My healthy food shop was just 59p more expensive in Waitrose than Sainsbury’s

In our series, Supermarket Swap, we challenge a family to change where and how they do their weekly grocery shop. Can they save money by trading old habits for new – and will they decide to switch to another supermarket as a result? If you want to take part, email money@inews.co.uk. This week, we speak to Michelle Akpata, 30, of North London, who is a radio presenter and aspiring actress. Despite living and renting on her own, she prioritises buying high-quality food – and flowers to treat herself. Her mum always shops at Sainsbury’s, so she does, too. But she’s always been tempted by Waitrose despite its pricey reputation – can she do a shop there without breaking the bank? Supermarket Swap Old supermarket: Sainsbury’s New supermarket: Waitrose New bill: £27 Equivalent in old supermarket: £26.41 Saving: £0.59 Michelle Akpata lives on her own, but she’s living life to the full. Not only is she a radio presenter at Shoreditch Radio – covering all things London, from food to music and going out- but she’s also an aspiring actress, recently completing a course with the National Youth Theatre. Shorts Putting herself out there for new acting roles has made Michelle, 30, rethink her health and diet, and a year ago, she began making healthier food swaps. Michelle has cut out high-sugar and high-fat foods, replacing them with more lean protein and larger portions of fresh vegetables and fruit. “I’ve been wanting to lose weight for a while, so I’ve been focusing on that for the past year,” says Michelle. “I’ve found it quite easy to stick to as there are so many options available at the supermarket.” Michelle’s trick to staying full and satisfied is to make hearty stews with lean protein and wholegrain rice, with a big side of vegetables. Her family is Nigerian, so she often cooks with her mum, who lives nearby. A traditional favourite, she says, is jollof rice, which she hasn’t had to cut out as she’s able to make it healthier by using less oil, and again, wholemeal rice and more veggies. So far, so good – Michelle is feeling fitter and healthier, giving her the confidence to tackle any acting auditions that come her way. “I definitely have more energy and feel I’m able to get out there and do more physical things,” she says. Michelle has been a loyal Sainsbury’s shopper for years, inheriting her mum’s supermarket of choice. She spends around £60 a week on groceries for herself, including a bunch of flowers that she treats herself to each time. “I just love to decorate my house with flowers and I love the way they smell. I like to buy flowers for others too. I do try to mix it up, but my favourite flower has to be roses,” she says. Michelle has a nearby Waitrose which she often nips into to pick up some fresh flowers, but has so far steered clear of doing any food shopping there as it’s perceived to be high-end and pricey. But for this edition of Supermarket Swap, Michelle was willing to give Waitrose a try, and find out for herself whether the prices matched up to the perception. “I definitely wanted to try more of the quality foods Waitrose is known for. As I already pop in to get flowers, I thought, ‘why not try the food?’,” she says. Michelle visited Waitrose on a Sunday, curious to see what she could pick up for some easy but healthy midweek meals, without spending more than usual. She was pleasantly surprised to find that where prices were higher in Waitrose than in Sainsbury’s, it wasn’t by much for the items she selected. For example, for a nutritious breakfast, Michelle picked up a box of fruit and fibre cereal, which was £1.85, compared with £1.75 in Sainsbury’s – a difference of just 10p. Similarly, a one-litre bottle of pineapple juice came in at £2.20 in Waitrose, versus £1.57 in Sainsbury’s, making it 63p more expensive. The dried milk Michelle selected was also 25p more expensive – £5.25 over a neat £5 in Sainsbury’s. There were some items, however, that were slightly cheaper in Waitrose. A tray of ready to eat garlic parmentier potatoes were actually 20p cheaper than in Sainsbury’s – £1.80 compared with £2. The salmon Michelle planned to pair these with seemed to be priced on par – around £4.50 for two fillets – as were the cherry vine tomatoes to finish off the dish, at £2.35. The Waitrose salmon was, however, on a yellow sticker reduction. Michelle was also relieved to see her beloved flowers were no more expensive than in Sainsbury’s, at £5 for a small bunch. Overall, Michelle spent £27 in Waitrose. An online price comparison shows that the same basket would have cost £26.41 in Sainsbury’s – a mere 59p less. Using a Sainsbury’s Nectar card, however, would have brought this down to around £25.96, according to the online pricing available at the time. Michelle was impressed with the quality of the food in Waitrose and felt any higher prices were justified because of this. For that reason, she plans to visit more often, as she feels what’s on offer fits with her ongoing mission to eat more healthily. “I’ll definitely be shopping more at Waitrose because it’s so close, but I also feel like, why not treat yourself to a bit more quality if you can?” says Michelle.