First rule: go for the premium brands. Tesco’s own label is great, but the real score is the imported cheese or the organic salmon. Those are the items that get marked down because they have a shorter shelf life, not because they’re bad.
Second rule: check the date, but don’t panic. Most items have at least one or two days left, and many can be frozen immediately. A 50p fresh lasagne is a Tuesday night hero waiting to happen.
Third rule: look for the “hidden aisle.” At some Tesco stores, reduced items are dumped into a random end-cap near the bakery. At others, they’re tucked beside the tinned tomatoes. Learn your store’s secrets like a local treasure map.
