Which is your favourite French Supermarket?

Hi Andrew, very small world. I used “The Willows” Sainsbury’s [including it’s excellent value cafeteria] when I worked near Torbay Hospital until last December. I played rugby for Teignmouth RFC for many years, cricket for Shaldon Optimists, circuit training at Dawlish Leisure Centre [still ongoing!!] and any other sports my body can still survive at 63!!

I’ll join up with you as an SFN “friend” later if OK with you?

Best wishes,

Phil.

Rather depends where you are… I like Géant but they’re expensive and our local one is like something out of eastern europe. I swear by Intermarché but that’s all we’ve got around here. When I was in Aix-en-Provence and St Brieuc both had massive Carrefour which were great… just depends on the local choice unless you’re lucky enough to have all the major players near you. as for Aldi and Lidl - not worth it anymore with the supermarket own brands (personal view and backed up by the 60 millions de consommateurs) Ed - wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole !

Newton Abbot Tesco… i used to meet for club runs (mid devon cycling) 10+ years ago there! Used to prefer Sainsbury’s in Torquay living in St Marychurch at the time… small world Phil!

Hi again Suzanne,



In the UK we [my wife that is] use Sainsbury’s mostly, though a brand new Asda has opened up in Newton Abbot near us [in Devon], and their prices are very good, as is our local Lidl. I am a fan of Tesco too, as I’m not proud. My wife isn’t a fan of Tesco…M&S is ALWAYS good, but expensive…bet no-one else had noticed…



Here in France my main preferences are Le Clerc, [as their encapsulated restaurant does a seriously good 5 course meal for under 10 euros…Confit de Canard…YUM, YUM!]



There is a spanking new Intermarche close to us, on the outskirts of Carcassonne, also with a superb “Crescendo” restaurant with excellent prices, to reward yourself after the trials & tribulations of the “big shop”. This well planned Intermarche is housed in a shopping Mall, so there are plenty of other “distractions” to lead the shopper astray!



We don’t have a Carrefour on the doorstep here, and the local SuperU isn’t big enough to be a major player in the game.



Good article!



Thanks,



Phil.

My neighbour has asked me to bring back a huge box of Tetley - so now I am tea purveyor to the french. Well it is much better than lipton I will agree with that.

At the moment I’m treating Waitrose like my local epicerie, but I’m being a canny shopper (or penny pincher!) and I scout the discounted items on the fresh meat counters and thats how I decide what we’re having for dinner. I’ve had some bargains. I don’t think its that much more expensive than other stores if you are careful about what you buy. My friend amused me by saying everytime he’s been in there he feels like he’s been robbed. I laughed at that. I don’t think you can complain at fresh chicken stock (free range chickens) for 29p from which I am making a Rachel Allen chicken stew tonight.

In France, my neighbour swears by Intermarche for fish & meat, another friend suggested Hyper U. A taxi driver said to try Ed supermarket…anyone tried Ed?

I swapped from Tesco to Sainsburys and occasionally Waitrose when feeling wealthy. Here my first stop is LIDL for wine, household (loo roll etc) and some (branded) dairy. Followed by Intermarche where I generally get everything else, especially fish. I like Super U for wonderful celebration food at certain times of year. My latest discover merits the 20 minute drive to Leader Price to stock up on frozen tuna steaks, organic stuff and reasonably priced porridge oats (90cents a box!!). We travel back to the UK 2-3 times per year and always come back laden with goodies - this time it was tea bags, baked beans, cheddar cheese, jumbo porridge oats, ready made custard (lazy I know), rice pudding and cheap vanilla pods

Nickie

We have a rule that we don’t drive out just to do the shopping, it is therefore usually done when we are out being a taxi service to our 10 year old, so it’s Intermarché (our local) when he is at judo and Aldi when he has his music lessons. We do have a Carrefour in the local town too, but I can never find what I want there.

In the UK it was always Asda as it was the local one, but now it tends to be Tesco when we go back as it is local to my parents!

Fiona, what has Mr Leclerc done, I’m intrigued?

Hi Suzanne, in England I was a Tesco girl and for special things I’d go to Waitrose(expensive). here in France our everyday shopping I use Super U and Lidl, as you say not a one stop shop, I don,t like our local Super U, they have rules of their own. My favourite is Géant in Nimes, I love it, so much choice, always do my Christmas shopping there and whenever I want BBQ stuff, fish etc I go there? Carrefour isn,t bad either but prefer Géant!!
Jane