Forum Topic

Tesco v. Waitrose

Went to Tescos in Osterley yesterday - it's quite a different experience to Waitrose. I wonder why?  Dunno which I prefer.  Any views/comments?

Gerry Tan ● 6192d24 Comments

Waitrose is nice for a change but much more expensive.  It surprises me that a large Tesco like the one at Gillette Corner doesn't stock large packs of recycled loo paper.  They are good for camping bits and pieces and the kitchenware upstairs.

Philippa Bond ● 6181d

I like Waitrose - the problem is that even if I buy only four or five ordinary items the bill comes to £30.

Doug Witherspoon ● 6187d

I'm looking at Billingsgate's courses at the moment too Nadia. Which one did you take and how did you find it?

Kean Marden ● 6189d

We shop at Tesco but use the Waitrose free car park when we go to the farmers market. We do recycle there and buy a newspaper and buy winning lotto tickets so we are customers.

Peter Wright ● 6190d

I'm a Tesco's pleb.

Graham Weeks ● 6190d

Isn't it interesting that so many countries have a tradition of hanging and ageing their meats?

Gerry Tan ● 6190d

We bought 21 day hung beef from Waitrose and it was 'darn good' but we were looking for 28 day beef, for the taste experience.

Peter Wright ● 6190d

Peter - I have bought hung rib eye steak from the Waitrose butchers counter

Nadia Shaw ● 6190d

If you haven't already tried the properly hung beef at Luckhurst's - opposite Sainsbury's in West Ealing - I can recommend it.  I'm not sure Tony Luckhurst always has it in stock but well worth asking him. I've had two or three ribs of beef and steaks etc and they were just fantastic and the beef comes from farms out Denham way so about as local as we can get.

David Highton ● 6190d

Nadia, Tesco at Gillette Corner is certainly superior to Tesco at Hoover Building. The one at Hoover does not have a fresh meat or fish counter and the sheer variety of goods is much smaller. I think the Gilette Corner(Osterley) is a flagship store, similar to  M & S Marble Arch etc. where they do their top of the range goods.  I also think they gear their produce to the clientele in each area. The Cranford one is biased towards bulk Indian foodstuffs as they have a large local population in that area.  I also think Waitrose has gone down in quality recently.

S. D. Brock ● 6190d

We were looking in Waitrose to buy some 28 day hung beef but the butcher said that they do not stock it as their customers 'think it to be off' (as it is very dark) - we can buy it in Tescos!

Peter Wright ● 6190d

Don't worry Gerry, in another context,I always thought that the class of person that you met at Gatwick North Terminal (Mainly Long Haul)was better than 'Waine & Wainetta' in the South Terminal (Costa Del Fish & Chips)Heads down here comes the 'THOUGHT POLICE'!

Colin Vaughan ● 6191d

I'm ashamed to have a confession to make.  My wife sends me to Tescos at Osterley for 4 items.  They are the giant packs of Persil Non-Bio soap powder(5kgs ones i think), something called Calgon Tablets(the large 45 tabs packs), Keillers small jars of jam(six pack) and our wine. Waitrose don't stock the giant Persil, the big Calgon packs and the small Keillers jam jars now - and besides these Tesco products are always very much cheaper than Waitrose. And Tescos selected discounted wine offers are unbelievably good value(like Chablis reduced on occasional offers from £10 to £5.58 a bottle and Pouilly Fuisse from £9.50 to £5.50'ish)!!Now for the confession - all-in-all I prefer the retail experience at Waitrose because there are nicer customers there(yes I confess to being a snob!) and the staff are really well trained.  does all this make sense?  :-(

Gerry Tan ● 6191d

"Tesco and Waitrose neck and neck for quality" Is Tesco at Gilette corner of superior quality to any other Tesco? I have found Tesco produce nowhere near the standard of Waitrose produce. Even though Waitrose have started to do price comparisons to Sainsubry's and Tesco's Admittedly Waitrose is more expensive but as Colin said - you pay for what you get.

Nadia Shaw ● 6191d

I shop at both Tesco, Gilette Corner and Waitrose - also Sainsbury Chiswick and M& S at Kew Retail Park.  Tesco and Sainsbury easily the cheapest.  Marks the best quality (especially their tomatoes, unbeatable).  Tesco and Waitrose neck and neck for quality, but Tesco at least a third cheaper - also Tesco has a great fresh fish counter, some good wine offers and very good beef. Waitrose good for cheeses and bread.

S. D. Brock ● 6191d

Sell 'em cheap, pile 'em high David. You pay your money you make your choice!

Colin Vaughan ● 6191d

We went into Tesco in Osterley recently because someone said its opticians was good value - it had the same lack of style choice as everywhere else. Even just walking to the back of the store and back was a dispiriting experience, shelves overcrowded with tat, poor layout, messy. How anyone could prefer it over Waitrose, I don't know.

David Fox ● 6191d

Which all goes to prove Nadia you get what you pay for.

Colin Vaughan ● 6191d

The staff are definitely better at Waitrose, always polite and friendly. I do go to Tesco in Osterley occasionally but mostly to wander round the upstairs array of clothes, electrical goods, kitchen ware and cheap DVDs rather than for the food.

Susan Kelly ● 6191d

Waitrose is a very nice shopping experience and they are a very ethical supermarket e.g. all their fish comes from sustainable sources.I also agree with comments of staff being knowledgeable. I attended a cookery course at Billingsgate Cookery School and apparentely all Waitrose fish counter staff attend a three day fishmongery course to learn how to cut and filet fish and advise customers on how to cook it.

Nadia Shaw ● 6191d

Wonder where Asda comes in the pecking order. Ours is OK, but some say Asda is not so good. However I find that in any Supermarket chain there are weak links reflecting on the abilities of local management.

Colin Vaughan ● 6191d

Oh so true. I do force myself to go to Tesco when funds are tight but it upsets my sensibilities. It's a combination of its sheer size, its crowdedness and the lighting which is just too harsh. Also, in Waitrose, the staff are just so well trained and polite and the quality of the food (own brand) is so much better. Also, had my purse stolen in Tesco Osterly and my car scraped in Tesco Hoover so that tends to put me off. I like Sainsburys too but the car parking in West Ealing is not ideal..shame....would be good to give Tesco more competition. As for Lidl in Hanwell..........unspeakable.

Penny Crocker ● 6191d

Can't speak particularly about the Osterley Tesco, but generally I find Waitrose less crowded, cleaner and just generally a nicer experience than Tesco. But then the price difference is pretty substantial.That said, you would have to pay me a great deal of money to go to the Hoover Bldg Tesco which is such a shame as its set in such a magnificent building

Trizia Fiorellino ● 6191d

Ford v Volkswagen?

Colin Vaughan ● 6191d