I used to only shop at Lidl to save money, but recently discovered I actually save more on my food shop when I spend a little extra on one Marks and Spencer item
There’s nothing I detest more than reaching the checkout and facing an enormous shopping bill, which explains why I attempt to be as economical as possible during my weekly grocery shop. I’m fortunate to live mere minutes from a Lidl, which has been crowned Britain’s most affordable supermarket for basic goods.
Nevertheless, like most people I genuinely enjoy indulging in a few treats at weekends and I’ve recently begun visiting my local Marks and Spencer over the past few weeks. Whilst I’ve been taken aback by some of the eye-watering prices at M&S, I’ve been thoroughly impressed by the bakery section and after sampling it for the past month I can no longer tolerate purchasing Lidl’s baked products.
That may seem surprising considering Lidl is renowned for its exceptionally inexpensive pastries and rolls, with some costing under £1. You even receive certain items complimentary when using Lidl Plus.
In contrast, Marks and Spencer is notorious for being expensive but I genuinely believe I’ve saved more money at their bakery than I would have at Lidl.
From my experience, bread and cakes remain fresh considerably longer from M&S because they’re superior quality, so I’ve managed to reduce food waste by discarding less.
I’m fond of Lidl but I discover their fresh bread only remains edible for approximately a day so it’s difficult to finish an entire loaf. I recently purchased one from M&S and it remained acceptable after five days, reports the Express.
Among my preferred baked items is a pain au chocolat and I consistently walk to my nearest Lidl to purchase one for breakfast on a Friday morning.
At Lidl, a single pain au chocolat costs 69p or three for £1.80, which represents remarkable value, though they must be consumed on the day of purchase as they tend to become chewy or even rock solid by the following morning.
This week, however, I opted to visit Marks & Spencer for my breakfast indulgence, where a solitary pain au chocolat set me back £1.35.
The price made me grimace, yet having forgotten about it over the weekend, I was pleasantly surprised to find it remained perfectly edible and delightfully flaky come Monday.
I also noticed it contained more chocolate than its Lidl counterpart, and the pastry itself was considerably richer, leading me to conclude that the splurge is entirely justified.
For those seeking to economise at Marks & Spencer, I would suggest browsing their bread aisle rather than the bakery counter, where I stumbled upon a multipack of pains au chocolat priced at £3, equating to just 75p per pastry.
If securing the lowest possible price on baked goods is your primary objective, then Lidl is undoubtedly your best bet, but should you prefer something that retains its quality for longer, the M&S bakery is well worth considering.
