Across London, there’s no shortage of alternatives to the big-name supermarkets, so there isn’t much of an excuse not to support local when and where you can. Pretty much every block will hold either an off-licence, green grocer, or specialty food store, and sometimes, if you’re lucky, you’ll live a stone’s throw from all of the above.
We’ll be sharing a hit list of our favourite independent grocers soon, so stay tuned. In the meantime, if you’re after a proper bargain, head to street markets like Ridley Road in Dalston or Hoxton Street, where you can grab a tub of fruit or veg for just £1. While most stalls prefer cash, there are a few accepting cards, but there is something satisfying about getting half a dozen apples for a single sterling.
You’ll also quickly get familiar with the UK’s beloved “off-licence”—a catch-all term for shops licensed to sell alcohol. Think of them as the British cousin to the Australian convenience store– ie, dusty chocolate bars, late hours, open on public holidays, but they also stock booze. Whether you need Buzzballs, milk, or an emergency jar of pasta sauce at 10pm on a Sunday, they’ve got you covered. Just don’t expect rock-bottom prices.
If you’re looking to do a everything shop, you’ll probably (regretably) have better luck going to a supermarket. But proceed with caution; when we first arrived, we made the grave mistake of doing ours at Marks & Spencer (these swine-based sweeties being the bait). While we enjoyed the experience of having premium laundry detergent and the world’s most expensive walnuts, it inspired us to compile a list of UK supermarkets, ordered by cost, to prevent you from spending your entire month’s rent on a week’s worth of groceries.
It is worth noting that most supermarkets have smaller metro/express/local offshoots where prices tend to be inflated, but if we were to create a separate list of these branches, they’d likely follow the same hierarchy.
Poundland: Essentially a giant discount store. They don’t stock fresh food, but you will find affordable cupboard staples and cleaning supplies. One of our contributors took the British Supermarket Personality Quiz, and a few simple questions revealed they were most similar to Poundland, so take from this what you will.... In the words of BuzzFeed: You don't care about your reputation. You're basic, but people still love you, and you are always there in your friends' times of need. Just maybe work on being more mature.
Iceland: Originally a frozen foods store, Iceland has since diversified its offerings to include pantry staples and a surprisingly wide selection of novelty Heinz sauces. Has a similar feel to the Reject Shop, only with more chest freezers. A good shout if you’re planning a party, or if you want to cosplay being a daydreaming shop assistant a la Addison Rae.
ALDI/LIDL: As is the case across the world, can randomly be skint on essentials and overstocked on niche products like canned sausages, but we love them all the same.
ASDA: The UK’s answer to the aforementioned low-cost supermarkets, and just like its European counterparts, the fruit and veg has a short shelf life. That’s the price you pay for cheap groceries.
Morrisons: Changes significantly depending on location. Can be super posh or quite derelict (the one near takes after the latter). Ranked more expensive than Tesco by The Sun, but we don’t take anything they say seriously.
Tesco: Usually pretty well stocked and at the lower-price-end of the more popular supermarket chains, but the amount of plastic they use is borderline inexcusable.
Sainsbury's: A happy medium, though the shop layout is completely diabolical and it feels like we’re doing an escape room every time we go there. Sainsbury’s Nectar loyalty program shaves a far few pounds off each shop, so we would recommend signing up for that.
Ocado: A purely online-based supermarket, convenient for ordering bulk groceries as they get delivered straight to your door. Prices are competitive, but there is the odd overpriced product (which goes beyond our Year 12 Business Studies understanding of price theory). They have also launched the same-day delivery app Ocado Zoom, which, much like its Australian counterpart, Milkrun, majorly inflates prices but spares you having to show your face at the supermarket on a particularly slovenly Sunday.
Waitrose: Frequented by yummy mums, finance bros, and sometimes us, if we’re after a little treat (or a sugar mummy/daddy).
Marks & Spencer: Best for a meal or snack on the go. The crisps and confectionery section is dangerously good too. If this is your only local supermarket, you’re probably paying too much rent.
If you’re looking to spread your wealth and achieve extra aura points, we recommend getting an Oddbox subscription. Each week, you’ll receive a box of fresh fruit and veg grown and acquired using farmer-friendly practices. The produce is seasonal and organic asf, it’s just made its way into the surplus or funny-looking piles, so you’re paying far less than you would at a supermarket. There’s an option to tweak your offerings each week, but we think the surprise element is fun, especially in the form of a kohlrabi. You can order the box in a few sizes, depending on how many mouths you’re feeding. On top of saving food waste, at the end of each week, Oddbox will donate any extra fruit and veg to FareShare, who redistribute food to charities and community groups. It’s going to be hard justifying your shop at Tesco after reading this…
Shop Equivalents
We’re all for taking down Big Corp and will always suggest a locally-run joint over a chain (see above), but if you’re in a pinch, these are the UK equivalents for the following Australian stores.
Bunnings: For all your DIY/hardware needs, B&Q will fill your Bunnings-shaped hole (unfortunately, no Saturday sausage sizzle).
Officeworks: Stationery and general office supplies can be found at Staples.
Priceline/Chemist Warehouse: Boots/Superdrug; the latter is ever-so-slightly cheaper. Their loyalty programs are worth signing up for, as you can collect points with each purchase that’ll ultimately shave a few pounds off your shop.
Kmart, Big W, Target: For affordable homewares, furniture, electronics, etc, we suggest Home Bargain, Argos, or, if you fancy a rummage/adrenaline rush, you can find some good brands at the surplus store TK Maxx.
JB Hi-Fi/Bing Lee: Currys is the major tech/appliance stockist here; they also have a low-cost guarantee, if you’re one to speak to the manager.
Whether you listen to the devil (big C) or angel (independent) on your shoulder, we hope you can at least approach your next shop with a bit more clarity… So go forth and do Percy proud, little capitalist piggies.