Fancy yourself as a bit of a Gordon Ramsey, without the swearing? Well if you do there's one place…read morein Belfast you should go to get all your equipment. Cook Stop literally stocks every cooking accessory you could think of. From cookery clothing (Aprons, chef's whites and event those comedy tall chef hats that you see in cartoons), accessories such as large casserole dishes and super electronic whisks. Honestly if you are looking for anything food or catering related make cook stop your first stop. I came in to look for chefs aprons and instead of hoking through their vast stock I approached a friendly staff member who took me straight over and helped me pick the right ones. You'd think that because this was a dedicated cooking shop that they'd inflate the prices but it was actually really reasonable and much better quality than other places I looked.

Lakeland is a chain of kitchenware shops based in Cumbria that has outlets all over England and…read moreScotland. It has kind of crept up on me but the shop is pretty huge, selling every kind of baking tin, kitchen equipment and home appliance that you could think of. Behind it there is a mail order section providing three catalogues so everything is covered. The shop seems brand new and is quite large. You might well need the help of the staff, who are friendly and pleasant, to find things. If you want a specific baking item or saucepan this is the place to go.I'd come here for sugar cake decorations, handsomely decorated tins and saucepans. Everything is good quality. There's a selection of china and foodie gifts, but the main focus is practical kitchenware. Lakeland has become so big that it is somewhat generic but undoubtedly has its place.

So I decided I'd bake my mum a birthday cake...and now I'm so full of regret as I never realised…read morehow difficult it is. Thankfully however Lakeland exists and has every colour of icing you could need and every instrument, tool and appliance you can think of to help with your masterpiece. Lakeland has a huge range of culinary delights, cleaning products, coffee machines, kitchen aids, beer/ wine/ cider making kits and lots of other handy devices that are super tempting but you really have to question if you would get enough use out of it. Prices can be quite expensive but all items are high quality. Staff are super friendly and really helpful. Here's hoping I can mould the pretty fuschia coloured icing I bought into something that resembles a flower or mother may be birthdaycakeless.

I bloody love Makro, just the thought of it makes me giddy, I think it's the whole thing about…read moreeverything being larger than usual - when you're walking round and you walk past a 4 litre tub of Helmans Mayo you feel like you're in 'Honey I shrunk the Kids' (anyone remember that movie?)! Anyway on to the more serious stuff, Makro really is a god send if you're organisning an event or a party, the whole idea of it is that you can buy items in bulk and save some money at the same time. This Makro is about a 10 - 15 minute drive from Belfast City centre but is just off the M1 so is pretty easy to get to! There's a huge car park too so don't worry about it getting too busy. They stock everything you could possibly want from electrical items, kitchen supplies, meat, cigarettes and alcohol. Set some time aside to go because it's huge! To give you an example, yesterday I bought 50 premium beers for £22 which is amazing value in comparison to supermarket prices! One thing to note is that you need a Makro or Booker (recently bought over) card to get a discount but you can apply on the website if you have a business or run any large scale events.

Yes Makro is a good spot if you're looking to buy in bulk - boxes of crisps, chocolate, sweets, not…read moreto mention the actual food. You can buy huge packets and boxes of meat, chicken, etc., and if you have the storage space you can make some good savings. IMPORTANT: YOU WILL NOT BE PERMITTED ENTRY TO MAKRO WITHOUT A MAKRO CARD. The off licence is open to the public, but you need a Makro card to access the rest of the store. Often people tell others about Makro and forget to mention that you have to have a card, which you have to apply for and include details such as VAT registration numbers for your business. I know a lot of shoppers will find that disappointing, but better you find out now than travel up and get refused entry at reception. That being said, a lot of people go here to get the big boxes of washing powder, big bags/cases of dog food, as well as boxes of blank Cds etc. It also has a lot of electrical equipment (TVs, computers, digital cameras, etc), sporting equipment, clothes... the list goes on. There are some great offers available when the "Makro Mail" comes out, which is their fortnightly publication which details their special offers for that period. You usually need to get there on the first day of the offers though (every second Wednesday), as Makro tend not to have huge stocks of these goods which are effectively their "loss leaders". They also have a "sale mail" which they bring out occasionally in addition to the Makro Mail. (You can look through the Makro Mails on their website). There are savings to be made too in their off licence, especially if buying cases of wine or availing of special offers. What a lot of people find frustrating is that the prices listed are exclusive of VAT, as the store is ostensibly intended for retailers who reclaim VAT, so some people get a bit of a surprise when they get to the till. If you know someone who has a card, they can bring two people in as guests. It's a great store you could spend hours in, and the off licence is accessible without a Makro card.

