If I’d have been writing this review when I first started shopping at Waitrose (about 15 years ago!) I would have given it 100%.
But it’s not the store it used to be.
When my local store first opened it was brilliant, it was like have a little bit of Knightsbridge on your doorstep - they sold the kind of things you’d never see in most supermarkets. Things like organic shampoos, soaps, essential oils, etc, along with the best quality food as well of course. You could get specialist health foods like gluten-free cereals, rice milk, coconut milk, etc too - long, long before all the other supermarkets started copying them. They also had the best policies on food standards back then as well, with self-imposed bans on things like pesticides that while legal, were being questioned by leading scientists. They really were brilliant.
Unfortunately they have become more and more like the cheaper supermarkets, not just in what they’re selling but the quality of it too. A lot of the times things I buy are very hit and miss. For instance the Sirloin steak - when it is good it is really good, but when it’s not, it really is quite bad. I used to buy avocados every week for instance, but over the years it became a lottery - it got to the point where almost half the time they were bad and had to be thrown out, so I just stopped buying it. It does make you wonder whether it’s a conscious decision on their part, they give you ‘good quality stuff’ most of the time to get people hooked, but slip in lower quality stuff for a third or half of the time… just to see how much they can get away with! I can’t see why else standards would have slipped so much - their profit certainly isn’t, they too, like other supermarkets have seen huge increases in profit since the start of the pandemic.
One thing that has remained consistent though is the staff, they have always been lovely and whenever I go I always seem to end up chatting to some of them, on occasion I have been in and spent over an hour just catching up with some of them
So how would I score them? It’s a tough one, I wish I could be more lenient but I can’t - as many of you know I am sensitive to all the artificial crap in food (it’s why I started shopping in Waitrose to begin with) so I am regrettably going to have to give them a score much lower than the 100% they used to be, hopefully some of their managers see this and make the changes needed for them to get back to the brilliant store they used to be.
The problem I have with Waitrose at the moment is, when they stopped the free newspaper and coffee, you were going to get money off vouchers once a week on items that you regularly purchased. So, only two can be selected from a total of six. Recently, instead of getting a pound or more off your selection, a measly 50p is now becoming the norm. Hardly worth the bother now.
they do nice essentials Waitrose toilet paper which lasts forever (recommended by @Meg - thanks Meg!). I go there just to buy their jumbo pack and may buy some desert wine at the same time for cooking of course!
I like Waitrose, as you know the quality is going to be good.
I agree with John, now they’ve stopped the ‘freebies’ a drink and newspaper, plus reducing the vouchers from a £1 to 50p, it doesn’t seem so worthwhile.
I have found my local Waitrose isn’t as busy as it used to be but then again… are any supermarkets busy these days?
No one can afford to go shopping anymore!
The trouble is with our local Waitrose is that it’s quite a small one so it doesn’t stock all the lovely things
And because it doesn’t have a fast turnover sometimes the fruit and veg isn’t that fresh. I think it very much varies according to what your local one is like
And on the online shopping, they don’t offer everything that is on sale in even that small Waitrose physical shop
It’s got quite good variety, with things other supermarkets don’t offer, although sometimes I find it a bit dull
I much prefer online at Ocado. They offer a M&S range and all the “Knightsbridge” exotics that Waitrose do and more
I have only used Waitrose once - when I was having groceries delivered during lockdown, I tried several different supermarkets.
As Waitrose groceries seem more expensive than most other supermarkets, I expected better quality - but it turned out to be of very poor quality - much worse than I get from Tesco or Morrisons.
When my Waitrose order arrived, all the fresh produce had very short use by / sell by dates - most of them were dated for the day they were delivered or the day after, which wasn’t much use when I was wanting fresh food to last me a week.
The quality of the fruit and veg was very poor and way past its best - I certainly wouldn’t have bought it if I had seen it displayed in the shop.
Maybe it was a one-off bad experience that is unusual for that shop but I got the impression that because it was a home delivery, they were palming me off with all the produce that was getting past its best and not likely to sell if left on display in the shop.
I do not like that attitude from a company, so I have never used them again.
Tesco and Morrisons managed to deliver much fresher looking produce with longer use-by / sell by dates on them.
My score of Waitrose, based on my 1 food delivery, is 30%
Our nearest Waitrose is in Cornwall, across the Tamar Bridge, which has a £2 toll. So no, sorry, since Waitrose are generally more expensive than other, nearer supermarkets, I’m not about to pay an additional surcharge for the privilege of shopping there . On occasion, when we’ve been into Cornwall for other reasons, we have stopped in Waitrose for a few bits and bobs on the way back. Can’t say I’ve ever noticed it being any better than Sainsbury or Tesco. Just more expensive.
