04/12/2024
Hey there, I just posted this response in the Natick Talks group to someone asking about prices and quality at Stop & Shop versus Whole Foods versus Market Basket. I thought I would share my response in the event it is helpful!
Personal chef here and I thought I would weigh in… I spend about $4000 a month on groceries so I really have a sense of prices -and quality - at most of the local stores. I am based out of Wayland.
If you’re shopping the middle of the grocery store in any of these places, then you probably want to listen to somebody else. But if you’re shopping the edges for primarily fresh proteins, fruit and produce, I definitely have the line on where to go.
It was super sad for me when Wegmans closed as that was the only place to go for a whole bunch of their own brand of products. I now drive to Burlington once every two weeks to stock up on all of the gluten-free and Wegmans brand organic products that they just don’t carry anywhere else.
I hit Market Basket in Waltham twice a week. The Market Basket in Maynard is also great but they get their truck delivery a lot later in the day so if you want to make sure something is in stock or you want the fish to have just come in that day you’re going need to go later in the day or go to Waltham. Waltham gets their fish truck delivery every single day by 8 o’clock in the morning.
The prices are better at Market Basket than anywhere else except Aldi. However, Aldi is a crapshoot both in terms of quality, brands and specific products. If you want to go on an adventure, you can get any number of things often at great prices. But if you want to shop at one store and get everything you need, I would skip it. Same goes for Trader Joe’s. If you have products you like there, they can have great prices on them, but it is not a great place to do general shopping.
If I were to do a shop at Market Basket and spent $200, I would spend closer to $350 at Whole Foods for the same products. that said, there are a number of things that they carry at each of those stores that they do not carry at the other. And if you have Amazon prime and produce in particular is on sale at Whole Foods, the quality and the prices can’t be beat.
The best quality and the best prices on seafood, hands-down goes to: Market Basket. Here’s a secret: most of the seafood that you get at any of these stores comes from the same supplier. So it’s really all about who gets a new delivery every day and who does the most volume because they’re going to have the freshest fish. Trust me when I tell you Market Basket is so much better than everywhere else. You can get some things that Captain Martens that you can’t get at Market Basket but it’ll cost you almost twice as much.
Best quality and best pricing on chicken hands-down goes to: Wegmans. They have bulk pack chicken that is their brand but it actually is Bell and Evans and boneless skinless breasts are $4.49 a pound not on sale and thighs are $3.99 a pound. it’s worth it to drive every two weeks just for the chicken.
Best prices and best quality for beef: depends. They have organic grass-fed ground beef, strip steaks, stew meat and boneless ribeyes at BJ’s for a great price. I absolutely love the prime strip steaks out of the case at Market Basket and the Cryovac flank and skirt steak. Amazing prices on all of those.
Bulk staples: rice, olive oil, jarred artichoke hearts, quinoa, paper towels, toothpaste, and a whole lot of other random stuff. Best price by far goes to: BJ’s. They also have amazing prices on all of their produce, but you really have to watch the quality. Stay far away from the bagged already cut vegetables because you’ll be very very sad when you open it up.
Best prices on cheese and dairy: Market Basket and BJ’s are probably tied. They have some amazing specialty cheese at Whole Foods but if they carry it at either of the above you want to get it there. Trader Joe’s also gets a mention here for fantastic prices, and really creative cheese options. In terms of eggs nobody beats BJ’s. $8.99 for Pete and Jerry’s organic pasture raised eggs 18 count. Same thing will run you $12.99 at Whole Foods. By the way, if you have a choice between pasture raised and organic, but not both, go with the pasture raised.
Best quality and prices on fresh fruit: best quality definitely goes to Whole Foods. Whole Foods also has the best selection of organic fruit and produce. However, if you want to organic berries, BJ’s and Wegmans crush Whole Foods. They have absolutely incredible prices on organic berries, especially if you’re buying more than a half of a pint. They cost about a third of what you will pay anywhere else. Otherwise, best prices are usually found at Market Basket unless Whole Foods is having an Amazon prime sale. Bulk citrus fruit prices are great at BJ’s.
So you’ll notice I haven’t mentioned Stop & Shop or Roche Brothers or Hannafords or Donelans. And that’s for a reason. I have very few products at any of those stores that I can’t get elsewhere for cheaper (or better quality). When I need to run into one of the many Stop & Shops in the area to grab a couple of things, I am inevitably incredibly disappointed at the lack of produce, at the insanely high prices for their meat and the mediocre quality.
And that concludes this session of a personal chef’s shopping adventures! 
April and May 2024 Menu MAIN DISHES Singapore Pan-Fried Shrimp with Orange Basil Sauce Jumbo shrimp are pan-seared and topped with orange basil sauce and served with coconut rice and stir-fried spinach Paleo and keto options available Mango Coconut Curry
