Last Updated on June 14, 2016
Time to stock up on your Italian provisions at Lidl:
One of the catches with travelling by air is that there’s always a weight restriction. On my recent trip to Lake Garda, I had a massive 23kg allowance, but once you add in the odd bottle of Vino Santo or Spumante and perhaps a litre or two of olive oil…a few packets of polenta and perhaps some jars of Italian olives it seems to go very quickly. There’s also the issue of actually being able to carry your suitcase home. I ended up in a cab this time simply because I didn’t think I’d be able to negotiate the stairs and corridors of London Underground. There is, of course the alternative of buying things here and it just so happens that from 16th June is Italiamo week at Lidl.
Apart from a selection of specialist equipment (there’s an Expresso Machine for £49.99 or a Pasta Machine for £14.99 for example) Lidl also have a range of really rather special Italian products. One thing anyone who has visited Italy realises very quickly is that much of their produce comes from specific regions. As an example, even in Garda Trentino, one of the Olive Oil producers blended the local Casaliva olive oil with Puglian oils because Puglia arguably produces the best oil in Italy. Cantuccini biscuits should come from Tuscany and while you can find chestnuts in many places in Italy, those from Avellino in Campania are regarded as being some of the best.
Lidl’s Italiamo range is a good way to get something of an authentic Italian experience. While you might not always get an IGP or DOP label, they seem to have taken care to ensure that their product range is regionally sourced. I’ve only just started to try some of the content of the lovely hamper I was sent this morning – needless to say with the Cantuccini and Torroncini, both of which are really rather good. At £1.49 for the Cantuccini, you are getting a posh biscuit for the price of a digestive…
Most of the Lidl special promotions sell out really quickly so, if you are interested in trying any of the Italiamo range I’d suggest getting yourself down to Lidl first thing on the 16th.
Disclosure: I was sent a hamper of selected Italiamo produce by Lidl. There was no obligation to review and all content is editorially given.
NEW PACKET OF ITALIAMO ARBORIO RICE IS A SOLID BLOCK ! IS THIS A NEW IDEA ??
I think it will be fine when you open it – just the vacuum pack.
the problem with lidl you buy something you like then it is no longer availible one product in question Italian minestrone soup
I am heartbroken that Lidl stopped their tomato flavoured tonic water too…..
We returned to Lidl to buy more Italiano items following our Christmas purchases but found nothing on the shelfs. The told me they have Italian themes including this brand but could give no dates, a pity Lidl could not e-mail via a web blog informing people of future themes. Mike.
Why can’t we buy more Italiamo ice cream The coffee and the lemon are absolutely gorgeous Its a pity I can’t buy them all year round
Hi, Fiona, I saw our reply to Kathryn Beeby so will you add a further question. At Lidl I used to be able to buy superb tomato based Italiamo sauces. There was one from Sicily, one from Puglia, one from Tuscany and, best of all, a four cheese sauce. All a very good reason to shop at Lidl. First, the cheese sauce become rare and then vanished. A few months later, so did the rest.
Please tell Lidl to bring them back!
Sure! I suspect this kind of feedback is very useful for them
Could you please tell me why you have stopped selling. ITALIAMO 100% Italian extra virgin olive oil. This w as one of your superior products in our opinion. Please could we have it back in your stores.
Hi Kathryn, I am not Lidl – just a blogger writing about some of the good things on sale there. I’ll pass your message on to them though