Shopping in Aldi is a much more pleasurable experience than it used to be. When the stores first opened in 1990 I remember them being sawdust-filled, warehouses full of strange continental foodstuffs. However, I also remember them being a major part of the "bean war" on which tins of beans dropped to 3p! Aldi stores have come a long way since then and no longer have the "shame value" attached to them during my childhood. No longer do children make parents take Marks and Spencer carrier bags with them! What Aldi has retained though, is the cheap prices. Fortunately, they have now combined this with quality produce.

Aldi is now our first port of call for our monthly shop so let me take you around the aisles. Arriving at our Ormskirk branch we select a trolley depositing a pound into the slot. Aldi trolleys are huge, juggernaut like contraptions made for cramming as much in as possible. They are deep and wide with a rack on the bottom so you can fit even more into your trolley. This does however, make them unwieldy vehicles to manoeuvre. The more your shopping builds up, the harder it becomes to steer! Aldi trolleys do have the standard "child seat" incorporated into their design and my three year old does not have any trouble being lifted in or out (no knee banging!). There seems to be little catering for babies or light shoppers however with no "baby seats" in evidence and no hand baskets either. The latter is largely due to the fact most people do a large "tinned" shop in Aldi but occasionally, when you need a bag of sugar and some milk, a basket would be nice.

The first thing that strikes you when entering Aldi is that all the stores have a nigh on identical layout. I have been to branches all over the country over the years and the layout rarely differs. This allows me, as a regular shopper to know were everything is cutting down on my shopping time. Perhaps to compensate for the huge trolleys, the aisles are long and wide with room for two or three trolleys alongside each other without any chance of collision. Indeed, I am able to do a "three-point-turn" in any of the aisles without overly irritating my fellow shoppers. Flooring is clean and smooth tiling and the lighting is bright without blinding you. If I was to find criticism it would be that staff tend to park wooden palettes along the aisles during restocking which can bring two trolleys head on with one of us having to reverse.

Aldi is a shop that is primarily about its tins, jars, boxes and packets. The first long aisle you come across is filled with boxes of cereals, packets of sweets and tins of beans, tomatoes, soups etc. The majority of these are equivalents of the popular brands. "Wheat Bisks" are "Weetabix" right down to the yellow box, likewise "Racer" bars are the Aldi equivalent of "Snickers". What this means is you have the option of trying these "copies" of the pricier, branded names at a fraction of the cost. For example, a box of 24 "Wheat Bisks" are 75 pence. A box of 24 "Weetabix"? £1.47 in Asda. As you can see that is nearly half the price and Aldi's own brand products tend to beat brand names every time. Were Aldi differs from other Supermarket own brands however is in terms of quality. I find Aldi's own brand items from beans to bog roll exceptionally high quality compared to its competitors. Perhaps, it is due to the fact Aldi very rarely has the "branded" names on its shelves that their products are so high in standard. Indeed we much prefer their beans to Heinz and their tinned tomatoes are the highest quality I have encountered at a fraction of the cost. The fresh fruit and veg is also of good quality although often from varying locations around the world. As such those looking for a "fair trade" alternative will not find it here.

Of course, not all the food in Aldi is flawless, the chocolate is very cheap tasting and is imported from Aldi's original base of Germany. The frozen food section is particularly woeful with a limited selection of meals and some "interesting" combinations (lemon and coriander salmon fillets). However, there is the odd find on offer here particularly in the desserts freezer were continental cheesecakes, ice creams and cream cakes all shout out "buy me". The refrigerator section of the store is also quite disappointing with only a small selection of yoghurt's. However, there is a superb selection of cheeses and continental meats and the milk is particularly cheap. In contrast to the rest of the store, the bakery section is the one area that is dominated by branded goods. Here you will find Sayers cakes and breads although Aldi does have Rathbones and its own breads which are a lot cheaper and are still good quality.

Moving on from the food, Aldi has an excellent selection of toiletries including anti-dandruff shampoo, razors and bubble bath. I am particularly impressive with their, "Three blade shaving system" which is as good an own brand razor as I have owned and only costs £2.79 with five refillables costing less than £1.50. Certainly, better value than the extortionate "Mach 3". Similarly, their anti-dandruff is as effective as "Head and Shoulders" and if you check the bottles has virtually identical ingredients! As a side note Aldi products all state that they have not been tested on animals or that they have not been tested on animals since 1995. A reassuring honesty about the fact that they do state that some of their products were tested on animals previously allowing me, as the shopper to decide whether to buy their product or not. Cleaning products such as bleach and washing products are also impressive in terms of price and quality. What impresses me most about these is the quantity for the price too. A 4.5kg box of washing powder costs a mere £2.99 and I have found it as effective on a 40 degree wash as brands including Surf and Persil.

Dominating the middle of the store are huge metal baskets containing all sorts of miscellaneous products that fit into no particular category. It is here that you will find a variety of electrical goods, clothing, gardening equipment among other things. Often the products are of unknown branding but their specifications often match or exceed those of named goods. A good example of this is a stainless steel four slice toaster we purchased that was £14.99 and has all the features of one that would cost £30-40. However, purchasing such products can lead to difficulties as it is often impossible to contact the obscure companies who make these products if anything does go wrong. It is well worth checking the warranty on your product although Aldi will reimburse you fully if you produce a receipt and are unhappy with your purchase. One problem you may find with this section is because it is the section of special offers you cannot afford to come back later to buy something as it has usually sold out. We found this when we went back to buy our son a mountain bike only to find the last one had gone and they were getting no more in. Aldi do release a "special offer" leaflet twice a week which is worth picking up to pre-empt the rush for these limited stock goods.

The last section of the store that deserves mention is the alcohol aisle. Row upon row of wines, beers and spirits are available all at absolute rock bottom prices. Again they have equivalents of popular brands with "Ballycastle" being Aldi's own "Baileys" and, rather cheekily in my opinion, "Oscars" being "Archers". Wine starts from £1.99 and with a bit of trial and error you are guaranteed to find a bottle you like. Similarly, the beer selection is wide and I have found their bitters particularly impressive. Spirits and alcopops are perhaps were the real savings are with large bottles of Vodka, Rum etc available for £7.99. From my experience of the beers, wines and ales there really is little difference between these imitations and the brands which are often double the price.

So, you have well and truly filled your trolley and approach the checkouts. This is only truly disappointing part of shopping in Aldi. There are six checkouts yet whatever the length of queue there are never more than two open. This can lead to some serious waiting time despite the staffs ridiculously speedy serving. Also irritating is the 3p charge per carrier bag. Aldi claims this is an, "Honest" charge as other supermarkets put the cost on your goods. It still irks though despite the bags durability. Staff throughout the store are, in my experience very friendly and eager to help although there does seem to be a lack of them with there never being more than three or four on view in the store. This means that it is unlikely you will be asked if you want your bags packed and you have no chance of them offering to take it your car! Again, no doubt this keeps the costs down but as a customer you always want that little bit extra.

My disappointment at the checkout is often tempered by the fact that the bill is always so damn cheap. I can fill a shopping trolley to overflowing and never spend more than seventy pound. Indeed I would challenge someone to try. Shopping round Aldi can feel a bit like "Supermarket Sweep" as you pile your trolley high within no time at all and race to the checkout. As you can see I am impressed with Aldi and despite my minor irritations with checkout and lack of staff I can heartily recommend it as a cheap alternative to the larger chains that does not skimp on quality.