Anyway, Leeds finally got a Waitrose in Meanwood. The fact that it is 15 minute walk followed by a 15 minute bus followed by another 10 min walk from my house did not phase me or D and we shunned the Tesco that we live next door to, as well as the Co Op that we live down the road from, and set off for the Promised Land. (OK, so I may be exaggerating the excitement slightly, but for a girl who loves both shopping and food, a good supermarket is like finding those shoes you wanted in the sale in your size!)
Waitrose did not disappoint. OK it's brand spanking new, so all nice and clean and white and full of enthusiastic friendly staff who hadnt yet been beaten down by weeks of dealing with stupid customers, but I was really really impressed. The shelves were full and everything was in the right place and there's a rather nice homeware/cookware section (as well as getting excited by supermarkets, I also love to spend a few hours lusting after kitchen gadgets and equipment and mentally refurbishing my entire house. I am aware I need to get out more. Working on it.)
And there's a cafe! That's something my parents' Waitrose does not have...possibly as I suspect the inhabitants of the town would rather spend their hard earned cash on a pint of warm lager or a pie and chips. Not that I'm a snob. Or spent 18 years of my life dreaming of moving away. Anyway, the Waitrose cafe is fairly similar to an M&S one- a small selection of hot food, along with sandwiches, cakes, tea and coffee and various other baked goods. D and I decided to take a short break from our wandering around open mouthed in awe and wonder at the vast selection of high quality food in the shop and had a black coffee each (fairly decent) along with an apple danish for me and a marmalade sponge for D.
Both cakes were delicious- my pastry was flaky and light with a pretty tasty apple filling- you could tell they made the filling themselves and didn't just get it out of a tin of ready made apple pie filling. (And if they did, then it was a very good quality pie filling!) D's sponge was quite dense, yet moist and full of tangy marmalade flavour. The only negative I can find to say about the cafe is that they put all the calorie counts on the cakes. I know some people might find this helpful but come on, if you're going to eat a cake, you know it's not going to be good for you! I don't want to know that the pastry I just ate had more calories and fat than my entire lunch and breakfast combined thank you Waitrose. I don't want to leave the cafe with cake-guilt.
Waitrose's selection of both fresh and dry ingredients puts most other supermarkets in the shade. I subscribe to Olive magazine, and quite often I've been unable to source certain ingredients such as Belazu rose harissa, or good quality dried porcini, or those wonderful Merchant Gourmet puy lentils- Waitrose have them all and then some! It may be a little expensive and indulgent for a weekly shop (although they do have a pretty good "essentials" range and price match Tesco on many branded goods) but for a delicious pre-prepared Saturday night in front of X Factor dinner (we had roast rump of lamp with a herby crust- as good as a restaurant!) or for the odd hard-to-find ingredient, it's perfect.
Oh by the way, I should probably add a disclaimer- no I do not work for Waitrose, have never received any free stuff for them, and am not being held at gun point by the manager of the Meanwood store to write a decent review. I just like supermarkets. And as supermarkets go, Waitrose is definitely my number 1.
if you like Waitrose you should check out the Farmfoods on Roundhay Road. Its selection of frozen ready meals puts other supermarkets in the shade! No cafe though...
ReplyDeleteGot to say I wholeheartedly disagree - a fine supermarket has been demolished to create a place of worship to the car on stilts - truely ugly and very dissappointing. Rubbish travelators stop one pushing the trolley!
ReplyDeleteThe old co-op was great - better as Leeds Co-op before the merger - but a good supermarket with afordable fresh food and a range of other goods.
Waitrose was full of over priced shit - despite the much vaugnted price match - which for example applied to Kenco coffee in jars - but not to the new eco friendly version. Fail!
I could not get a small loaf of bread for under £1 Pathetic!
I did buy some nice rolls - and some own brand mustard. I go to the supermarket for my groceries - not tea and cake - (there are some nice independent cafes around Meanwood anyway)
Waitrose is shocking - I will return the superior Co-op, Morrisons and when in Meanwood - Aldi
Anyone who thinks Morrisons and Aldi sell quality food must think a special meal out is a trip to McDonalds or Burger King... Waitrose is head and shoulders above the rest, if you want quality or real food, it isnt going to come at 20p a loaf!
ReplyDeleteFarm foods- priceless. Waitrose is brilliant and is worth every extra penny.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who thinks Morrisons and Aldi sell quality food must think a special meal out is a trip to McDonalds or Burger King..
ReplyDeleteWhat a terrible statement by a stuck up arse. Last time I went to Aldi I bought lovely new potatoes, British Carrots, Broccoli, apples, Grapes, Pinapple, - fresh meat and cheese - There is nothing wrong with the fresh food in Aldi - nor for that matter in Morrisons who of course specialise in fresh fish , proper butchered meat and freshly baked bread. None of these goods are of the 'McDonalds' quality, all will make great healthy meals
As to Bread I said you could not get anything in Waitrose for under £1 - whereas a Warbatons brown /wholemeal loaf is normally about 70p in a normal shop (Co-op, Morrisons etc)
Basically Waitrose satisfies the need for over priced cakes - not a normal grocery shop
Anyone that thinks the coop was decent aint on this planet. It was dirty and it wasnt much cheaper than waitrose if at all!! BTW waitrose do essential bread thats 74p so epic fail to you...
ReplyDeleteI live in Meanwood and was delighted to see the end of the filthy, poorly run Co-op. The new Waitrose may be more expensive, but it's a breath of fresh air which will trigger other major improvements in the local area.
ReplyDeleteWaitrose, the only supermarket I choose. The expensive bit is overdone. It sells some premium products that are not cheap. But the quality is worth the extra.
ReplyDeleteI find things in waitrose that I cant get elsewhere. The quality is always better.
If your poor like me, eat more vegtables, Eat more sardines and mackeral.I am serious with that comment. Top restraunts make money turning cheaper foods in to something special.
I found Waitrose products good enough to do the same. Ox Tail Cheeks Lentils.
My friend worked nights at ASupermarketDAtcant be named. He backed up my theory of nightworkers football and cheese. This does not happen at waitrose, of that I am sure.
That said at the moment I am in Germany, the supermarkets here are on the whole awfull.
Your lovely blog sounds exactly like I've written it. I am a self confessed supermarket snob. I would never set foot inside Asda or Tesco. I do however use Morrisons as it is next door to my workplace. I'm retiring from nursing next year and as we have now have to wait until we are 67 to get our retirement pension, I am dreaming of getting a part time job at Waitrose or M and S. I laugh at myself, just because I enjoy being in those supermarkets I am thinking about working there. Now we also have a John Lewis in Leeds and I am beyond excited about it. Happy Christmas fellow food snob x
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