I was really impressed with the quality, freshness and size of the veg boxes from Apple Organics…read more The staff are friendly, helpful and can always recommend a good recipe for whatever veg is in season. It's made my life a lot easier having a veg box delivered to my door and because they can also include other organic groceries it's saved me having to make special trips to a health food shop. An excellent service that I highly recommend.

Organic supermarket with the widest vegan range in Notts. They sell (organic) meat, but are…read moreotherwise ethical, even avoiding stocking things like Rachel's dairy because they're owned by Nestle. Vegan items in the chiller include Vegusto meats and cheeses, Wheaty, Taifun, Violife, Provamel, plus the usual Redwood/VBites stuff.

A well stocked ethically sourced food shop, opposite sainsburys carpark in Beeston. Quite an…read moreinteresting position aye! They stock organic, and fairtrade produce, there is a lot more here than can be found in most health food shops like Holland and Barrat. They are not strictly vegetarian and stock a nice range of organic/free range meat, as well as fresh veg and the usual meat/dairy/gluten free produce. They also have essential oils and skincare ranges. Some of the prices are a little steep, but you don't mind so much when you know where your food has come from!

I absolutely love this place. As a vegetarian and lover of healthy and organic foods I was in my…read moreelement. When you first get in there is an abundance of brightly coloured vegetables and potatoes and carrots that are still dirty (always a good sign). I knew I was in my kind of place straight away. I love that they try to keep packaging to a minimum, using paper bags for the fresh vegetables. There is a huge range of vegetarian products (more tofu than you could ever need...if that's even a thing), seitan and tempeh in all different forms. I love how their dried foods are all packaged in simple bags with their label on....gotta love no fuss packaging. There is also a deli counter ranging from olives, onion bhajis and daals. I tried an onion bhaji and it was amazing. Although pricier than most supermarkets, I thought the prices were reasonable (being used to Wholefoods etc. in London) for organic, fresh produce and I love that it is a co-operative. I would definitely rather pay more for local produce that isn't mass-produced. I will definitely be shopping here regularly.

Amazed by this place…read more I haven't seen anywhere like it since my travels to Portland. It has a real community atmosphere. Everyone involved, from the growers to the staff to the people shopping, care and it really shows. It's honest. It's exactly where you want to buy your vegetables. There's soil on the fresh produce. Actual soil. No cellophane, no unnecessary packaging, no nonsense - just tasty, local food. The shelves are clearly labelled and well stocked with interesting offerings. They have your staples - potatoes, all the usual veg, cereals, spices, fruits as well as some more unusual choices when/if it's in season. Prices are reasonable and when you pay you feel like you're contributing - something you never experience in a chain supermarket. There's a play area for kids and free apples to keep them occupied - with a little compost bin for the cores. A big green thumbs up.

It's interesting to learn about the evolution of McCall's from other reviews on here - it's now an…read moreorganics specialist, perhaps another sign of how it's evolved and be able to survive when other barrows didn't. Exotic fruit and vegetables are now more catered for in the Arndale Market, while at McCall's you can still get fruit and veg plus dried foods e.g. cacao nibs and goji berries, organic tinned food, environmentally friendly cleaning products, kombucha, organic olive oil and so on. The standout features are (a) the extremely low prices for things like cacao nibs compared to my local (large) Sainsbury's and (b) you can bring your own Tupperware etc and weigh out what you want from the glass jars everything is kept on. So this will vastly reduce the packaging you are using. The bio cleaning products were also surprisingly good value and, brilliantly, you can refill them, at a lower cost, from their big vats! I really hope we're seeing the future of grocery shopping here. Even if you aren't into "health foods" definitely pop by and have a look at the cleaning products and what else is on offer.

McCall's Organics is one of the few shops on Church Street market in Manchester, which is near…read moreenough opposite a similar market in the Manchester Arndale Centre. I was originally put off coming into this store by an action of the member of staff. When clearing away for the evening, a member of staff seemed to drop a box of vegetables on the floor, which I presume to have been celery, the floor was obviously dirty being outside and it had been raining and the floor didn't look like you could eat of it, however I was disgusted that he made no attempt to wash them, he just looked around and put them back, thinking no one was looking. I understand most people wash their vegetables, but surely if they have been dropped heavily on a disease and dirt floor, they should have done something about it rather than trying to hide it and possibly passing on germs to the customer, which I feel is disgraceful and warrants a single one star rating for McCall's Organics, which is a shame too as this is their first review in over 6 years and it is a shame it has to be a negative one due to the unhygienic nature and actions of the staff.

My sister and I have Riverford vegetables (and occasionally the fruit and meat baskets) delivered…read moreto our door every week. All the produce is certified organic and varies from week to week depending what's in season on the farm. I love this idea - firstly that you're eating seasonally and having to think about ways to prepare your vegetables, but also because I think it's pretty reasonable for getting organic produce to door. David at the farm has been very helpful with our deliveries which arrive every Thursday. You can check online what you'll be recieving as well. For £10.85 we'll be eating Robinta potatoes, spinach, sweetcorn, red kabacha squash, salad pack, cherry tomatoes and romanesco cauliflower. You can also add individual items to your delivery as well as pantry items, soups, home-made soft drinks, wines and beers. Love it.

