Since the cost of living crisis is a constant problem that is not going away quickly, the way we spend our money right now is understandably very important.
Whether it’s the electricity bills, running the car, paying the rent, or that weekly grocery store, in the current times, every penny counts as the goal is to make more money.
The National Statistics Office says the average weekly cost of typical UK household food is £ 97, up 3% from 2019. However, it also found that food prices rose 4.5% in the 12 months of January 2021 to January 2022. Oils and fats increased the most, by 15.9%, followed by fruit (6.9%) and milk, cheese and eggs (5.7%).
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With that in mind, we wanted to see how much £ 20 you could get at the Icelandic grocery store compared to the new Marks & Spencer dining room in Derby.
Obviously, at the end of the day, it all comes down to the buyer’s preference. But the difference in how much more you can get at the Icelandic food store is clear.
When we went shopping, we tried to get products that could be used to make a meal or add them to the products you would have bought the week before.
We were aiming for a similar shopping list and the following results speak for themselves:
Icelandic Food Warehouse – 18 items
From fresh vegetables to ready meals, the 20 pounds was a long way off
- Wafer Ham £ 1.00
- Cherry tomatoes £ 1.00
- Cured Cheese £ 2.50
- Butter £ 1.00
- Kelloggs Coco Pops £ 2.50
- Semi-skimmed milk £ 0.95
- Morning Bread Rolls £ 1.25
- Iceberg lettuce £ 0.38
- Orange juice £ 1.00
- Cucumber £ 0.35
- Raspberry Cheesecake £ 1.00
- Chicken fillets £ 2.85
- Shortbread £ 1.00
- Southern Potato Falcons £ 1.00
- Galaxy Chocolate £ 1.00
- Meal with beef lasagna £ 1.00
- Prepared bittersweet chicken £ 1.00
- Peas Peas £ 1.00
TOTAL: £ 21.78
M&S Food Hall – 10 items
Although we could still buy some of the items, we reached the £ 20 goal faster
- Four white subscribers £ 1.75
- Kelloggs Cheerios £ 2.60
- Cherry tomatoes £ 1.00
- Semi-skimmed milk £ 1.00
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Wafer Ham £ 2.75
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Orange juice £ 1.55
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Dough bread £ 1.65
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Meal with beef lasagna £ 3.00
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Two slices of vanilla cheesecake £ 2.80
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Chicken Pasta and Bacon Meal £ 3.00
TOTAL: £ 21.10
On the one hand, we would say that you get more products from Iceland, but the quality of some of the products is higher in M&S in terms of flavors and variety.
But the price difference is clear. For example, a packet of thin ham like a wafer at Iceland’s Food Warehouse costs £ 1, while it costs £ 2.75 at M&S. Orange juice costs £ 1 in Iceland, but £ 1.55 in M&S. As for milk, they both came in at about the same price, although Iceland was cheaper by 5 p.
We tried both lasagna and there were definitely richer flavors in M&S (£ 3) than in Iceland (£ 1). Again, at the end of the day, it comes down to personal preferences or, perhaps more accurately, need.
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