Cheap groceries around Dulwich?

[Jphobia]

Hi there,

I'm a student renting a place in East Dulwich and I'm finding it tough to find a store which is reasonably cheap to do vegetable shopping on a tight budget. The first week I was here, I shopped in Peckham and came home with filthy dusty/greasy peppers and half rotten onions (not to mention certain rude shopkeepers...) So I've been shopping at supermarkets and occasionally the stores on Lordship lane which are a treat, but far too pricey for veggies.

I would appreciate any suggestions, even if it means a bit of a bus ride :)

Thanks,

Johanna

[EJTH]

Brockley market - good quality and reasonably priced. http://www.brockleymarket.com/contact-us/

[RosieH]

Pretty Traditional greengrocers on Northcross Road.

Peckham's great for veg, but you do need to look more carefully at what you're buying than you would in a supermarket and be choosy. It's a bit more hassle, but will save you a fortune compared to Sainsbury's.

Also, Lidl in Peckham - the veg isn't all cheaper than you'd find in Sainsbury's but worth a look for other staples like olive oil, tinned tomatoes, chickpeas etc.

[LuceB]

Hey Johanna

Try the Forest Hill Road Supermarket, on Forest Hill Road next to where the 63 bus starts. It has a really good value grocery out front and they even do two bottles of (perfectly drinkable) wine for a fiver!

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

East Street market generally good.

[jonbateson]

I second fhr supermarket, we drop I every day for fruit and veg, really good.

[reetpetite]

Lewisham market and you can usually pick out your own veg. 185 bus will take you there .

[maxxi]

Not all the veg in ED is over-priced; e.g. one medium fennel bulb in Co-op = ?1.00, same sized bulb but firmer and fresher from SMBS = 55p. You have to shop around.

Also good lemons, tomatoes, fresh herbs, olive, garlic, pulses etc. all good prices from East Dulwich Supermarket (opposite East Dulwich Deli).

[george74]

The local supermarket on Forest Hill Road next to The Rose pub is great. The fruit and veg is reasonably priced and is very good quality. I have now stopped using Sainsbury's for all my fruit and veg and now pop across the road. The guys who work there are also very polite and helpful!

[wonderwoman]

Hi try a trip to Lewisham, got some great veg markets and food stores, also lovely thai street stall sells hot food,turkish supermarket and italian deli. Also better quality than East st market. A bus ride on the 185 bus all the way. Sunday no veg market though. For local convenience I would try Iceland (whilst it's still in east dulwich), one also in Peckham and Walworth Rd, another Turkish Supermarket there too bit pricier than markets but cheaper than conventional supermarkets. Also on Walworth Road, alleyway next to Marks and Spencer does some good quality fruit and veg. Hope that helps!

[PeckhamRose]

I agree about Lewisham as that is where I usually get my veg and fruit but also a heads up to the little greengrocers on Evelina Road just past the Kristals Pharmacy and by the dry cleaners. They are friendly and like greengrocers should be. The fruit is not always plentiful but the veg is, and mostly comes from Kent. And is cheaper than supermarkets.

[Pickle]

Another vote for the Forest Hill Rd supermarket, good value and quality. I also find the shop beside the small Sainsburys (near the Plough) often has nice fruit and veg in their bowls outside - I'm pretty sure it's a pound per bowl which is good, especially for peppers, bananas etc.

[Siduhe]

Another vote for FHR Supermarket next to the Rose - great for middle eastern ingredients and fresh herbs/veg and really nice helpful guys that run it.

[Peckhamrye]

Rye Lane is great for vegetables but you need to know what you want, what good vegetables look like and pick them yourself. Don't expect nice smiley service at first but if you go back to the same place a few times they will recognise you and be lovely.

[Twirly]

Buy things that are in season, and you'll find they are cheaper.

I buy most of my fruit and veg in Pretty Traditional, and find them reasonable. If you're over that way, Brixton market is pretty good for fruit and veg. And if you want herbs and spices, go to Brixton Wholefoods - they sell things like dried basil, oregano, etc. for 10p or 20p and ounce. You can get a year's worth of herbs and spices for about ?5. They are also good for pulses, which are great for a good source of cheap protein.

Iceland are good for milk (?1 for 4 pints) and eggs (?2 for 12 free range eggs, about 90p cheaper than Sainsbury's or Co-op). If you are OK with caged hens, then the eggs are even cheaper. Don't bother with the one in Peckham for veg, as they don't have much (the Brixton one is better, as is East Dulwich). Pick your stall in Peckham - the one at the entrance to the station is quite good, and you get to pick your own too. Hope that helps :)

[Cyclemonkey]

I also find Khans in Peckham good for bulk buying rice, turkish stye pasta and spices. For example i just got 400g of peppercorns for ?2.95

[KidKruger]

Khans again, and Rye Lane in general.

Khans has 3x tins chick peas for ?1, I think same with chopped tomatoes, that's not bad - and their fruit/veg cheaper than Sainsburys (but then what isn't !).

[reetpetite]

The fruit and veg stall at Peckham Rye station has closed down .

[Twirly]

That's a shame - anyone know what's replacing it?

[reetpetite]

Sorry Twirly ..they have reopened, just spoke to them 10 mins ago..!

[Nigello]

Iceland is good for fresh fruit like bananas, apples (non-fancy varieties), blueberries and oranges and for fresh veg like mushrooms, leek, onions, garlic and cabbage. Frozen berries are sorely missing from there but they have great frozen peas and beans.

[puwetter]

The pound bowls

[Twirly]

Thanks reetpetite - that's good news :)

[luddite]

i would recommend andreas delecatessen in lordship lane for lentils peppers aubergines tomatoes couscous etc etc ....nice bread ...herbs friendlyish service ...olives are good in there too

[The Minkey]

Where I go: Morrisons in Peckham for various basics, incl. wine. You can also strike lucky with their meat and fish which they often run promotional deals. You can occasionally get great reductions on items which have reached their sell by date which can often be stuck in the freezer. Peckham Asda do some lovely indian style yoghurts and lassis. Peckham Lidl is also really useful: I've paid a lot more for worse wine than their Bordeaux which is under ?4 a bottle. I use the Rye Lane ?1 a scoop places for fruit and veg if it still looks and feels reasonable, and I always buy my onions, spices, basmati rice etc in bulk from whichever of the shops on Rye Lane are doing the best deal. The something Saver shop roughly opposite Mothercare in Peckham is good for things like toilet rolls and batteries.

Lewisham Market is better for fruit and veg and you can get some fantastic bargains but you do need to be mindful about why something is being sold in such quantity for so little, i.e. is there a glut on or is it rubbish - you win some, you lose some. There's a Sainsburys in the shopping arcade and a big Lidl on the road out toward Lee. You can also get large catering type rolls of kitchen towel for a couple of quid which lasts much longer than the branded stuff sold in supermarkets.

Having come to live here from Brixton, I do my wholefood shopping - brown rice, sunflower seeds etc - in Brixton Wholefoods on Railton Rd which - as has been mentioned - does herbs and herbal teas by the scoop. Much cheaper than Holland & Barrett's and cheaper when I last checked than Lordship Lane.

Lastly, when using supermarkets, do an online comparison first to see which ones are doing the best deals on the items you're looking for. If you have less money than time, shopping around pays off.