Food & Drink shopping in Tuscany
By Carl Scott
Here’s a little guide that we’ve put together for you to read ahead of your stay, on where to shop for food, drink, and other things!
There are of course large towns and cities with very cosmopolitan retail offerings, but I want to focus here on food and drink for your stay.
Esselunga
To be honest, I’ve built this up, but if you’re shopping for supplies at the house, then this is really simple. The big supermarket chain in Italy is Esselunga, and you will pass a huge one on the way to the house, on the edge of a village called Marlia. I’m not normally a fan of supermarkets, but forget everything you ever thought you knew! Esselunga is amazing!
They have enormous fruit & veg, meat, dairy, cheese, bread, and drink departments. They even have an entire room just for bottled water! The quality is superb and rivals the best produce you will find anywhere. To be perfectly honest I would do most of your shopping here as it’s really convenient, and superb quality.
And on top of all that, there is a great café/bar as soon as you walk in, and they do fab coffee.
A couple of tips for you. The loose fruit & veg must be bagged and weighed. It’s a system similar to many here, where you pop the goods on the scale, choose the item from clear pictures, and print a label. I have a loyalty/ discount card that you can use, and you will be sent details ahead of your stay. Some items are discounted, and you can earn me loyalty stickers, which you can leave in the house.
Our corner shop
At the bottom of the hill from the house there is a little local shop, so if you would prefer to support an independent, then do call in here. It isn’t very big, but they do have fresh bread, cheese, wine, meats, etc.
L’Oste Di Lucca – great little shop in the heart of Lucca, with a fab range of own branded produce. More than you will need!
Others
There are lots of little delis and independents in Lucca itself, and for those who know them, there’s also a Carrefour in Lucca. I only focus on Esselunga as it is just 15 minutes from the house, and you pass it on the way there! And it’s awesome!
