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Asparagus hunting


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You should have gone to Aldi as I told soundman. I don't know what people think is wrong with Aldi? We have a Waitrose close but I can buy a kilo of sugar for over 20p less in Aldi - all their basics are a lot cheaper than Waitrose or Tesco. Their veg, meat etc is all top quality UK produce. I did a credit crunch dinner for 24 people that normaly shop at Waitrose, comparing Aldi produce with Waitrose,the Aldi dinner cost half the price and everyone agreed the quality was as good as Waitrose. :rolleyes:

Edited by Pam Brunning (log)

Pam Brunning Editor Food & Wine, the Journal of the European & African Region of the International Wine & Food Society

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Went to Waitrose to do the weekend shop. Nothing but bleeding Peruvian stuff. Walked straight again and went down the road to Sainsbury

Same thing happened to me on Friday John, went to Sainsbury and it was half price and grown about 20 miles away!

Pam, I've been to Aldi and I don't like it, the customer experience is bad, the shops are grotty, the choice is poor. The prices may be competitive, but that doesn't make up for the other negatives. I prefer to support retailers who give me a good experience and sell me what I want to buy, rather than chase the absolute lowest price. However, if you like it there I'm delighted for you, and if I don't shop there, there's more left for you :)

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I don't know what people think is wrong with Aldi?

I don't have an issue with Aldi and shop there periodically. Always do far better at Lidl for that sort of shop, though - dried pasta, "cooking" olives. I understand Netto is even cheaper (and has known brands) but I've never been to the one nearby.

John Hartley

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That was my reaction to Aldi a few years ago - went once and didn,t go back. But a new one opened near us two years ago and was totaly different to the older stores. Bright, clean and everything on shelves not stacked in boxes on the floor and a good range of products. Their staff are helpful though thin on the ground and their checkouts are mega fast. Having said all that I still go to Waitrose for some things. We favour Aldi over Lidl mainly because when I was researching for the Credit Crunch dinner for the Wine & Food Society we did a tasting of their wines and Aldi's showed up as much better quality so we ended up using all Aldi produce. Never shopped at Netto - looked in one some years ago and our reaction was the same as soundman's to Aldi! :hmmm:

Pam Brunning Editor Food & Wine, the Journal of the European & African Region of the International Wine & Food Society

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Aldi is being suggested as a gourmet food destination? Really? I have to admit I'm far too much of a snob to even consider going there. Although funnily enough I did once ask a taxi driver in Essex to take me to the Audi garage, and he took me to an Aldi headoffice, somewhere near Chelmsford.

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I was too poor to be a snob when I was young :laugh:

So old habits die hard and even though I can now afford whatever I want (within reason)I still seek out a bargain.

Aldi's veg section is simply unbeatable value especially on their top offers, and its all(or mostly?) Great British produce by smaller growers. Whenever I stroll through Tossco's and see the same stuff at twice or three times the price it makes my Scottish blood boil.

I also pop into other stores like Sainsbury's to see how Jamie's getting on :laugh:

"So many places, so little time"

http://londoncalling...blogspot.co.uk/

@d_goodfellow1

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Aldi's veg section is simply unbeatable value especially on their top offers, and its all(or mostly?) Great British produce by smaller growers

Now - is that true? Seriously, I had no idea - one opened near me about a year ago, and I had a quick (and vain) look for some interesting bargain euro-type tinned food/charcuterie, but didn't even think to look at the fresh produce. I walk past it very day with barely a glance. And now I feel stupid.

Sheffield, where I changed,

And ate an awful pie

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I also pop into other stores like Sainsbury's to see how Jamie's getting on :laugh:

Ah, you'd enjoy Waitrose then.

Piccies of St Delia everywhere - that's the Delia who, when slated over her "Cheat" book, said she had never taken money for "sponsoring" a product.

Of course, that was then and now is now. Big difference. Innit.

John Hartley

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And the same Delia whose "seafood risotto" using fish soup instead of stock, frozen seafood and garnished with gruyere and rouille, is, unsurprisingly at one and the same time revolting but also clearing Waitrose shelves nationwide of jars of fish soup.

