What do people think about TESCO? Are they better/worse than Sainsbury's? Aldi? ASda? What do you think?

If a supermarket COULD come to your high street, what would you want and why?

I do not believe Tesco are any worse or better than Sainsbury

We have a Tesco in SE 23, 2 Sainsbury plus Sava Centre just outside

Let us have some other shops

I knew that Tesco had improved when an aunt (who previously only shopped at Harrods) visited with several Tesco shopping bags!

Actually most products that you buy in a supermarket are made in the same factory. So the only difference is convenience, service or price.

I actually like Tesco.

A while back, I fell on hard times and started shoppng at Lidl and Aldi (as well as going to Lewisham market and the excellent Turkish Food Centre shops round Lewisham). It is a bit anxiety-making buying such unfamiliar brands, which I think is why more people don't go there; now, with the credit crunch, they seem to be gaining popularity: the Saturday Guardian name checked them 3 times a week ago.

I love Lidl - being of a continental background, I love all the specialty stuff they have, meat & cheese etc., which you might go to an overpriced ED deli for. It's great if you have kids, or have to do kids parties - good for pop and fruit juice, sweets and biscuits. Sometimes they have really cheap fruit & veg, but it's hit & miss. It's true that some of their stuff isn't quite the quality of the big supermarkets, but ask yourself, do not want or need to pay for the extra quality. Unfortunately, you need to try to find out....

I know of Turkish Food Stores in Ladywell and Penge , are there any nearer.
Their dates are great.

The first part is true. Most food you buy is sourced by different suppliers who supply more than one supermarket from Tesco to M&S.

The second part is wrong. Each supermarket has a budget and their own development chefs. So if you buy a product for #2 in Tesco, it wont be the same ingredients or recipe or quality as a #3.50 product, even if it's been made by the same company. Waitrose & M&S spend a lot more money on ingredients than Tesco.

I did not mean to compare Tesco with M&S. & Waitrose - the top end of the range. M&S are seriously expensive. So I would expect a difference.

For example, recently I bought 2 cream horns in Tesco for ?1.24. I am convinced they are the same that I can get in Sainsbury's for about a pound!

Some ready meals are definitely the same. E.g. beef stew with dumplings from Sainsbury's & Tesco.

there is one in Sydenham High Street - bottom end, opposite the Wesley Chapel.
Or a huge one near Catford bus garage on Bromley Road.

The TFCs (Turkish Food Centres) : there are only 2 actual TFCs
http://www.tfcsupermarkets.com/branches.html
They are: i) in Lewisham High St, ii) large supermarket mentioned above on Bromley Rd opposite bus garage (the rest are in North London + Croydon).
However, there are other excellent Turkish food stores. The best one I know is on Catford Hill : it has a great range of food and fabulous bread ... and is easy to stagger over the road to the 185 bus stop with your bags after a shop. The one on Forest Hill Road - and the Sydenham Rd one mentioned above - are also good, but smaller, and don't have gorgeous fresh bread and pastry counters (though it is a year or so since went to Sydenham one so that could have changed).

Sounds interesting. I will try them

MFC-3 in Sydenham Road near Kent House Road/Wesley Hall does have bread and pastry counters and really fantastic tomatoes on the vine.

Sounds kosher
will try
Is this a Turlish shop.

I use the Sydenham one for herbs, fruit and veg, olive oil, etc. Excellent value.

Maybe Halal, rather than Kosher, then? (and I'm not trying out for "The Apprentice"!).

Whilst there are many similarities between kosher and halal practices, there are still differences. Many Muslims will use kosher meat if halal meat is not available and vice versa I think.

Yep, I think they are Turls.

Thanks I will try this shop in SE 26 out.
Also went into Lidl for first time for years yesterday. There are some excellent products at good prices and some rubbish. As long as you avoid convenience food etc quality looked fine.
Got some Brie which was about 60% costs at Sainsburgs.
I do wish they would provide baskets , I only ecer have 5 to 10 items and never get one of the confounded trolleys. Have to carry the stuff by hand wityh bits falling out from time to time.

Grab a cardboard box/tray - they usually have plenty lying around. And then you won't need a carrier bag to take your stuff home in either.