Booths seems a heroic enterprise in several respects, a regional business with strong roots in the north west of England, with a policy unique amongst supermarkets of sourcing local produce. (In the Burscough store, the Lancashire red rose stickers alert you to stuff grown or produced in the county.)
I noticed some interesting organic lines, for example, organic mascarpone and ricotta which I have only ever previously seen online at Abel & Cole.
Bike racks for twenty bikes is more than the combined total bike racks for the much larger Asda Skelmersdale and Skelmersdale town centre. And Booths bike rack is covered so your bike won't get wet!
The whole black with white highlights corporate colour scheme is a lot more grown up that the brash colours of other supermarkets. The 'posh deli' decor is just fine for the proper deli/butcher/fishmonger/bakery aspects, the posh booze and so on. I can understand why they have to do it, but the usual garish magazine racks and supermarket crap food favourites look a bit out-of-place on the elegant black wire display shelves - 'Would Madam care for a carton of Pringles?'
I could easily come up with a long list of personal annoyances regarding the fresh produce. For example, shelled peas and tenderstem broccoli from Kenya in August - is that the most 'local' Booths can do? Although I think the main issue for me is that having sourced fresh produce from local organic farms, I am spoiled for anything else. Growing or at least picking it yourself and hyperlocal seems to be the way forward for fresh produce, in my experience. Or maybe a big, rough farm shop warehouse with tractor tyre marks on the floor.
So do give it a look, but I personally will give Booths a miss in favour of Unicorn grocery in Chorlton, Abel & Cole and best of all my local farm suppliers. read more