I shop at Aldi but this one kitchen staple is always worth the trip to Waitrose

I shop at Aldi but this one kitchen staple is always worth the trip to Waitrose Aldi is great for the weekly shop but there's a certain staple ingredient that it's absolutely worth splurging on. The cost of the weekly shop is unfortunately creeping up as the months pass. Our money just doesn't stretch as far as it once did, especially when it comes to groceries. So, like countless others, I've been doing the bulk of my supermarket shopping at Aldi over the past few years. I've come to find it offers the best value around, even when compared to Lidl, and the quality of the produce is impressive. However, there are certain items that are worth splashing out a little extra on, and that's when a trip to Waitrose is needed. As much as I'd love to do my entire weekly shop at the likes of Waitrose or Marks and Spencer, I can't trust myself to do so. While the price of everyday essentials isn't vastly different from other supermarkets, the treats and premium products are far too tempting to resist. But when you discover an item you love and reach for time and again, it's absolutely worth the extra pennies. For me, that product is flaky sea salt - the Maldon brand, to be precise. It's an true kitchen staple that I use on a daily basis, and while it's pricier than your standard salt grinder, the flavour is ten times better. It might sound a bit odd, because salt is salt, but Maldon is something else entirely. It's a gourmet sea salt harvested in the UK town of Maldon, Essex, described as the 'ultimate finishing salt' that's perfect for adding a savoury crunch to all of your favourite dishes. What sets it apart is that rather than grains, Maldon salt comes in irregular little formations, and it delivers a gentler salty taste than other table salts due to minimal processing. The water used to create this salt is extracted from the Blackwater Estuary during spring tides, filtered and then heated in large pans. Then, as it evaporates, the salt crystals develop on the surface. Unlike your standard salt that produces cubes, Maldon crystals develop intriguing pyramid structures, which are incredibly satisfying to pick up and crush between your fingertips as you scatter it over food. Another thing that makes Maldon distinctive - and justifies the cost - is that it doesn't simply vanish on your tongue when you sample it. The delicate fragments deliver such an impact that really sticks around. While you can use it for basic cooking tasks, such as seasoning pasta water or adding extra depth to soups, stews and curries, it truly shines when you use it as a final flourish. Scattering the flakes on top of scrambled eggs, salmon, salads and even chocolate chip cookies provides so much flavour without that artificial aftertaste that other salts can occasionally have. Beyond its excellent taste, you can't deny that the packaging looks stunning too, and immediately makes your kitchen shelves or cupboard look better. It's a real premium staple, and you can detect the difference in quality, which is why it justifies the additional expense in my view. Unfortunately, Aldi has yet to release a budget alternative to Maldon, meaning you'll need to pick it up elsewhere when you're running low. It can be found at Waitrose for £3, Asda for £2.84 or Sainsbury's for £2.85. Once you've given it a go, there's no returning to ordinary table salt, and your cooking will reach a whole new level of flavour.