First Timer's Guide to Grocery Shopping In Oxford

If it’s your first time in Oxford, or your first time in England, you might find yourself at a loss for where to buy things you need on a daily basis...

You don’t need to go down to the city centre every time you do a food shop (mistake I made my entire first semester) or shower without a towel for a week because you don’t know where to get them (mistake I made for one week), or go to sleep cold because you didn’t bring blankets from home and you haven’t seen where they sell them anywhere (mistake you don’t want to make).

So, let's start with groceries. All right, it is common sense for people in the UK to know this but for international students a summary is needed so:

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the main food chains are Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose

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these are likely the ones you see the most often

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Tesco is the most affordable

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Waitrose is the most high-end one

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Sainsbury’s is somewhere in the middle.

You can find the largest local Tesco stores in the city centre and on Cowley Rd. If you’re living in Headington it is worth going up to Headington shops, you’ll find Sainsbury’s, a small Tesco and a huge Waitrose (as well as a smaller one by the petrol station). In these places you’ll find most daily needs, from vegetables and fruits to toiletries and detergents.

In addition to those three there is also Iceland, ALDI, and the Co-op. Iceland mostly sells frozen food items in bulk, ALDI is very cost-effective but quite far from Headington on the way to Harcourt Hill by Botley (taking the U1 bus directly there is always an option). The Co-op is reasonably priced and although I don’t frequent it because of its distance you can get really great discounts with an NUS card or if you're an affiliate of the store.

More on shopping next time!

Abigail J.