PFC Penge Food Centre Sydenham Road

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syenhamboy
Posts: 107
Joined: 26 Aug 2016 03:33

Re: PFC Penge Food Centre Sydenham Road

Post by syenhamboy »

Don't buy any fruit or vegetables from here, just walked past and the guy is putting out sliced watermelon and literally coughed all over them without any attempt to shield his cough or the fruit.

Buy and use at your peril
gpdgentleman
Posts: 6
Joined: 22 Aug 2017 11:45
Location: Forest Hill

Re: PFC Penge Food Centre Sydenham Road

Post by gpdgentleman »

@syenhamboy
Excellent fruit and veg shop across the road called Fresh 'n' Fruity, been using them for years & they're observing all the social distancing these days. Same lady owns Billings Butchers 2 doors down (again excellent), we're really very lucky in this neck of the woods to have a genuine high street with traditional shops. I count PFC as one of those and treat them as an old fashioned 'grocer', if anyone remembers what they were.
Parker1970
Posts: 512
Joined: 4 Nov 2014 22:36
Location: Anerely

Re: PFC Penge Food Centre Sydenham Road

Post by Parker1970 »

gpdgentleman wrote: 24 Apr 2020 19:52 @syenhamboy
we're really very lucky in this neck of the woods to have a genuine high street with traditional shops.
We are indeed. Even before the crisis I used to get all my mum's meat & veg from Billings and the greengrocer and take it over. Now of course I am doing all her shopping as she is in at risk group, but she won't have meat from anywhere but Billings... especially their sausages, she would rather go without that have any other.
The Clown
Posts: 401
Joined: 8 Apr 2005 14:04
Location: Sydenham

Re: PFC Penge Food Centre Sydenham Road

Post by The Clown »

Maybe I had bad luck then, as I bought some sausages from there and they were decidedly average in quality. I used to buy mine from Villagers in Beckenham (although I don’t eat sausages often, it must be said). It actually put me off buying more meat there, so interesting that others seem to really rate it. My sister’s butcher down in Kent is so disturbingly good. Simon actually sold it on but it’s still brilliantly run and if you are ever in Kent he now runs a pub called the “Butchers Block” and the menu is delicious. Sausages and pancetta starter nom nom.
Now I have a sausage craving!
Pally
Posts: 1492
Joined: 2 Aug 2014 05:38
Location: Sydenham

Re: PFC Penge Food Centre Sydenham Road

Post by Pally »

Billings is brilliant for fish and meat and some cheeses and deli stuff as well. Fresh and Fruity great selection and they are so fair and nice, take anything bruised away, give extra in the bag etc. At the moment they are working so hard with gge Sydenham murual aid group to get supplies to vulnerable people. ....both shops are
sparticus
Posts: 230
Joined: 25 Jan 2013 13:56

Re: PFC Penge Food Centre Sydenham Road

Post by sparticus »

We’ve been getting deliveries from Fresh & Fruity/Billings for three weeks now. One of the things that makes self-isolating bearable. I gather they are pretty busy when they are open, so a big cheer to Mera and her family/staff for doing this, and the volunteer delivery people as well. As for PFC, my daughter, who does some supermarket shopping for us, reports that there is no social distancing measures there, so though I rate the place highly in normal times, we wont be using them.
Nigel
Posts: 2418
Joined: 22 May 2005 16:12
Location: Laurie Park

Re: PFC Penge Food Centre Sydenham Road

Post by Nigel »

I echo the comments re Fresh and Fruity and Billings . Both great shops staffed and managed by lovely people with very high standards .
purpleflower123
Posts: 1
Joined: 2 May 2020 19:10

Re: PFC Penge Food Centre Sydenham Road

Post by purpleflower123 »

