Lifting the Lidl. (Lidl)

Member Name: bookguy

Product:	Lidl
Date:	12/09/08 (170 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Deli meat is good.

Disadvantages: Everything else looks a bit moody.

I was probably one of the first British folk to experience Lidl, as I lived in France in the early 90s - this German chain, much to the chagrin of the French, were expanding rapidly into other European countries and where I lived, in the 7th Arondissment, there were 3 Lidl within walking distance.

I bought a lot of stuff there, but the main saving was on booze. The drink was crazily cheap, and I think that this has been the main engine of their expansion through Europe, hitting a brick wall in the UK, of course, with the extremely high tax on alcohol (the highest in any wet country in the world, I believe).

I was a student in Paris, and as I result I consumed massive amounts of booze, and Lidl kept my costs down. They offered (although even I baulked at this) red wine in 4 litre plastic bottles - the same kind that you woudl get vegetable oil in, which they (rather disingenuously, I thought) labelled "Vin de le Caniveau" (gutter wine) because that's what the down-and outs would often purchase.

Anyway, that was then, this is now, and in the UK, I occasionally visit Lidl - if I'm passing. I tend to buy their delicatessen meats - parma ham, pastrami and proscuttio, and I find these quite good. I once bought a pizza, but found it completely inedible, and as for the wine, I suspect they've just put the 'Vin de le Caniveau" in bottles to sell in the UK, as they suspect (rightly, I suppose,) that we Brits will drink anything if it's cheap enough. It's still 300% more than the 'Hommes Macadam' were paying though.

One other thing - they often advertise things, gadgets and so forth, that look quite useful, but I've never been able to find a single one of these items instore.

Summary: Buy parma ham, pastrami and proscuttio.