.
Cupboard staple steals
© Getty ImagesI found some great budget-friendly alternatives to our store-cupboard staples, including almond butter, which at £1.99 was 40 per cent cheaper than the branded product I usually buy, and bags of nuts and seeds.
My verdict
My food shop came in about £10 cheaper than I usually spend on similar items elsewhere. However, while I was impressed with the food and prices in-store, I struggled to find everything on my shopping list, simply because I am used to the additional branded items that are available at bigger supermarkets. I left the store with a few extra items to buy elsewhere, but despite that, I still intend on going back regularly to take advantage of the fresh fruit and vegetable offers, and to stock up my cupboards and freezer.