I hate to be negative about a local independent store, but I have also been shortchanged at PFC in Sydenham. They have also charged me different amounts at the till to the price marked on the shelves - the first time I put it down to an honest mistake on their part as regards labelling, but it has happened many times now and I've decided to shop elsewhere. It's a shame as we go there for specific Mediterranean / Middle Eastern products which are hard to find elsewhere.
However, the Village Food Market just up the road has much nicer staff and a similar range of products, and have never shortchanged me or been funny about the pricing. Happy to recommend them as a good alternative :)
The Clown
Posts: 401
Joined: 8 Apr 2005 14:04
Location: Sydenham

Re: PFC Penge Food Centre Sydenham Road

Post by The Clown »

Is that the one down near The Alfred?
admin
Site Admin
Posts: 2575
Joined: 20 Sep 2004 21:49

Re: PFC Penge Food Centre Sydenham Road

Post by admin »

No, it's next to Tesco
GFA
Posts: 75
Joined: 21 Mar 2009 10:05
Location: SE26

Re: PFC Penge Food Centre Sydenham Road

Post by GFA »

purpleflower123 wrote: 2 May 2020 19:14 I hate to be negative about a local independent store, but I have also been shortchanged at PFC in Sydenham. They have also charged me different amounts at the till to the price marked on the shelves - the first time I put it down to an honest mistake on their part as regards labelling, but it has happened many times now and I've decided to shop elsewhere. It's a shame as we go there for specific Mediterranean / Middle Eastern products which are hard to find elsewhere.
I had the same experience when I tried to buy a jar of honey a couple of months back. When I told them the price on the till was wrong (£2 - £3 more). they said that I looked at the price of a different honey. We went back to the shelf and I was correct, however the gentleman I spoke to said that the price shown on the shelf was wrong and then removed the tag from the shelf. I refused to buy the honey and left. I popped in the following week just to check if they changed the pricing on the shelf - they hadn't! I haven't shopped in there for some weeks now since they've hiked the price of their oranges (I also buy oranges and the rest of my veg from Fresh Fruity - which I'll stick to).

I echo the comments re Billings & Fresh N Fruity. Haven't tried the Village Food Market Shop but will pop in this week.
f4monty
Posts: 49
Joined: 2 Aug 2015 18:27
Location: Sydenham

Re: PFC Penge Food Centre Sydenham Road

Post by f4monty »

I doubt anything will change with PFC - assuming they're not behaving themselves - unless their business falls off a cliff or they get prosecuted or threatened with prosecution. And the latter relies on us, as consumers, reporting to Trading Standards. You'd have to make sure you had as much evidence as possible but do contact them on cer@lewisham.gov.uk

I'm afraid I have no evidence, but then I tend to notice things are wrong only if a price is outlandishly wrong. For better or worse I never notice or remember prices of food!
KPR
Posts: 99
Joined: 4 Apr 2016 21:06
Location: Sydenham

Re: PFC Penge Food Centre Sydenham Road

Post by KPR »

They’re definitely gouging - don’t go there often but their prices have rocketed since lockdown started. Not sure it’s a sensible long term tactic - they have plenty of local competition in the form of both the regular supermarkets and similar ‘ethnic’ places (though I do sometimes wonder whether the latter are actually in competition with each other - the staff appear to be interchangeable, so I wonder if the same ‘boss’ owns all of them and has the whole thing stitched up). As someone above said, the future of shops in general must be in doubt for anything except hairdressers, nail bars and restaurants/cafes (and Sydenham already has an oversupply of all three).
mikej
Posts: 430
Joined: 14 Dec 2006 21:55
Location: New Beckenham

Re: PFC Penge Food Centre Sydenham Road

Post by mikej »

It's strange that the original shop in Penge doesn't seem to attract the same comment/criticism. I wonder why?
chrisj1948
Posts: 537
Joined: 15 Jul 2008 15:12
Location: Sydenham

Re: PFC Penge Food Centre Sydenham Road

Post by chrisj1948 »

My wife complains that the price of humus at PFC has risen 25% since lockdown. Since we are both old and forbidden by children from doing our own shopping, I wonder how she knows!
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