And the Award Goes to…

Gold Grocer Awards 2009

The 2009 Grocer Gold Awards were held this month and ASDA, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Ocado all came away with prizes. Check out the below results to see what categories each supermarket excelled in this year.

Britain’s Favourite Supermarket of the Year in association with Nielsen
Tesco

Online Retailer of the Year
Ocado

Britain’s Lowest Priced Supermarket
ASDA

Consumer Initiative of the Year
Sainsbury’s, Switch & Save Campaign

Do you agree with the results?

Start shopping now at your favourite supermarket.

 

Tennis Top Offers

Deals on strawberries & cream

Advantage – you. Wimbledon starts this week which means it is time to fill your supermarket trolley with strawberries, cream and Pimm’s!

Did you know that strawberries:

• Contain even more vitamin C than oranges
• Have long been regarded as an aphrodisiac
• Are also a source of fibre, folic acid, iron and potassium

Just a few more reasons to enjoy this age old Wimbledon tradition! To help you get the best deals and perfect your tennis food game, mySupermarket have pulled together this week’s Top Offers on strawberries, cream and Pimm’s.

TOP OFFERS ON STRAWBERRIES

Tesco Organic Strawberries (300g): Was £2.99, Now £2.49 save £0.50 (Tesco)

Sainsbury’s British Strawberries (454g): Was £3.99, Now £1.99 save £2.00 (Sainsbury’s)

Waitrose Strawberries (454g): Was £3.94, Now £1.97 save £2.00 (Ocado)

TOP OFFERS ON CREAM

Tesco Finest Chantilly Cream (230ml): Was £1.20, Now 90p save £0.30 (Tesco)

Elmlea Double (284ml): 64p each, 2 for £1 save £0.28 (ASDA)

Anchor Real Dairy Cream Swirls (250g): Was £1.76, Now £1.41 save £0.35 (Ocado)

TOP OFFERS ON PIMM’S

Pimm’s & Lemonade (250ml): £1.37 each, 3 for £4 save £0.11 (Tesco)

Pimm’s & Lemonade (250ml): £1.36, 4 for £5 save £0.44 (ASDA)

———--

The ball is in your court – save by shopping from the mySupermarket Top Offers shelves.

 

Fantastic Father’s Day Deals

Last minute deals for dad

This Sunday is Father’s Day! If you are stuck on gift ideas, the supermarkets have some great deals on men’s toiletries products. We have listed some of the best ones below.

Spoil dad and save at the same time – Happy Father’s Day!

TESCO

Nivea for Men Extreme Comfort Shave Gel (200ml): Was £4.15, Now £2.77 save £1.38

Gillette Fusion Power Razor: Was £9.76, Now £4.88 save £4.88

ASDA

Gillette Series After Shave Balm Sensitive Skin (75ml): £4.88 each, 2 for £8.00 save £1.76

Wilkinson Sword Quattro Precision Trimmer Razor: £7.98 each, 2 for £8.00 save £15.96

SAINSBURY’S

L’Oréal Men Expert Anti-Irritation Caring Shave Gel Sensitive Skin (200ml): Was £2.84, Now £1.89 save £0.95

Gillette Fusion Manual Razor: Was £7.31, Now £3.65 save £3.66

OCADO

Gillette Fusion Facial Conditioner & Cleanser (100ml): Was £4.38, Now £2.93 save £1.45

Gillette Fusion Shave Foam Tough Beard (250ml): Was £3.65, Now £2.45 save £1.20

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Food Safety Tips

Safe food preparation

One of the ways to cut costs in the credit crunch is to cook big meals and store leftovers for later in the week – but did you stop to think that preparing your leftovers incorrectly could make you very sick?

Harmful bacteria which grow in food (such as Listeria, E. coli and Salmonella) can cause severe food poisoning which can sometimes be fatal. As this week is National Food Safety Week (hosted by the Food Standards Agency), mySupermarket has collected some important food safety tips to help keep you and your family healthy while you are cutting your food costs!

• Always wash your hands thoroughly (ideally with anti-bacterial soap) before preparing food
• When preparing meat it is important to keep it away from other food – use a separate cutting board to prepare the meat and wash all utensils before using them on other foods.
• After touching raw meat, wash your hands before coming into contact with any other food, utensils or kitchen surfaces.
• Thoroughly cook meat before eating it.
• Always store raw meat tightly wrapped on the bottom shelf of the fridge, so that the juices don’t drip onto other foods.
• Check that food is properly cooked and is hot enough – when you cut meat open it should be steaming in the middle as well as on the outside.
• Food is susceptible to harmful bacteria if it is kept between temperatures of 4°C and 60°C. This means it is important to keep the temperature of cold food below 4°C and the temperature of hot food higher than 60°C.
• Do not leave leftover food sitting at room temperature for more than 2 hours. As soon as it has stopped steaming, store it in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
• Keep the temperature of your fridge between 0°C and 4°C
• Discard leftovers after 3 days of storage in the fridge
• Only re-heat food once –  more than once encourages the growth of bacteria.
• Do not eat foods which have passed their “use-by” date.
• Always read the storage information on food packaging to check whether food should be stored in the fridge after opening.