Homebase is an excellent store for DIY, decorating, lighting, home, gardening, bathroom/kitchen…read morefurniture and accessories. I'm definitely not a DIY, gardening or domestic type person - in fact I positively hate such things! That as it may be, I actually enjoy a (rare) visit to Homebase. I love that this particular store is large, but not huge enough to be bewildering, as some massive DIY Stores are. Staff are very helpful. On a recent trip to pick up padlocks and outdoor security light bulbs I located staff immediately and they assisted me in finding the items I needed. Often I just pop in and out of Homebase quickly to grab what I need. Sometimes however, I do like to have a browse amongst the flowers, plants and garden furniture. This store is always my first choice for all my DIY needs.

There collection of neon paint and cheap wood is what I visit for. This one is a bit isolated, but…read moregreat parking and close to other shops to finish off your shopping after grabbing your neon paints and hula hoops. They have a little toy section to keep kids entertained. The pricing is good, nothing is too expensive and things are of a good quality. If you're looking paints wood, door knobs or plants go here.

You'll need half a day to go round this store & see everything you want to see. It's not very clear…read moreat all as to how you are supposed to make your purchase, unless you've been before & have picked up how it's done! I find the prices very high & the quality very poor! It's quite a stressful place to be & difficult to find and actually buy the item you wish to buy! Personally i wouldn't buy furniture here , as it looks really cheap but the prices are premium prices! The last & final time i visited, i bought several small items, such as cutlery & kitchen utensils (Should know better by now) & when i got home and checked same items on internet, found them at less than half the price! It's a tad confusing & rather poorly set out store , with very inadequate help to hand ! The swedish meatballs & mash in the restaurant are excellent though.

IKEA's great value for money and has a massive selection of household furniture and items. It is a…read morebit of a pain that it's all mainly flat pack stuff but they do offer both delivery and assembly services which are super. I enjoy an occasional wander around this giant store and really like the simple Swedish design of the furniture. IKEA overall has relatively good environmental credentials with all stores being energy efficient and products produced as sustainably as can be. I have some IKEA shelving I've had for years and plan to keep forever as it's strong and sturdy. The IKEA cafe is also economical and offers some good vegetarian options.

A1 Appliances is another run of the mill hardware store where you can pick up pretty much anything…read moreand everything you could need for appliances in your home. They sell a range of fittings, cookware, plugs, fixings, spare parts, tools, irons, occasional furniture like tables, bookcases and I spied out a butterfly windmills which delighted me. So as they say, you can get anything you need from A1! I took a wee look in here last week and certainly thought if I happened to need anything along these lines then you couldn't go wrong. It'd be a great shop if you were moving house and needed all those little bits and pieces which you inevitably do, A1 sell them for a good price too. The shop is a family owned independent homeware retailer. It was established in 1987 and it's still run by the same local family. Love it!

Advertised as 'The Shop in Northcott that sold everything' A1 appliances manages to sum itself up…read moreperfectly. A nick nack store would be best to describe this shop which has now moved from its old home in the run down Northcott centre to the Tramways shopping centre. It sells everything and anything from dining tables to book cases and alarm clocks. I would advise that maybe the shop is a little bit cramped but if you don't mind that, and haven't got any kids with you, then certainly have a look in. The staff are very friendly and love to help a would be customer find what they are looking for.