I have to say, after doing my first visit to Tesco I did have my doubts about whether I could get everything at Lidl and Aldi. And it turns out that price-wise, it was not a foregone conclusion as to who was cheapest.
I was rather surprised by the result.
So how did the prices compare?
1 Bell Pepper
I was concerned about this one. I could not recall ever seeing single peppers sold in Lidl or Aldi - only packs of 3 little ones. On the other hand, if I've got left over spring onions and beansprouts (very likely), I can make up a mini salad for a snack, so a third small one would not go to waste. However, each supermarket did indeed sell individual large peppers.
Tesco - 80p
Lidl - 69p, or £1 for 3 smaller peppers (equivalent to 33p each)
Aldi - £1.29 for 3 (equivalent to 43p each)
Spring Onions
An impressive result in Lidl for a mere 39p
Tesco - 60p
Lidl - 39p
Aldi - 59p
Beansprouts
A blow to Lidl and Aldi - neither of them had beansprouts in stock. A point to Tesco!
Tesco - 50p / 310g bag
Lidl / Aldi - not in stock
Olive Oil
I was a little surprised that the smallest bottle of Olive Oil in both Lidl and Aldi were 750ml. Technically, you're getting more oil for your money by buying the larger product. But for this exercise, I'm looking to spend less right now, so Tesco wins this one.
Tesco - 98p / 250ml
Lidl - £2.25 / 750ml of Prima Dona
Aldi - £2.25 / 750ml of Solesta
Wine Vinegar
Surprising Tesco wins again on price but also on value.
Tesco - 54p / 350ml
Lidl - 99p / 500ml
Aldi - 99p / 500ml Solesta
Soy Sauce
Good lower price at Lidl for the exact same product from Tesco
Tesco - 98p (discounted from £1.14) Amoy
Lidl - 59p / Amoy
Aldi - 75p / Bramwells
Sunflower Oil
Another good saving at both Lidl and Aldi for a litre of sunflower oil.
Tesco - £1.58 / 1 litre
Lidl - £1.39 / 1 litre Vita D'or
Aldi - £1.39 / 1 litre Solesta
Onion
This one is awkward. Tesco sells by the lb, the other two by kg. I'm trusting an online converter calculator (maths is not my strong point) and I gather that 1lb is just over 2kgs. I guess that makes Lidl the better value, but my recipe doesn't need 1kg of onions! I'm saving my pennies with Tesco on this one.
Tesco - 39p per lb
Lidl - 69p per kg
Aldi - 79p per kg
Garlic Puree
This is my one bugbear with Lidl - it doesn't always stock the same things. Previously I'd purchased my garlic puree at Lidl for an excellent price. But, it was no where to be found this time.
Tesco - 69p / 90g tube
Lidl / Aldi - not in stock.
Peanut Butter
I was surprised by this one. Lidl's was more expensive than I'd anticipated, but Aldi to the rescue with an excellent 89p on offer.
Tesco - £1 / 340g jar
Lidl - £1.15 / 340g jar
Aldi - 89p (reduced from 92p)
Lemon Juice
Tesco's shocked me on this one - only a single brand on the shelf. Was it misplaced and the dozen or so other brand hiding on another shelf? It was the last item and I struggled to track it down. Lidl and Aldi however had none at all. A lucky escape Tesco ...
Tesco - 60p / 250ml
Lidl / Aldi - not in stock.
Honey
Another surprise! Lidl was a lot more expensive! Plenty of jars to choose from but the pricing was a disappointment.
Tesco - 99p / 340g jar
Lidl - £1.81
Aldi - £1.29
Chili Powder
Very good value in Aldi, but alas you are 15p dearer than Tesco.
Tesco - 70p / 50g
Lidl - not in stock
Aldi - 85p / 100g
Milk
Much to my annoyance I discovered that Lidl does not sell 1pint containers, only 2 pints or larger. Aldi appears to only stock the 4 pints. Both better value, but I'm not looking at value here, it's price alone for this. (I'm definitely considering re-doing this experiment with some refinement.)
Tesco - 48p / 1 pint, semi-skimmed
Lidl - 75p / 2 pints, semi-skimmed
Aldi - £1 / 4 pints, semi-skimmed.
Diced Chicken Breast
Very little difference here. Pretty much the same value for money.
Tesco - £3 / 377g
Lidl - £2.99 / 375g
Aldi - £2.99 / 375g
Long grain Rice
Lidl, Aldi, you both disappointed me here. 60p normal price? Even reduced Tesco has beaten you again. (And it's weird that you two had the same price reduction.)
Tesco - 45p / 1kg bag
Lidl - 49p / 1kg (reduced from 60p) Golden Sun
Aldi - 49p / 1kg (reduced from 60p) World Wide
Wooden Skewers
My primary concern about this experiment. Would Aldi or Lidl have these in stock?? NOPE!
Tesco - £1.75
Lidl / Aldi - not in stock
GRAND TOTALS
TESCO - £15.94
LIDL - £14.18 - 5 out of 17 items not in stock
ALDI - £15.56 - 4 out of 17 items not in stock
Not the result I was expecting.
I admit, I thought Lidl and Aldi would be a lot cheaper overall, but even with less of the items available, I wouldn't have spent much less than at Tesco's. Very surprised by the result.
I guess the main thing to take from this experiment is that you shouldn't assume that particular shops that are deemed to be 'cheaper' by public opinion, are not always so. Certainly there are various items you can get brilliant value on. For instance, the chili powder - great value in Aldi compared to Tesco's own, but downside is that the selection is more limited; but it's the place for milk if you get through a lot!
That's the other thing - whilst I focused on price alone for this experiment, I wouldn't have got the best value every time. Going back to milk - £1 for 4 pints, great value, but if I was only buying for me would I finish 4 pints of milk before it went off? In that instance, it's a waste of money as I'm paying for milk I won't use. It's not a saving if it's not going to be used.
Things that will last for longer (and will be used, don't forget) tend to be worth paying a bit more to get better overall value for money. Things like olive and sunflower oil, if you're going to be using them on a regular basis, then the more expensive option works out better than the smaller cheaper one.
So - I ended up purchasing only a few things at Lidl and Aldi before making a return to Tesco for the remaining ingredients. Between the three supermarkets I did get myself the cheapest products available. And in future I don't think I'll dismiss Tesco quite so quickly when it comes to shopping.
I am considering doing another experiment like this, but I shall put some more thought into it. I had hoped this 'recipe' list would be more interesting that 'the weekly shop' but we'll have to wait and see whether I consider doing that in some shape or form.
I am considering doing another experiment like this, but I shall put some more thought into it. I had hoped this 'recipe' list would be more interesting that 'the weekly shop' but we'll have to wait and see whether I consider doing that in some shape or form.
Oh, and the meal was splendid! Will have to have it again sometime ...
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