# Groceries in London



## herschey (Jun 2, 2010)

Hi all,

I'm in process of negotiating a move to London and one of the budgetary items I'm trying to estimate is food. Most people I speak to say London is more expensive for grocery shopping than NY, where I live, but I thought I'd throw the question out to the group.

If anyone has lived in both NY and London would love to know how much more expensive (if at all) you think London is for food. Note I'll be earning in pounds so I'm not worried about currency exchange fluctuation.

Second, I'd love budget help in terms of what to estimate for spending on food. So let's say my wife and I prepare breakfast and dinner home, eat lunch out during the workday (not a restaurant, just something to go) and have two meals out a week at a restaurant. We'd be living in London (Zone 2 probably).

Thanks all.

-H


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Go on line and look at Sainsburys (Sainsbury's) and Tesco (Online Grocery Shopping & Delivery Service - Tesco.com) which are two major supermarket chains and they will give you a rough idea of what to expect price-wise but don't be surprised if you can't find your favourite foods and you may well find that many of the convenience (ready made meals) don't exist either - many Brits still like to cook their own!


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

baldilocks said:


> but don't be surprised if you can't find your favourite foods and you may well find that many of the convenience (ready made meals) don't exist either - many Brits still like to cook their own!


Has it really changed all that much in the UK? What I remember from living there 20 years ago are the "refrigerated" ready-made meals. In the US you get the frozen meals (which are generally pretty awful). In the UK, there were the refrigerated prepared meals which were considerably nicer - plus lots of "ethnic" choices, curries, tandoori, and plain old convenience menus that don't seem to suffer as much as frozen meals do in their US preparation.
Cheers,
Bev


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Bevdeforges said:


> Has it really changed all that much in the UK? What I remember from living there 20 years ago are the "refrigerated" ready-made meals. In the US you get the frozen meals (which are generally pretty awful). In the UK, there were the refrigerated prepared meals which were considerably nicer - plus lots of "ethnic" choices, curries, tandoori, and plain old convenience menus that don't seem to suffer as much as frozen meals do in their US preparation.
> Cheers,
> Bev


I was referring more to what the OP may be used to in the big apple which will probably be different from what he can get in UK; for example a British curry would not necessarily be recognised by somebody from the Asian sub-continent.


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## Weebie (Sep 16, 2009)

Groceries are cheaper in London than New York. For a World City except for Property in Trafalger Square London is dirt cheap!!


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## Elphaba (Jan 24, 2008)

Weebie said:


> Groceries are cheaper in London than New York. For a World City except for Property in Trafalger Square London is dirt cheap!!


London dirt cheap? You must be kidding. It certainly is not. There are some bargains to be hadbut, the food is, on balance, more expensive than in the US, in most cases.

I worked in Central London for 12+ years and have visisted NY state numerous times as my brother lives there. I think that groceries in the UK are generally a little pricier, but it does depnd on where and how you shop.
-


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## Weebie (Sep 16, 2009)

Elphaba said:


> London dirt cheap? You must be kidding. It certainly is not. There are some bargains to be hadbut, the food is, on balance, more expensive than in the US, in most cases.
> 
> I worked in Central London for 12+ years and have visisted NY state numerous times as my brother lives there. I think that groceries in the UK are generally a little pricier, but it does depnd on where and how you shop.
> -


Plenty of Bargains to be had in Both Cities. And yes compared to many countries in Australia, Asia even Canada *LONDON IS DIRT CHEAP*


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Weebie said:


> Plenty of Bargains to be had in Both Cities. And yes compared to many countries in Australia, Asia even Canada *LONDON IS DIRT CHEAP*


I've just come back from London and it aint cheap!!! well not the parts I went to and I dont know of anyone who thinks it is!

Jo xxx


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

I think that what is being overlooked here is the fact that for the British market, fruit and veg have to be pristine and without blemishes. In the USA and here in Spain, fruit and veg will be more 'as it comes' - oranges for example will have some patches of rind that are still green or have other marks on and they just will not sell in British supermarkets - that puts up the prices in UK.

Silly regulations in UK also push up prices, e.g. much fresh produce that has been on the shelf/on display has to be *thrown away* at the end of the day and I mean thrown away - they are even forbidden to give it away to local charities who could use it to feed homeless or underprivileged families.


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## Weebie (Sep 16, 2009)

baldilocks said:


> I think that what is being overlooked here is the fact that for the British market, fruit and veg have to be pristine and without blemishes. In the USA and here in Spain, fruit and veg will be more 'as it comes' - oranges for example will have some patches of rind that are still green or have other marks on and they just will not sell in British supermarkets - that puts up the prices in UK.
> 
> Silly regulations in UK also push up prices, e.g. much fresh produce that has been on the shelf/on display has to be *thrown away* at the end of the day and I mean thrown away - they are even forbidden to give it away to local charities who could use it to feed homeless or underprivileged families.


silly regulations or not a kilo of Bananas will cost me 3-4 tiems mroe in Australia. UK is still dirt cheap for food. I'm yet to come across as westernised country that is cheaper.


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## Elphaba (Jan 24, 2008)

jojo said:


> I've just come back from London and it aint cheap!!! well not the parts I went to and I dont know of anyone who thinks it is!
> 
> Jo xxx


Agreed jojo. London is not cheap and to suggest otherwise is misleading.
-


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Weebie said:


> silly regulations or not a kilo of Bananas will cost me 3-4 tiems mroe in Australia. UK is still dirt cheap for food. I'm yet to come across as westernised country that is cheaper.


Of course, it all depends on what you mean by "westernised". I have found that for many things Florida has been cheaper and so is Spain. However, the appearance of fresh fruit and veg in both locations isn't as pristine. True, in the UK you can go to a small greengrocer's and get some things cheaper, if they or their wholesaler goes to the London markets (Covent Garden for example) and gets stuff that is rejected by the large purchasers - it will not be A1 quality but quite eatable.


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## temporary (Apr 5, 2010)

if you compare bananas at tesco online v coles on line...the aussie bananas are 1.4X more expensive


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