The Short Answer
Aldi and Lidl. If you’re near one, use it for the bulk of your weekly shop. If you’re not, Asda is the next best on price. Tesco and Sainsbury’s cost more for the same food and there’s no reason to use them as your main shop when you’re on a student budget. The Sainsbury’s Local on Wilmslow Road in Fallowfield is convenient but the prices are Local-store inflated – it’s fine for one or two items, ruinous as a weekly shop.
The Supermarkets Near Campus
Aldi – Oxford Road / City Centre
The Oxford Road Aldi is the most useful supermarket for UoM students – it’s on your route from Fallowfield/Rusholme to campus and the city centre. Own-brand staples (pasta, rice, tinned tomatoes, eggs, milk, bread, frozen veg) are 30–50% cheaper than Tesco equivalent. The fruit and veg section is good and cheap. Bakery items in the morning are excellent. The middle aisle has random non-food items that are sometimes genuinely useful and cheap – kitchen equipment, bedding, cleaning products. Aldi’s weekly food shop for one person doing this properly is £20–30.
Lidl – Fallowfield / Rusholme
The Lidl near Fallowfield is the other main option for students in south Manchester. Similar pricing to Aldi. Lidl’s in-store bakery is slightly better. The fresh meat and fish is well-priced. Like Aldi, the own-brand basics are significantly cheaper than the major supermarkets and the quality is fine – anyone who tells you differently is spending money they don’t have.
Asda – Hulme
The Hulme Asda is a full-size supermarket with lower prices than Tesco and Sainsbury’s. Worth using if you’re in Hulme or want a bigger shop than Aldi/Lidl offer. Asda own-brand is good value. The bakery section is large. The non-food section (cleaning products, toiletries, household goods) is better value than buying those things at a pharmacy or convenience store.
Sainsbury’s and Tesco – City Centre / Fallowfield
Both have stores in the city centre and along the student corridor. Use them for specific things (Sainsbury’s Basics range is fine, Tesco Clubcard pricing can be good on specific items) but don’t do a full weekly shop here. The price difference on a £30 basket vs Aldi can be £8–12 – across a semester that’s £100+ wasted on the same food.
The Co-op
More expensive than the big four but the Co-op membership is £1 to join and gives you 5% back on own-brand purchases plus access to member deals. With a TOTUM card you get an additional 10% off. If the Co-op is genuinely your nearest option, the combined discounts make it more competitive. But it’s not a first-choice option if Aldi or Lidl are accessible.
The Corner Shop Problem
Every student area in Manchester has a dense network of corner shops and convenience stores – the ones on Wilmslow Road in Fallowfield especially. They’re open late, they’re convenient, and they’re expensive. A pint of milk is £0.30 more. A block of cheese is £1 more. A bag of pasta is £0.50 more. Across a week of small corner-shop purchases, you can easily add £15–20 to your food spend without noticing. Use them for emergencies, not habit.
What to Actually Buy
The £30/week basket
This is achievable at Aldi or Lidl with discipline:
- Pasta (1kg): £0.55
- Rice (2kg): £1.20
- Tinned tomatoes (×6): £1.80
- Tinned chickpeas and lentils (×4): £1.60
- Eggs (12): £1.80
- Milk (4 pints): £1.20
- Bread (800g): £0.80
- Frozen veg (1kg mixed): £1.00
- Fresh veg (onions, garlic, peppers, courgettes): £3.50
- Chicken breast or thighs (500g): £2.80
- Mince beef or pork (500g): £2.50
- Butter or oil: £1.50
- Canned fish (×3): £1.80
- Yoghurt, cheese, or other dairy: £2.50
- Toiletries and cleaning: £4.00
- Coffee, tea, juice: £3.00
- Total: ~£28
This feeds one person for a week if you cook from scratch most nights. The five meals to learn: pasta with sauce, fried rice, daal, stir fry, and a bean-based stew. Rotate them and you eat well.
Online Shopping
Aldi doesn’t do proper grocery delivery. Lidl’s delivery service is limited. For online shopping, Asda is the best value – their delivery slots often have deals and the own-brand pricing is good. Morrisons also tends to be cheaper online than Tesco or Sainsbury’s. If you’re going in for a big monthly shop and splitting delivery with housemates, this works well.
The Market Option
Bury Market (30 minutes on the tram) is the best market in Greater Manchester for food shopping – meat, fish, fruit and veg, baked goods, all at prices that beat even Aldi for most items. It runs Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. If you have a day free and want to do a big shop cheaply, it’s worth the trip once a month.
Arndale Market in the city centre has fruit and veg stalls that are cheaper than supermarket fresh produce. The Saturday morning market at Altrincham (tram to Altrincham) is excellent quality but priced for people with money – beautiful produce, not a budget option.
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