Following a long day of lectures, the last thing the hangry student wants is to limbo under outstretched arms reaching for milk and eggs, or weave through the everlasting queue which snakes down the aisles of Nicolson Street’s Lidl. One would think, given the crowds in Lidl at 5pm, that Nicolson Street had only one supermarket. Instead, despite being home to two Tesco Expresses and at least three Sainsbury’s Locals, it seems Lidl is simply the beating heart that keeps Edinburgh students fed, watered and financially afloat.
Edinburgh is often given a ‘posh’ reputation, with the assumption that it is the upper middle-class English who make up the majority of the student body, with almost 30 per cent of Edinburgh’s 29,000 undergraduates being English. Yet even the poshest of snobbery falls away when it comes to fending for oneself, even if it is only to keep within the trust fund budget (or because there’s no M&S near campus).
Lidl is neutral territory. Everyone is welcome…but it’s also every man for himself.
You may think that the solution is simple: just don’t shop at 5pm on a weekday! But Lidl’s prime location means it is almost exactly equidistant from the Library and Pleasance Gym – 500 metres either way. It’s almost impossible to walk from one to the other without a pit stop. We won’t even discuss the bakery section as by 5pm it is already picked clean. If even a morsel of 99p brownie remains, there is likely a sweaty rugby lad in full kit sprinting towards it, elbows out, before you can even begin to convince yourself that a sweet treat would be a fabulous way to end your day.
Lidl does have its positives. It’s a brilliant place to bump into that old friend you’ve been forgetting to text, or to have a random conversation with the person you sat next to in a tutorial all semester yet can’t name. For some, Lidl is so great that once a day isn’t enough. Forget the 5pm mania, my flatmate makes at least three trips to Lidl a day; she is more of what we may call a Lidl regular.
But what is the alternative to Nicolson Street?
As one medicine student says, “Lidl at 5pm is like hell on earth.” She’s not wrong. During my first year I was lucky enough to have the Meadowbank Lidl on my doorstep. While slightly less bustling and definitely less social than Nicolson Street, the experience is notably first-class. No queues, actual humans to help you, and no security guard checking for shoplifting before you’ve even stepped foot through the doors. Perhaps a greater trek from the main campus, but worth it.
Another alternative, perfect for King’s students, is Cameron Toll. Nestled at the bottom of Dalkeith Road, it is home to Lidl’s historic rival Aldi and the largest Sainsbury’s you’ve ever seen. Both my flatmates now make the weekly pilgrimage down from Marchmont to experience this peace.
But convenience can cost, and Nicolson Street shows it. While it may not feel like it when you are waiting in line behind someone struggling to weigh a potato as your Lidl plus card refuses to load, this is a premium experience as reflected in the pricing. I was sceptical when a friend insisted that her weekly shop at Sainsbury’s Cameron Toll was cheaper than my Lidl one, protesting that surely no Sainsbury’s shop is cheaper than Lidl! But I did my research and discovered that she was correct. Time is money in the 21st century, and Nicolson Street shops capitalise on that, charging accordingly for the sheer privilege of not walking an extra ten minutes.
So next time you’re wedged between two strangers elbowing for the last bagel, just remember – you chose this. Cheaper and calmer alternatives exist, 20 minutes and a hill away. But if you still end up in that Nicolson Street queue tomorrow, Edinburgh won’t judge. And deep down, you know you wouldn’t have it any other way.
“lidl” by Mario A. P. is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