If you reply to the order email and let them know they will usually refund you short-dated items or those not of good quality Sometimes they ask you to take photos so they can pass it on to the store, so take some as soon as you get the order.
You can also leave a note with each item you order, so if you need a larger or smaller item (eg a steak) or something with long dates you can ask in the note
I am still very happy with my delivery from Waitrose, it costs me £3 but money well spent for me. It saves driving to town saving petrol, the risk of catching Covid and the hassle of shopping particularly as I have health issues that prevent my standing for long. Also unlike when shopping in store there is less temptation to impulse buy.
If you have a My Waitrose card every Wednesday you can choose 2 vouchers with reductions up £2 each based on your frequent purchase.
I Shop online so go to MyWaitrose when placing an order and select from a list, this week I chose £2 off olive oil and £1 off Kafir. You can also get the vouchers to shop in store.
Everything in my order is fresh, if it has a same day date there is usually no charge for that item.
Substitutions are good, I ordered 4 unwaxed lemons today and there were none in stock so got 8 for the same price.
Last week I got a substitution of large eggs for the same price as medium eggs.
A few weeks ago I complained the basil was squashed, the delivery man said he would take it back but I needed it so kept it. A couple of days later I got an email from Waitrose refunding the cost basil so the delivery man must have complained.
That’s pretty much my experience too Meg - the delivery drivers will often refund you items but let you keep them. There is one driver who checks my order for me off his own accord (I must have moaned about dates or something in the past) and if anything is short-dated he will say, right that’s not good enough, and will refund me but let me keep the items!
Have you tried making your own Meg? It’s easy to make and much cheaper (and better/more microbes) than the store bought stuff. You can buy the ‘grains’ from eBay for about £5 - I would have sent you some of mine but I stopped making it a while ago. I used the Dutchy organic full-fat unhomogenised milk.
Hi Azz I make Kombucha (ginger flavoured mostly) and with that and a sour dough starter to keep alive, I didn’t really want another thing to’tend’ but as I now have a lot of damsons I might make damson Kafir in the autumn when I don’t have the gardening to do .
Before the pandemic i shopped at Waitrose and Lidl.
Just before the arrival of covid I switched to Ocado/Waitrose deliveries.
All Waitrose produce was lovely and fresh as it came directly from the Ocado warehouse.
Now it’s Ocado /Marks & Spencer…. I miss my Waitrose favourites.
Off topic I dislike shopping for groceries will continue on with deliveries.
Azz do you have a link to a reliable ebay or other kefir grain source? I bought some on amazon a few years ago and it was a disaster. I think you have to use whole milk - is that right? Someone gave my parents kefir grains when I was a child (prob about 7) and for a while we were all drinking it. It was like nothing I have ever tasted since. It makes you feel so good inside if you have the real deal. The kefir in the shops does not compare. I have been told that you have to get it from a human source - it’s like a network of kefir grain donors, a bit like drugs but legal
I was disappointed when Ocado switched. I was also excited thinking of M&S foods but that has since plateaued. There is a neighbour who has waitrose deliveries and I watch with envy but can’t justify setting up an account. They are just way too expensive these days. I wonder how long they can justify their business model in the current climate.
Looking at my order the supplier no longer sells them, but if I were to buy some now I’d probably use this seller:
£5.99 for 10g - so you’d need to use them for a few weeks for them to grow enough to do more than just a glass at a time, but they do grow pretty fast in my experience!
Yes, RAW milk is best, followed by Dutchy organic unhomogenised, followed by organic. Tho on occasion I’ve had to use the normal Waitrose milk when my usual hasn’t been in stock. Always use full fat milk.
There isn’t a Waitrose near me for regular shopping, but the only time I have popped in I wasn’t impressed. One staff member said to me “Well if you have to ask where something is, you clearly don’t come here very often” Needless to say, I didn’t go back…its bit pricey anyway.
. On occasion, when we’ve been into Cornwall for other reasons, we have stopped in Waitrose for a few bits and bobs on the way back. Can’t say I’ve ever noticed it being any better than Sainsbury or Tesco. Just more expensive.
Sometimes they ask you to take photos so they can pass it on to the store, so take some as soon as you get the order.
I make Kombucha (ginger flavoured mostly) and with that and a sour dough starter to keep alive, I didn’t really want another thing to’tend’ but as I now have a lot of damsons I might make damson Kafir in the autumn when I don’t have the gardening to do .
Needless to say, I didn’t go back…its bit pricey anyway.