For more information on keeping your food safe, head to www.eatwell.gov.uk

Start your grocery shopping>>

 

Barking Mad Britain?

Brand & Pet Loyalty

We may be letting ourselves go in the turmoil of the current credit crunch but it seems we won’t let the same thing happen to our pets! Proving that the UK really is a nation of pet lovers, mySupermarket research has found that pet food is currently one of the only categories where shoppers are refusing to switch to own brand products. 77% of what we spend on pet food goes on branded products, and this has been the case for the last 12 months. Perhaps pets are getting many of us through the tough economic times and we are repaying the favour?

While we are brand loyal on pet food and some other categories such as cola and biscuits, it seems we are much more flexible on items like pasta, crisps and rice – with many of us happy to choose own brands on these products.

If you are one of the people unwilling to sacrifice on pet food, check out the list of the 5 most popular pet foods and see if you agree with your fellow pet owners on what is best for your best friend.

Top 5: Cat Food

• Butcher’s Classic Chunks in Jelly Meat Selection (6×400g)
• Butcher’s Classic Chunks in Jelly Fish Variety (6×400g)
• Tesco Premium Cuts in Jelly Selection (24×100g)
• KiteKat Chunks in Jelly Selection (12×400g)
• Purina Felix As Good As It Looks Ocean Feast (12×100g)

Top 5: Dog Food

• Butcher’s Chunks in Jelly Variety Pack (6×400g)
• ASDA Hero Chunks in Jelly Selection (12×400g)
• Butcher’s Tripe Variety Pack (6×400g)
• Tesco Value Complete Dog Food (2.5Kg)
• Pedigree Chunks in Gravy Selection (6×400g)

Is your favourite pet food on the list?

View the pet food shelf >>

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Are We Letting Ourselves Go?

Fruit vs. Pizza

Is the credit crunch causing our standards to slip? With prices at the supermarkets having risen sharply over the past year on lots of our weekly essentials, many of us are trying to save in every way we can. mySupermarket has taken a look at which areas are taking the hit – and it seems that we are most willing to cut back on healthy eating and cleanliness!

Whilst an Englishman’s home has traditionally been his castle, since the credit crunch began it seems it may be grubbier than it was twelve months ago. Over the past year, sales of household cleaning products have fallen by 16%, suggesting we are sacrificing on keeping our home clean or perhaps returning to more traditional and natural cleaning methods of the past.

It’s not only our houses which are being neglected, our bodies are feeling it too with sales of fresh fruit and vegetables down 8% and 7% respectively. According to the latest figures from mySupermarket, the cost of fruit & vegetables has risen by about 20% in the last 12 months – which might be the reason we are spending less and less time in this section of the supermarket.

Fruit juice is also proving to be an unaffordable luxury with sales falling by a massive 17%. Interestingly however, sales of crisps and snacks have risen by 12% and sales of frozen pizza by 6%. Perhaps we are comfort eating our way through the downturn? It may also be a case of people drowning their sorrows as sales of white wine jump 9%, replacing champagne which has seen sales tumble by almost a quarter.

It isn’t impossible to balance a cheap trolley with a healthy one. By tracking the best deals and Top Offers it is possible to save up to 20% on your weekly shopping and beat the increases on the products you want to buy. In addition, you can use the mySupermarket traffic lights to compare the nutritional value of food as you shop – or use the Health Checker to check for healthier options to swap to.

Your wallet might be thin but that doesn’t mean your waist line needs to go in the opposite direction!

Have you got any other tips for maintaining a healthy diet on a budget?

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Football Fever Top Offers

Play it smart with Top Offers

Manchester United or Barcelona?

Chelsea or Everton?

Becks or Guinness?

Walkers or Pringles?

With such a huge week of football ahead of us, mySupermarket has pulled together some of the best deals on beer and snacks to help you prepare for the big games. All four supermarkets have many more specials on offer than what we have listed here – to check out all the deals, simply click on the supermarket names next to the products and browse the full shelf for any specials in red. All specials listed below are valid till the end of this month (May 2009).

Don’t leave it to your team – play it smart yourself by using special offers to save this week!

