I travelled 27 hours to shop at Lidl in Italy

Mia Rodriguez

I traveled 27 hours from Kent, England, to Italy to shop at Lidl in Palermo.

As a chef, I was delighted to find rich Italiamo balsamic vinegar and juicy, sweet nectarines.

The Antichi Maestri Parmesan and Baresa dried porcini mushrooms were perfect to use on my trip.

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When my partner and decided to renovate a house in a small town in Sicily, Italy, I knew I had to take advantage of the country’s Lidl locations.

I currently live in Kent, England, where Lidl stores have affordable groceries. The produce selection is OK, but I enjoy doing my weekly shopping there because the prices are low and usually something catches my eye. Still, I had a feeling Lidl in Italy would have better offerings.

So, recently, I traveled a total of 27 hours, including a 13-hour train ride, and shopped at Lidl in Palermo.

While in Italy, I was ready to stock up on treats I wouldn’t find back home.

I made sure to only buy essentials and light-weight items.

My partner and I were traveling with only hand luggage so we knew that whatever we bought had to be either long-lasting or packaged in small enough quantities that we could pack it or finish it before the end of our trip.

As a chef, I looked forward to seeing high-quality ingredients I wouldn’t find back in the UK. I was surprised to find a wide range of frozen items, including pastries and vegetables like agretti and cicoria, which we don’t typically have in the UK.

There was also a wide selection of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free items, including burgers, feta, and pizzas. My partner is vegetarian, so I always like finding new and interesting products to try together.

The Mutti canned tomatoes would be handy to have in the cupboard for visitors, as they form a base for so many meals.

The tomatoes are great in chili con carne, shakshuka, and pasta sauces. We didn’t end up using the tomatoes during our trip but I brought them home in my suitcase.

A pack of Mutti tomatoes cost 2.40 euros, or about $2.50.

Unsurprisingly, we were spoilt for choice when it came to Lidl’s cheese selection, and ultimately went with the Antichi Maestri Parmesan.

Though the Parmesan wasn’t the cheapest option, it was certainly tasty. It was great for topping pasta dishes, enhancing salads, or even upgrading scrambled eggs. We used the Parmesan a lot during our trip and even managed to smuggle some home for an end-of-summer pesto.

I picked up the Baresa porcini mushrooms as soon as I spotted them.

The mushrooms were another affordable pantry staple and came in handy for making an umami-rich stock for gravies or risotto. I also blitzed them into a powder and sprinkled them on dishes that needed a little savory flavor.

The Baresa porcini mushrooms cost 1.80 euros.

I’m obsessed with artichokes at the moment, so a jar from Baresa was a must.

I like using artichokes and celeriac (celery root) as a healthy way to add substance to plant-based meals. I also like artichokes straight out of the jar as a snack.

I usually use jarred artichokes in salads or blended into dips. On this trip, I used them to add a little more flavor to a mushroom risotto.

It was impossible to leave the Italian Lidl without at least one bag of pasta, so I opted for the Alberto Poiatti mafaldine.

This Lidl had a huge selection of dried, fresh, and filled pasta. But for the mafaldine, I plan on making a fresh tomato sauce, a trapanese-style pesto, or a creamy salmon sauce.

The smell of Bellarom Rosso coffee alone is intoxicating. It was strong enough for two freelancers juggling work and a house renovation.

It turned into a great deodorizer for ancient inherited fridges, too. I placed a small bowlful of ground coffee at the back of the fridge and it smelled lovely in no time.

The nectarines from Lidl were glorious. Though the condition of fresh produce at my UK Lidl can be unpredictable, the nectarines from the Italian location were juicy and exactly as stone fruit should be.

We packed the nectarines to snack on during a hike and beach picnic and absolutely loved them. I’d also recommend using them in a goat-cheese tart or serving them with cheese and cured meats.

The Italiamo balsamic vinegar was fantastic. It had depth and body, especially in comparison to the harsh watery versions I’ve gotten from other brands.

I loved drizzling the balsamic vinegar on pizzas, salads, and sandwiches. It was rich, luxurious, and best of all, pretty affordable.

A bottle of Italiamo balsamic vinegar was 4.20 euros.

We ended up packing the Sondey biscotti on our sleeper train journey and thought they were a tasty go-to when we needed a little pick-me-up.

They tasted like Nutella-stuffed cookies and were the perfect size to crunch into and have with a coffee.

The loaf of bread from Lidl was pretty tasty. Mia Rodriguez
Though the loaf of bread I bought at Lidl wasn’t quite as delicious as focaccia, it was tasty.

Lidl bakes its bread in-store so I didn’t want to pass. I used the loaf of bread to make simple sandwiches.

The Italian Lidl also had a great range of baguettes, olive-studded loaves, and some sweet breads. The loaf of bread I bought was 2.30 euros.