Ooh yes - I love singing but Mr Itchyfeet doesn’t like listening!!
Thanks for all the suggestions! I’ve noticed that there’s a Booths in Keswick, which is somewhere I’m keen to visit again, as I spent a lot of time there as a kid. I’ll definitely be looking up @Itchyfeet’s recommendation for almond croissants!
I was in there yesterday 
Ooh lovely @Twitcher - did you buy anything or just having a browse?
Browse and the facilities 
I’ve been in Cologne, Germany since Monday - my first time in Germany and I haven’t a clue what people are saying! Leaving today for Nuremberg. I have an Airbnb with kitchen and shopped initially in a supermarket called ‘Penny’. Yesterday I went into ‘Rewe’ which was much nicer. It seems to be equivalent to England’s Waitrose and Yorkshire’s Booth’s so that will be my go to in Nuremberg!
@Smiley Nuremberg has been on my bucket list for sooo long now, we must talk about your visit when we meet. Also to go the short trip from Nberg to Rothenburg and Bamberg which apparently are stunning.
My favorite go to when travelling in the UK in particular is the good old Aldi and Tesco. When travelling long term it’s all about budget. Compared to Australian supermarkets, these two are mind-blowing though. I do love to browse and occasionally shop at M&S. A day out sightseeing for me sometimes is visiting supermarkets Simple pleasures.
Maybe not traditional grocery outlets but worth looking at the following apps in Europe. Toogoodtogo. This app works with grocery and food outlets to offer short dated food usually heavily discounted.
In the UK Olio app offers free food from local people. The food is often rescued from places like Tesco but can be home cooked food left overs. You set the radius you are happy to collect from.
That’s such a good suggestion @richten1! We have both in my town, and Toogoodtogo is used by both local businesses and bigger businesses to save food wastage. I ended up with a surplus of cupboard essentials during/after COVID lockdown and was able to redistribute them with people via Olio, which was super useful.
Have you used them before? What sort of items did you end up with, if so?
I might try Toogoodtogo and report back with my findings!
I’ll be returning to Italy in May and am looking forward to visiting Eataly again. The friend I’ll be sitting lives close to one location. It’s the most amazing supermarket, with huge selections of smoked meats, cheeses, pastas, wines, olive oils, treats and more. Has a wine bar, pizza spot and more. I last went as holiday season was starting and it was loaded with so many seasonal treats as well. I wanted to take the store home with me.
It’s so amazing that there’s a tour bus stop outside the location that my friend lives by. There’s nothing else for tourists to see in that spot, so I guess they’re there for the Eataly.
The chain also has some locations in the U.S., though I don’t live near one and haven’t had a chance to visit. Also rode by a location in Japan, but didn’t have time to stop.
I love visiting markets in Germany, whether in Nuremberg or elsewhere, because they have HUGE selections of gummy candies. Have yet to visit a market there that hasn’t, happily.
If you’re ever in the Cincinnati area in Ohio, I recommend this mind-boggling market called Jungle Jim’s. It’s 200,000 square feet, with HUGE selections of all kinds of groceries, treats, wine, cigars, etc. It’s like an amusement park for food. Many tourists visit.
My husband and I visited during a road trip years ago and I ended up having him drive around to pick me up at an exit, because it was so large that it would have been a hike to find our car again outside one of multiple exits and entries.
There are two locations.
@Smiley have fun! I was in Cologne this past year for the Christmas Market, the cathedral is gorgeous. I did a sit in Nuremberg a couple years ago and really enjoyed it. Karstadt is good for groceries there.
Thanks for the tip. I like the look of Nuremberg for sure and enjoyed walking the 533 steps up into one of the Cathedral towers in Cologne
I’ve used both Olio and TooGoodToGo, although I use TooGoodToGo more often
What you get from TooGoodToGo can vary dramatically. There is actually a Facebook group where people post what they collected! We have some favourites and others that we probably wouldn’t collect from again - either not too our taste or just not as good a bargain as alternative options. Some areas have lots of stores/cafes/bakeries on TooGoodToGo, others have very little. Cheltenham has a good selection. Popular places sell out early.
Aldi is very popular on TooGoodToGo near me, mainly because you get so much more from them than from anywhere else. Other places will hand you a small bag or carrier bag, whereas Aldi bring out one of those large cardboard trays they keep fruit and veg in, completely full of food. You get whatever is going out of date, and sometimes multiple of the same item - we once had 3 tubs of butter, and another time multiple bags of spinach!
One of our favourites was a bag from a local bakery chain. We would get a full carrier bag with several of :- bread, pastries, cakes, pasties, sausage rolls and sandwiches. We never needed to buy bread and I would often have a “potluck pasty” as part of my lunch the following day - you didn’t know what it contained until you bit into it! Unfortunately they changed their collection time so I can no longer make it there after I finish work. Sometimes we get a bag on a weekend if I am organised - it’s another one that sells out and you have to reserve it the day before usually.
We also used to quite like the bag from our local Starbucks at the railway station. They used to pack the bag when you arrived and would ring up the items on the till so you could see the actual value of what you had received. They would give 5 items as standard, a mix of sandwiches and cakes.
We find TooGoodToGo a nice way to try out new places or ones you didn’t actually know existed, We have found a few nice little cafes!
I have used Olio less often, but have been a collector of what the supermarket gives away a couple of times. You then have to take it home and list it on Olio, and respond to people who contact you requesting items that you have listed. You get to keep 10 percent of what you collected for yourself. It is a bit of a commitment and you need time to spare, so we haven’t done this often. We have requested food items from others who were sharing on Olio occasionally. We have probably used it to share and request non food items more often.
Is THS seeking ways to make some money from advertising? I’m sorry, but It’s like this thread is just a way to advertise grocery and other stores. I feel as if I should say something like:
“When I travel, I only buy groceries at the Gluttony Food Emporium. Their selection of processed meats, products with refined sugar and flour, and almost ripe produce makes it the ideal store for any traveler. They offer free samples of all their food and there’s always a vomitorium onsite, so you never have to worry about getting too full! There’s no better way to make the family happy then at Gluttony Food Emporium!”
Sorry. It’s early and I haven’t had my coffee…from Gluttony Food Emporium.
Maybe have that coffee, or two 
It’s just a light topic that breaks up what can be some pretty heavy stuff occasionally. Not everything has to be deep and meaningful sometimes.
Fair enough. I’ve had my coffee.
We always try the local markets. When we need a full shopping, Aldi and Lidl are always a good choice.
Love the fresh-squeezed orange machines in Spain.