Food Lover's Market Stoneridge Centre — Local services in Gauteng

I moved to Greenstone around 3 and a bit years ago and I have frequented this Food Lovers as its right around the corner from me.

In the beginning, we used them for pretty much all of our meat, Veg and Fruit shopping but slowly transitioned away due to frequent issues with "Off" products such as blueberries with mold under them etc. I understand that the fruit and veg are fresh and therefore do "go off" naturally but someone needs to be checking and ensuring that expired products are then removed from sale.

We have continued to use them for our meat products but lately, we have not had very good experiences with the store.

Last week, we saw cockroaches running by the till area as we were waiting to pay. The till area which I might add takes longer for the "basket Only" area compared to the full trolley line.

Further to instances such as the above, we have also noted issues with their meat. I had experienced Oxtail which was sour purchased from them a year or so ago for example and as recently as today, steak that if refrigerated (which I made sure it was) would have a use by of 01/12/2024 but post opening, smelt rancid and sour with a slimy texture coating it. We have also had a fudge bar which post opening, was coated in mold.

I am not leaving a 1 star review because the place can be decent and the food can be good but its a gamble and with spending a decent amount when shopping, this doesn't make it worth it.

Besides the quality of the products on offer, the store also needs to be cleaned far better. It is one of the dirtier grocery stores I have visited with floors that are stained, products that are sticky and as alluded to by cockroaches, a general filth that covers the till area.

I would be open to using them again but only post a change in how the...

My wife Abbigail Cilliers, purchased chuck on special from Foodlovers a month ago, we live 5 minutes away from Foodlovers, the meat was immediately packaged after purchase. Weeks later she adds the frozen meat in the steam cooker, maggots floating all over. She does this again, this time we have guests over. Out of disgust she realises the meat is off from Foodlovers. She informs management, they over her a free meal and advised that they could give it to someone in needy as the concept wasn’t that the money but the humiliation she experienced after cooking dinner. The person she is, felt guilty and thought maybe it was just a bad batch, last week Friday goes again and buys the chuck on special, just to experience this all over again ! Sure maybe you won’t see the maggots when frying the chuck in a pan, do yourself a favour and put it in a steam pot. Maggots will be floating I kid you not! She went to checkers yesterday in Green Valley, made the same dish, just different meat and realised it’s not her spices or anything internally!! But food lovers taking people for a ride on their specials!!!! Disgusting!! The manager was kind, totally give that to him but unfortunately bad quality meat still gets sold, 1st time a choice, 2nd time a mistake! We won’t support food lovers anymore!! People can get sick from this, @Foodlovers Stoneridge don’t even bother with your sad story’s! Take the chuck!!! Put it in a steam pot and see what happens after 30...

We have over the past 10 years or more been avid supporters of this particular food lovers, notably due to the cleanliness, value for money the store offers and the fantastic friendly and efficient teller staff,...even to such a point that our loyalty remained intact even after meat purchased for a 21 day Botswana trip (Kgadgadi), which was frozen from purchase was off when braaied on day 1 of our trip .....imagine no meat during our entire trip.,.still this can happen and the store replaced our purchase, and thus remained a loyal weekend customer

But over the years this store has been taking more and more chances and have noticed that more and more of our purchases are off (in the stores defence the store has always been willing to replace or exchange when we have complained).... I have especially noticed that anything with spices....which I know is a butchers trick to make things last longer, is often dodgy, but these spiced premium cuts are also sold as a ready to go premium products for braais

But the act of adding spices on near off produce is a risky policy and in this case it has gone too far

No longer can I rely on any produce purchased from this store to feed family or guests attending a weekend braai or for me attending a braai

So I will no longer purchase from this store....I will have to find a new butcher which will undoubtedly be more expensive but reliable

I will remember...