Lucy Anderson, a New Zealander the UK, shares a London flat with three other Kiwis in their twenties; Callum Pascoe, Jess Christie, and Tim Price. She tells 1News about the foodie pros and cons of London vs New Zealand.
We each cook one shared dinner a week and shop for that meal ourselves. The rest of the time, we buy our own breakfasts, lunches, and snacks. It’s a system that keeps things simple, everyone gets to cook something they like, and no one ends up eating pasta five nights in a row.
We usually fend for ourselves on Fridays and Saturdays, and Sunday roasts have become a flat tradition.
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Being new to London, we’ve been making the most of free trials and discount codes, lately, we’ve been getting 70% off meal boxes (similar to My Food Bag), paying just a few pounds each for a week’s worth of dinners.
Even though groceries are generally cheaper in London than in New Zealand, those free trials with HelloFresh and Gusto have helped us stretch our savings before our first UK paychecks came through. Before moving over, we each had to pay several months of rent upfront (NZ$16,000) so keeping food costs low has been a priority for our flat these past few months.
That said, we all enjoy cooking and like to eat well, so it’s a relief to find that groceries here aren’t too pricey (especially compared to rent). Callum says meat costs about the same, “but vegetables, eggs, fresh berries, and milk are all much more affordable in London".
Eating out is definitely a treat. You can easily end up paying the same in pounds as you would in dollars back home. Thinking about getting a good burger in Auckland for NZ$15 (£6.50) now seems almost unbelievable. “I’m pretty excited to visit home and go to a nice restaurant that doesn’t cost NZ$300 a head,” Tim says.
Callum and I shop together, our weekly grocery haul usually coming to around £50-£60 (NZ$115-138). We order through an app called Ocado, a grocery delivery service run in partnership with M&S. There are no physical Ocado stores; everything’s ordered online and delivered straight to your door. It can be slightly pricier than shopping in person, but it’s incredibly convenient, especially when you don’t want to lug heavy bags across London. A typical order includes oats, eggs, yoghurt, fruit, salad, dinner ingredients if we’re cooking, and a few treats.
Jess spends slightly less and swears by Aldi for bargains, Tim is a loyal Tesco Clubcard user, chasing the best deals on chicken and rice. We’ve learned quickly that shopping around can make a big difference, and that supermarket loyalty cards are worth signing up for.
On average, our weekly grocery spend ranges from £30 to £70 (NZ$70-160) per person, depending on whether we’re stocking up on flat essentials (cleaning products, toilet paper etc) or cooking bigger dinners. Fresh fruit and vegetables usually cost around £10 for the week, while eggs, milk, and pantry staples like oats and pasta add another £8-£10 (NZ$18-42). Treats like chocolate, cheese, or a bottle of wine can easily push the total up. Between Ocado deliveries, supermarket shops, and meal box discounts, we’ve found ways to keep costs manageable while still eating well, and it leaves a little extra to save for weekend trips around the UK or to Europe.
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We’re loving life in London, and surprisingly, it doesn’t feel too far from home. Our part of Islington has plenty of Kiwis, from flatmates to café owners, so it’s easy to feel connected. It’s also helped having a steady stream of visitors, and a care package of Whittaker’s chocolate and reasonably priced coffee beans never goes amiss, thanks mum!
That said, ask us again after our first London winter, we might be longing for a Kiwi beach and $4.50 flat white by then.
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