Do you fancy a place that has more awards than a pre Oscar's shindig? You know you do and…read moreSwillington Organic farm fits the bill. This is a great find and has an excellent reputation for some of the best organic meat and veg in the area. Not only do they have a long list of awards but they also provide supplies to Harvey Nichols as well. Not a bad boast. You can even try some rarer breed pork if that tickles your fancy. For me it's the organic free range eggs that appeal and some hearty herbs. You'll also be shopping in the knowledge that not only are they providers of organic produce but they also pride themselves on their fine animal welfare certificates for looking after all their animals. For me that is very important and I cannot praise them highly enough for it. They also offer guided walks around the farm and outlying area from time to time so it's a good idea to keep checking their website if you want to see more about where your food is coming from. Brilliant suppliers.

This company is fantastic and most of all passionate and committed to their values, to which i…read morewholly admire. The people i spoke to really knew their product and were so very much commited to ensuring the best lives for their animals this level of passion is wonderful and the sausages i tasted were wholesome, nourishing but best of all I knew when chomping down this meat had been looked after and nurtured in the right way. My hats off to you and i hope this business continues for many generations xx

I've recently been training for the Great Manchester 10k run. As I've been increasing the…read moredistances, I've had to change my route to include areas I normally wouldn't go. Including Ancoats. I wouldn't usually go here mainly because when I first moved to the NQ, it was a bit run down and aside from the occasional visit to the Argos, there was no particular reason to visit that area. Plus, as regular readers of my reviews will know, I tend to be a creature of habit and go to the same places again and again. Well running up and down Great Ancoats Street, and some of the side streets, has opened my eyes to the new places around here. Including Ancoats General Store, which I first noticed 10 days or so ago. When I ran past it last night I made a mental note to myself that I must remember to come here this weekend. And I'm glad I did. It isn't that much bigger than the corner shop I used to frequent as a kid but it fits in so much good stuff. There's fresh bread to greet you as you enter and then the aisles of food to the left. The decor is the kind of decor I've come to expect from hipster type places , with pipes/air conditioning exposed. But, having said that, I'm not sure I'd describe it as hipster. There's the organic ranges, plenty of dairy/gluten free choices but then there's the familiar brands/products that you'd expect in a supermarket/corner shop. They sell magazines too. They sell a good range of alcohol and alcohol accompaniments. I specify the 'alcohol accompaniments' because I noticed a good range of tonics for gin, that you'd not usually expect from a relatively small shop. I noticed a lot of local produce: the bakery providing the bread, the eggs, the milk, just a few examples. Some of the products are priced the same or lower than Tesco/Aldi (the Longley Farm yoghurts are well priced at 35p, for example) and some of the organic/dairy/gluten free stuff was a little pricier but that's the same anywhere. I was chatting to the guy who was on the till and he told me they'd been open for two and a half weeks. They are going to have a cafe and also hold meet the producer type of events, including good and wine tastings. That's the reason I've gone for 4* rather than 5* : it just seems too early to properly rate the place, especially as it seems there's so much more to come. I highly recommend a visit.

It's a coffee shop (with a bar) and a general store, florists, bakery, card shop and they are…read moreplaying postmodern jukebox over the top. I never thought I'd say this about a corner shop...but it's just cool. "Very Northern Quarter" in the nicest possible way.

Parbold Fruit & Veg is a greengrocers owned and managed by the Italian-English Patitucci family. I…read morehighly recommend this place - I buy most of my fresh produce from here. Delivery is free of charge within a five mile radius, or you can visit the shop. The 'shop' is a 'no-frills' affair, a double garage at the rear of the Patitucci family home. So you can rest assured that you are not paying through the nose for expensive premises - no, sir! Their produce is of four grades - Regular, Local, Organic and Paolo's. 'Paolo's' denotes produce grown in the greenhouses and market gardens to the rear of the garage - as far as I know, I would consider it a sort of 'uncertified organic' as my information is that Paolo does not use chemical pesticides, etc. Paolo is the grandfather of the family, who moved from southern Italy to Lancashire in 1955, and is as devoted a market gardener as you could hope to find. Here is an article I found about Paolo Patitucci in the local newspaper http://www.osadvertiser.co.uk/news/ormskirk-news/2009/09/10/parbold-gardener-paulo-patitucci-s-back-with-his-gigantic-green-beans-80904-24645160/ So basically, all the fruit and vegetables are at least good quality, with a lot of it winning extra brownie points for being local and fresh. Plus, with Paolo's characterful vegetables and herbs, and additional organic market produce, the super-healthy niche market is well catered for. They also stock a nice selection of organic delicatessen items, plus homemade jams, etc. The business side of things is now run by Paolo's son Vince, who is another fantastic gentleman. From what I've seen of him, I would say Vince is a bit of a dude. Such as - when it was still glass milk bottles - carrying two crates of milk in each hand. Without braggadocio. Lastly, they are totally fair and honest, which is a boon when buying fresh produce.

It's moved since the last review and is now nearer the station so don't follow the map too…read moreprecisely! Great selection of veg and some nice assorted health food supplies and meat and cheese and dairy. Ended up buying a lot more than was on my list - couldn't resist the opportunity whilst passing through Parbold on the canal.

Not only a friendly place where news are exchanged and at times even cups of tea. The owners,…read moreAllan and Dawn will do everything they can to get their customers - at times French demanding ones like myself - whatever it is they might want. Through them, I even hope to get the soft goat cheeses I can find nowhere in the area.

The Organic Stores, based in Deeside near Chester, provides a vast array of Organic produce from…read morefresh fruit and veg, meats, dried and many more. it is truly a one stop shop for Organic produce. Having been established since 1996, Allan and Dawn, the proprietors, have been providing a great service since they opened their doors and are a pleasure to talk to. I recently completed their website, where you can find contact information and peak into their world. There will soon be an update, including E-commerce capabilities. A pleasure to work with and a great place to go. http://www.theorganicstores.co.uk