Sheffield, where I changed,

And ate an awful pie

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Mrs H made the seafood risotto. It's certainly not something she'd want to repeat in a hurry. The problem wasnt actually the risotto (mix was pretty flavoursome) but the frozen seafood mix. It's mainly squid rings which, in spite of following the cooking times to the letter, came out very very rubbery.

I like the strongly flavoured fish soup. I'd not seen it in the UK before, but have bought jars from Carrefour in Calais when we've been passing through the port.

Edited by Harters (log)

John Hartley

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Hey what is wrong with making fish stock with some good old fish bones rather than all this tinned rubbish - of course Delia is still cheating, always has been. :rolleyes:

Pam Brunning Editor Food & Wine, the Journal of the European & African Region of the International Wine & Food Society

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It's from Le Touquet, innit.

Yep. There used to be crab soup that we got in Carrefour that I think was from the same people, but I havnt seen it on the last couple of trips. Bloody lovely, it was (IMO, of course). I'm planning a photographic trip "over there" in the autumn and think we might base ourselves at Le Touquet for a couple of days.

Edited by Harters (log)

John Hartley

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anyone been chowing down on the purple asparagus? lovely family run farm near me do loads of the stuff, nice raw in salads or very quick flashes on bbq or griddle.

absolutely crap loads of asparagus round worcestershire, but still the supermarkets insist on serving the crap from else where. ah well, least every tom dick and harry arent robbing my asparagus!!!

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I haven't seen any (not that I've been looking hard). Where's the farm near you?

I really think the supermarkets should say the date/time the asparagus was picked, as this makes a huge difference to the taste.

Or just buy them it from farm shops where you know it will be just picked, and eat it same day.

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I really think the supermarkets should say the date/time the asparagus was picked, as this makes a huge difference to the taste.

In today's paper I saw an advert from Tesco claiming that their asparagus takes 48 hours from farm to shop.

For some reason that doesn't make me want to rush out to visit Tesco, I think I'll continue going to the local farm shop where not only is it picked the same day, but once picked the bunches spend their time upright in water (or they also do PYO for the purists).

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nickloman-

the farm is called Red Top Farm and is run by The Robinson family. its in harvington near kidderminster on the A450 just before the dog pub, which i do not recommend on any occasion!!!

£2 a bunch i thinks

Edited by eatenmess (log)
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  • 3 weeks later...

Got some epic green and purple asparagus from Revills at the weekend. The lady seemed quite surprised and pleased when I told her I'd driven all the way from Birmingham. This time I sliced it lengthwise on the mandolin and served with papardelle and Berkswell, very nice indeed.

I know the pub you mean I think - isn't it called the Dog Inn - which conjurs up various images... I think if you continue in that direction you get to Bakewells Farm who did our Xmas duck and also can sell you duck hearts by the dozen, always a welcome treat!

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And by the way, to show that I am open-minded, I popped into LIDL. There was some sparrow grass for £1/bunch with a UK flag on, so fair enough. But the veg was generally in a sorry state (mould on the rhubarb) and the selection very limited.

Edit: hmm, I realise I went to the wrong place, I should have gone to ALDI not LIDL .. my bad!

Edited by nickloman (log)
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And by the way, to show that I am open-minded, I popped into LIDL. There was some sparrow grass for £1/bunch with a UK flag on, so fair enough. But the veg was generally in a sorry state (mould on the rhubarb) and the selection very limited.

Edit: hmm, I realise I went to the wrong place, I should have gone to ALDI not LIDL .. my bad!

The Lidl £1/bunch stuff that I've had was really pretty damn good on the taste front. Better than I expected from its slight floppiness when raw - which I think is probably due to an excessive effort to to stop it drying out.

But very good cooked.

Generally, the veg in my local branch isn't exceptionable - either way. But this might vary from branch to branch. When things go on silly cheap special offer, they sell out fast. And as with a market, the time of day that you shop may make a significant difference!

I'd advise being very selective when shopping at Lidl. You simply cannot generalise. There's some best-of-breed stuff, and some real dross. But at least its hard to make an expensive mistake !

"If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch ... you must first invent the universe." - Carl Sagan

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