Pak N Save

BEWARE OF MEAT!
Pak N Save is a great idea in theory (food is sold and carted by the customer without the fancy frills of expensive packaging) but I have always been weary about the quality of the food being sold there. Just seemed too good a price to be true…
Apart from the occasional tasteless apple or leathery lettuce, it’s never been too much of a funky food adventure. Pak N Save is quite good for items already packaged by the manufacturer, so while there are fresher grocery stores around, I do find myself wandering into one every now and then to stock up on soap, flour and other cabinet items. BUT… what happened tonight will be enough for me to swear off Pak N Save food forever!
In a last minute effort to throw together some dinner I ducked into the Pak N Save Albany and ended buying the Beef Sirloin Steak Marinated (on sale for $ 12.05/kg this week). Upon frying it, and cutting it to check how well done it is, I found that it was an unusual pink colour. I threw it back into the pan thinking it would cook more, but the peculiar pink never seemed to cook away. Then I tasted it…
There cannot be a cow on this green Earth to have produced such a fake-​tasting, rubbery Franken-​steak; no matter how many hormones it has pumped into it’s system, no matter how secretly omnivorous it may be! What I tasted should not even be labelled as «beef»! Hell, even nitrate-​heavy, endtrail-​laden hotdogs would kick this «meat» out of their refrigerated section!
Waste of time, waste of money, and waste of internet gigabytes doing online searches of «meat glue».
Unless you’re a starving backpacker willing to momentarily shelve your standards of what passes for meat, steer clear! Pay the extra bucks elsewhere and get a decent cut of beef.

This Pak N’ Save just had a recent refurbishment and it’s looking pretty sharp. No longer is it stuck in the early 90’s with it’s décor. Although the refurbishment hasn’t finished it’s a lot better. Their parking is fantastic and you’re always guaranteed a parking spot even during peak times. The staff have a great ability to show you exactly where things are in the store which helps when you can’t find what you’re looking for. They have recently installed a new section in their bread isle for Gluten Free and Paleo foods! This is a great section and really helps when you are on a diet or lifestyle choice etc. If you’re into your wine you will also have a field day here as their section is massive and of great quality and price. Love hunting around for wine in this store! Feel a bit like Indiana Jones hunting for some lost treasure. I mean at the end of the day it is just a Pak N’ Save but at least it’s a decent one with plenty of check-​outs!

Really cheap compared to the other two big grocery chains.
Pak N Save Albany is a spacious, organised and clean looking store. Some of their other locations I have shopped at have been cluttered or messy but this one always seems to hold a high standard. Deli and seafood counters look very well presented and fresh and their bakery makes really good grainy bread and rolls. Saved approximately $ 25.00 on my weekly shop today compared to my usual local grocery store.
Cheers Pak N Save!