BEER LINEUP

Corona Extra (6×330ml): 2 FOR £10 save £3.36 (ASDA)

Tiger Lager Beer (4×330ml): 2 FOR £6 save £1.48 (ASDA)

Beck’s Bier (6×275ml): 2 for £8.00, save £3.76 (Tesco)

Guinness Draught (18×440ml): Now £15.00 save £7.85 (Tesco)

Stella Artois (12×440ml): Now £10.00, save £4.19 (Tesco)

Grolsch Premium Lager (20×275ml): Now £10.99, save £4 (Ocado)

Kronenbourg Lager 1664 (18×300ml): Now £11.96, save £3.50 (Ocado)

CRISPS & SNACKS LINEUP

ASDA Crisps Multipack Meaty (8×25g): 3 FOR £3, save 87p (ASDA)

McCoy’s Crisps Ridge Cut Classic Crisps (6×32g): 3 FOR £3, save £1.53 (ASDA)

Walkers Sensations Oven Roasted Chicken with Lemon & Thyme Crisps (175g): HALF PRICE, save 73p (Tesco)

Walkers French Fries Variety (12×19g): Buy one add one free, save £2.18 (Sainsbury’s)

Walkers Variety Crisps (6×25g): 2 for £2, save 50p (Sainsbury’s)

Kettle Chips Individuals Lightly Salted (6×30g): 2 for £3, save 50p (Ocado)

Pringles Original (155g): 2 for £2.17, save 73p (Ocado)

 

Top 10: Toothbrushes

Brush twice daily

How healthy is your smile?

This week marks the start of National Smile Month, sponsored by the British Dental Health Foundation. National Smile Month is all about promoting dental hygiene in the UK and the prevention of gum disease. Did you know that neglecting your teeth and gums can lead to a variety of health problems including heart disease, strokes and diabetes?

To prevent this, it is recommended that you:
•    Brush your teeth twice a day
•    Replace your toothbrush regularly
•    Visit the dentist as often as they recommend
•    Limit the amount of sugary food and drinks you consume.

If it is time that you replace your toothbrush check out mySupermarket’s list of 10 most popular toothbrushes below – and get brushing!

TOP 10: TOOTHBRUSHES

1. Colgate Smiles Assorted Character Toothbrush 2-5yrs
2. Colgate Kids My First Toothbrush 0-2yrs
3. Tesco Steps Pirate & Mermaid Toothbrush 2-6yrs
4. ASDA Great Stuff Kids Toothbrush
5. Reach Interdental Firm Head Toothbrush
6. Tesco Steps Surfer Step 3 Toothbrush 6yrs+
7. ASDA Essential Care Flexible Medium Toothbrush
8. Aquafresh Toothbrush Milk Teeth
9. Colgate Zig Zag Toothbrush (3)
10. Colgate Toothbrush Maximum Fresh Medium

Shop from the Dental Products shelf >>

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Number 10 Downshift Street

Downshifting on expenses

With MPs claiming everything from women’s clothing to toilet seats, here at mySupermarket we have decided to provide a few pointers for MPs on how they can save taxpayers a few quid by downshifting their way out of Downing Street and cutting 20% off their grocery expenditure.

Here are a few examples to point them in the right direction:

Shaun Woodward

SWAP: Muller Crunch Corner Yogurt (38p) for Creamfields Yogurt (27p) and save 11p

David Willetts

SWAP: 25 Light Bulbs (£100) for 25 Tesco Energy Saving Light Bulbs (£13) and save £87

Hazel Blears

SWAP: 3 Kit Kat Chunkys (£1.47) for 3 packs of Cadbury Buttons (£1) and save 47p

Cheryl Gillan

SWAP:  Pedigree Complete Adult Chicken & Rice Dog Food (£9.28) for Tesco Premium Complete Chicken & Country Vegetable Dog Food (£5.03) and save £4.25.

Phil Woolas

SWAP: 2 packets of Tampax Tampons (£2.22) for ASDA Freestyle Tampons (£1.54) and save 68p

SWAP: 2 packets of Pampers Nappies (£11.30) for Sainsbury’s Little Ones Nappies (£8.58) and save £2.72

By taking the ‘downshift challenge’ and swapping to a cheaper brand or same quality alternative using mySupermarket, MPs could save us all a lot of money!

Why not show them how it should be done?

Start your cheaper grocery shopping now >>

 

Sweet Like Honey

Benefits of Honey

It is National Honey Week this week (sponsored by the UK Honey Association) – and to celebrate we are taking a look at the benefits of this natural sweetener. Ever considered swapping sugar for honey in your cooking? Below are a few reasons you may want to give it a try.

• Honey is said to have anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties - which is one of the reasons it is a recommended remedy for colds and flus. A tablespoon of honey with lemon in hot water can often ease and even help cure a sore throat or cough.
• Honey is sweeter than sugar – and this means that you often need to use less of it as a sweetener in cooking. It is also a great natural alternative.
• Honey is a great pick me up - the natural fructose and glucose in honey is absorbed quickly into the bloodstream to give you a natural lift.

According to mySupermarket data, the 5  most popular types of honey purchased are:

1. Rowse Squeezy Pure Natural Honey (340g)
2. ASDA Smartprice South American Clear Honey (425g)
3. Duerr’s Clear Blossom Honey (454g)
4. Rowse Pure Natural Blossom Honey (340g)
5. Sainsbury’s Basics Clear Honey (340g)

(May, 2009)

Don’t forget to keep an eye out on prices and top offers across all supermarkets to get the best price on your favourite honey.

Do you have any innovative suggestions for using honey in cooking? We would love to hear them.

View the honey shelf >>

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