Which is your favourite French Supermarket?

Le Grand Frais is my favourite, because they can find foods that I cannot get in the other supermarkets. I will buy all my meat, dairy, and eggs/poultry locally, mostly from direct sales farms, and some from the butcher.
Carrefour, Auchan, and the others, to me, take away from the small greengrocers, and so, although it is a little more expensive, we tend to shop with the little guy.

The quality of food is also better when you know what it is you're eating. We get our other bits and bobs, such as vinegar, loo paper, and whatnot in lidl, as well as thier earl greay tea bags.

Spar - coz it's the closest to my flat and it does a great bottle of Cinsault rosé for less than €3 - beat that!

It is a bit complicated!

Personally unless the thread is currently active, I'd post at the 'top' rather than as a 'reply' within the thread - that is how things get buried. The person you are replying to may still have their notifications for that particular thread on - in other words they will get an email telling them there has been a new reply - or they may have turned them off - in which case they won't get an email. By posting at the top you stand more chance of being seen!

Hope that makes sense...:)

Ps if it is important that a particular person reads a particular something , then you can always leave a comment on their personal page or send them a private message too.

Thanks Catherine. I obviously didn't make myself clear. I should have said "it was lost in the pages of time".

My response to a post by Andrew did appear, briefly, on the section showing new posts but then disappeared as it was shunted down the list & off the page. Just one of the quirks of this weird & wonderful place! The second post was an attempt to ensure Andrew was aware of it's existence. I didn't know any other way to deal with it. If I post a reply to an old thread how do I ensure that it is read by the intended recipient if it is "buried" in that thread? I have obviously not got to grips with the way this place operates yet.

Hi Vic

It is not 'lost' it is on page 2 of this thread -this is page 4. You have posted on two different pages. Hope this clears things up for you!

Catharine

I taught in St Brieuc for a year and spent time in Finistère too :-)

I've noticed that a lot of the green wellies and Barbour brigade are prepared to shop in Lidl, here in France (where no-one knows them,maybe?), whereas they would never dream of being seen there in UK.

I lived in Hartop Rd until about 1965. We left England in 2002 also. Small world.

Hi Vic, no internet yesterday, now back on after the storms. I used to live in Western Road but have lost touch with what's happening there - I left in 2002. Just googled to see what's happening there and it looks as if they want to take over the whole precinct!

I posted this last night but it seems to be "lost" I post again as it may interest Andrew.

"Andrew, I've just come across this old thread.(Better than watching Eastenders!!!)

I was born & lived in St Marychurch for 20 odd years. My company installed the mechanical services in the GA St Marychurch building which to continue this thread is now a supermarket. Sainsburys I believe."

Andrew, I've just come across this old thread.(Better than watching Eastenders!!!)

I was born & lived in St Marychurch for 20 odd years. My company installed the mechanical services in the GA St Marychurch building which to continue this thread is now a supermarket. Sainsburys I believe.

I try not to use supermarkets, but it's just hopless as they are everywhere and the small local shops are closing, as in UK. We shop at our market, every Sunday, get all our fruit and veg, BIO and what's in season. I only get the large things, loo rolls etc. in the "shed land" (as himindoors calls those places). We buy organic pork and beef from a local farmer/butcher and eggs from a friend with chickens. We have a small Casino in the village and a little Shoppi, which is now being taken over by Carrefour Contact, and being extended. I try and use this if I need the things I can't get in the market, otherwise it is usually Auchan as they have a huge BIO section.

The other side of the river we're getting a "Simply", which I think is Auchan brand, and a new petrol station. It's bonkers that we need all this, and with this new one being the other side of the river, on the road from villages to Montauban, people will not cross the bridge to come into the village and the fear is that the few shops we have now (butchers, bakers etc) will close, or suffer greatly. The Casino will almost certainly close, whilst Shoppi is closed people are using it and the prices on everyday things are almost double, so they are making hay whilst they can I suspect.

Has anyone noticed that Lidl,LeaderPrice,Aldi,Netto etc., attract the “class” of folk who would never dream of frequenting such “plebian” establishments in the UK? Suppose it all boils down to costs.

Having been in France for about 10 years now, we have tried them all and, although limited in range, Lidl beats them all hands down for price and service, that's if your intention is to get served and out - no chit chat at the checkout, no coupons or bob echats and the tills are super fast. I have also taken faulty (or wrong priced) stuff back and received a non quibblle refund. They are very quick to open more checkouts when needed. This could all be down to a German based work ethic? Yes, Geant and Carrefour have more choice but it takes for ever to get out unless you have their own credit cards.

Just stumbled across this old thread. Phil, where in Trebes is the Ed branch

Steve

know the name (would do if he’s an architect and i was an agent) but can no longer put a face to it. played waterpolo at uni but had a mate who is now acting.

Our favourite supermarket is ATAC in Cluny, it is a smaller version of Auchan and everyone is very friendly and helpful. Our french friends say that this is because it is privately owned and the ethos comes from the top. We also use Auchan in Macon and the dreaded Carrefour also in Macon, because of its proximity to the DIY sheds! We get our flour multi-cereals from Super U in huge sacks.
I am surprised that I have not heard anyone mention Grand Frais, do you not have it in the SW?
I buy my steak mince there and also crystallized ginger. It has the best selection of vegetables and the qualityh is excellent. Pertinent to one of the previous discussions, they also have lemon grass, as does Auchan.
We have tried both Lidl and Aldi. The french Aldi is awful and they insisted on looking through our empty bags to make sure that we weren’t thieving. Not going back there again!
Also we have come across the custom of having to sign in anything you take into Leroy Merlin. We were unaware of this and it caused a great deal of angst, even though we had the receipt for the item in question, which was only on “commande” and not available in the store at all!
We have a wonderful local shop in the nearest village, Dompierre les Ormes, which has just been upgraded and they are very pleasant and we have a chat in both english and french. Private ownership seems to make a huge amount of difference. we are coming to UK in July and we shall be going to Tesco for groceries etc., Sainsbury for clothes, Wilkinsons for odd hardware things Jim wants, also Matalan,the wonderful TK Maxx and Swindon outlet centre.

Go on… names please, I left Dawlish around 1990 and was Torquay based for a long time, went back to uni in Exeter and my ex is from Teignmouth… the names just might ring a bell though…“Told” by Force ?

Yes they were pretty good - the grockles used to take photos of them!

Good god it’s a small world - I worked with his son David in Dawlish and Bishop while stephen ran the exeter office