When Lidl launched in the UK in 1994, a shopping trip was like going abroad. The unfamiliar brands, the Germanic styling, the multilingual labels. It was all so foreign.
Then there was the unapologetic presentation – the pallets stacked with boxes, the lack of choice (one kind of tinned tomatoes, while Sainsburys might have six or more), the scant customer service. Unsettling stuff to those of us used to the grander surroundings of Waitrose or Tesco.
Yet we’ve taken Lidl to our hearts – in part because they have wooed us well across their 960 UK stores. These days we wheel our baskets along far smarter aisles, past racks of fresh flowers and cabinets of patisserie, even if it’s still nigh-on impossible to find any floor staff of whom to ask a question.
The ranges now cover the same budget/standard/premium format we are used to – often at prices so low that, along with Aldi, they set the benchmark other supermarkets have to match.
Of course, price isn’t everything. Bargain basement products are worthless if they don’t also taste good. So, even if you do ‘the big shop’ elsewhere, these are the items to seek out from Lidl that beat other supermarkets on both price and quality.
Top-rated products
Milbona Authentic Greek Yogurt
£1.89 for 500g