London is expensive, the Airbnb I’m staying in for a week has a kitchen I would like to use. Which grocery store has the best prices for the basics? I will eat out a few British classics like a Sunday roast, English breakfast, blood sausage, Yorkshire pudding, am I missing anything quintessential British?
Thank you
Fish and chips?
Sticky toffee pudding?
......Aldi.
Scone with clotted cream and jam
Chicken Tikka Masala?
M&S and Waitrose are more expensive than some of the other options. One of our British posters can lay out the full hierarchy for you.
I second Aldi, and we should also mention Asda and Lidl, although they tend to be a bit more suburban. Depending on exactly where you're staying, if you can't find one of those, I tend to think Tesco is pretty reasonable as well, and they have lots of stores in Central London.
Quintessentially British? Don’t forget baked beans at breakfast. And cool your toast - your kitchen probably will come with a rack for that purpose, although it additionally keeps steam from one slice from making another soggy.
The nearest Tesco is where I’d go. And see if any customer who’s in their discount “club” will offer a barcode on their smartphone to the checkout - some items will be on sale for members… that could shave off the cost a bit.
The cheapest are Aldi and Lidl but their ranges can be unpredictable. After that, Tesco and Asda, Co-op then Sainsburys, with Waitrose and M&S at the top.
HOWEVER bear in mind that the cheapest prices will be at the big out-of-town supermarkets, of which there aren’t any in central London. So you may have to make do with the smaller city centre branches. You’ll find small Tesco, Sainsbury’s and maybe Co-ops around.
U.K. supermarkets are a bargain compared to what I have experienced recently in France and Spain. Smaller “local” stores of the bigger chains such as Tesco found in central London are more expensive than their bigger store formats found further out of the expensive centre. Avoid Waitrose and Whole Foods if you want the best value.
My suggestion......find the closest markets to your AirBNB and compare prices. It doesn't pay to travel a half hour each way to a "cheaper" supermarket considering your time and transit fare.
If you are in central London, you'll find that most of the markets are miniature versions of their larger stores--Sainsbury Local, Tesco Metro, etc.
Thanks for all the replies. I’m staying near the “Kensal RISE” overground station.
There’s a Tesco Express very near the tube station, which will be good for basics.
The nearest larger supermarket is probably the Sainsburys south of the cemetery.
Another tip you should know....
Order food to go from restaurants--the Brits call it "take away"--and you will save money.
There is a surcharge for being seated in and eating in a restaurant, but that is not added when you get your food to "take away".
Indian restaurants and fish and chips shops are ideal for getting your meal as take away.
Take your meal back to your apartment to enjoy, or find a seat on a park bench to enjoy the view while you eat.
If you have not had Indian food before, you must try it in London.
Chicken Tikka Masala is the classic dish (delicious) but there are many vegetarian or vegan options available.
I recommend having rice, creamed spinach (Saag Paneer) and naan (bread) with the CTM.
Same tip for coffee shops as above.....to occupy a table and sit and drink costs more than if you ordered your coffee to take away.
You will see many coffees on the board on the wall in a coffee shop, offering espresso, cappuccino, Cafe Americano, and more.
The coffee shop workers seem to all assume we Americans want Cafe Americano....coffee loaded with cream and sugar.
All these coffees are a premium charge, just as they are here at Starbucks or wherever.
In England, order "filter coffee". This is just plain black coffee, and costs a fraction of what the more fancy coffees cost. Of course, get what you want....you may want a cappuccino or Cafe Americano, or whatever.
Just know that the cheapest way to get a cup of coffee is to order filter coffee, to take away.
They'll give you cream and sugar packets to take away with you if you want them. So you could just add that to your coffee if you wish.
For the days you don't want to cook but want to eat in, get familiar with the food delivery apps--Deliveroo, Uber Eats, Just Eats. Deliveroo is the biggest one. They also do grocery delivery.
Chicken Tikka Masala is considered by some to be the national dish of the UK. Only it's not from India. It was invented for the British market.
A restaurant chain that has become sort of an institution in the UK is Nando's.
Some of the more popular British dishes are:
Shepherd's Pie (Lamb)
Cottage Pie (Ground Beef)
Meat Pies
Bangers & Mash
Fish & Chips
Hot Pot
Gammon, Egg and Chips (UK version of ham & eggs but better)
You can find these at most pubs that serve food.
Sainsbury's, which is near you, has been doing price matching with Aldi's.
Definitely either Aldi or Tesco. Though Waitress used to do a lunch/dinner special on weekdays. Besides English and Indian food, you might look out for Polish restaurants, which also have good filling food.
"And see if any customer who’s in their discount “club” will offer a barcode on their smartphone to the checkout"
And good point about the Clubcard - has saved us quite a bit at Tesco. You can download the app yourself and scan the barcode at the register. We did this when in the store and saved plenty over a few visits.
Simon, the club card did save us a few pounds this last March, but trying to upload the Tesco App didn’t seem to work for me, so I asked the folks standing behind me if anyone please had a card, and could scan it for obtaining the special member prices on some of the items I was buying. Each time, another shopper was happy to help me out.
I don’t recall the details, but I think maybe not being a UK citizen, or having a UK phone number, or some other details pegged me as a foreigner, prevented the App from loading. Or my phone was just taking forever and I gave up, or I was jet-lagged enough that I just couldn’t figure it out. Although you’re from Singapore, that didn’t prevent you from getting your own Clubcard account.
I hope the Good Samaritans who helped me out got some extra points, or credit, on their accounts, if my purchases made them look like bigger loyal shoppers in Tesco’s eyes.
If you have an iPhone you won't be able to download it, but with an Android phone you can download the application separately. But you figured out the perfect solution:)
That’s it - wring phone! But the perfect solution is helpful Londoners. Londoners truly are courteous - except when you’re trying to get through passageways in the Tube, and then it’s every man & woman for themselves.😬
This:
"find the closest markets to your AirBNB and compare prices. It doesn't pay to travel a half hour each way to a "cheaper" supermarket considering your time and transit fare"
And try the spotted dick ...
Great tips, Rebecca! Thanks for sharing.
Did not know about coffee in England! Next trip “ filter coffee”! Thanks
Hi Rafa,
We just returned after self-catering for 5 wks in England. The last half of that time was in London. I second 'Tesco express' and would just add that 'Co-op' is another worthy chain.
I am done. The end.
