Ok, so you might be working out that I’ve recently become a little bit of an Aldi fan! My Mum’s loved it for years and is in there practically every day. I have, if I hold my hands up honestly, turned my nose up on occasions. This year however and I have had the opportunity to meet with the brand’s top people and discuss their ranges. I see now that the perception I had, which might have been correct when I first stepped in one, was far removed from the way they run their business today! Not only are their ranges far more extensive but they are also very, very good! I’m not saying they weren’t good before but they didn’t really have much and what they did have was kind of continental and not altogether what I was used to.
Well, they still do have their continental ranges and actually I quite like them now but as well as that they also stock pretty much everything that a bigger and more well known supermarket does! My Mum just this morning has been telling me what a lovely spatchcock piri piri chicken she had from there last night. Juicy and succulent, British and on offer from £4.29 (which isn’t bad anyway) to £3! I am getting more and more impressed with this supermarket, the more I hear! They treat their staff well, have brilliant ethics and more to the point, they care about the customer! The prices are not reflected in how well I am treated when I shop. Is it fancy? No. It is friendly? Yes. Are the prices better than anywhere else? I believe so yes. Next week I am about to embark upon another challenge from them, I have already done a month with their nappies to good effect, now I am going to try a whole week using only Aldi products from the food we eat to the kitchen roll! I’ll let you know how it goes. What’s also very exciting is that this week I got to meet with the Aldi guys again and try out the ranges they have on offer for Christmas 2013!
For me the festive period is about the food. The nibbles and the drinks and the socialising with family and friends… Of course it’s about presents for the children and they have all sorts of things from jigsaw puzzles to a Hello Kitty Karaoke machine which Florence would love to get her hands on! But for me, it’s about the food – I wish I didn’t love to eat so much but I do, oh well! I loved trying out EVERYTHING yesterday and like a hoover worked my way round the room! I was so impressed with the fact that the party food tasted amazing and more to the point, was easily as good as the very high end supermarket Christmas food I’d tried last week. The prices are fantastic too and with ranges of both fresh and frozen it just couldn’t be faulted.
Aldi can afford to work with small family businesses which is very pleasing. They are not as big as some of their competitors and can use that to their advantage! This year they have delicious Italian busicuits and chocolates as well as Indian Baklawa coming from small family run operations which is just up my street. It’s all about their ethics again and I do just have to commend that once again! Their turkeys come from Norfolk would you believe, from Traditional Norfolk Poultry Ltd. Free range and around £30! What a bargain! I’m from Norwich and the lady from the Turkey company invited me to go and visit her nearer to Christmas, I think that’ll be fab!
The Aldi food was amazing, I promise. I went to yet another supermarket Christmas event last week who didn’t have many of their nibbles to try. I couldn’t tell if I liked them or not because a spring roll might look like a spring roll but it’s what’s inside that counts! Aldi weren’t shy to encourage all of their food be tried and I didn’t taste one thing I didn’t like! Sausages wrapped in bacon, chocolates, biscuits, Oriental party nibbles, Christmas puds, Christmas breads, crisps, lobster tails… Everything was utterly delicious! I loved the filo pastry duck fingers amongst everything else! Yes, it’s going to be an Aldi Christmas here alright! I couldn’t get enough of the party food and don’t even get me started on the cheese or the fact that the VERY drinkable champagne was under £13!
Celebrity Chef Phil Vickery was there yesterday who acts as an advisor to Aldi on the food they choose. He explained the things he’s asked them to tweak and why and told me he thinks the food is amazing. I agree. He says he doesn’t put his name to many things but is happy to give Aldi the thumbs up! He was very polite and interesting to talk to!
I had an amazing time trying the food and can’t wait until they hit the shelves when a party or two might have to be had using their ranges!
I was not paid to write this post.
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