This is a community owned food shop with a cafe up the stairs. Downstairs there's a big pink cow…read more(not a real one) which puts a smile on your face. It's all about the local, seasonal and organic food and drink. My mum took me here after a spot of shopping. According to her when it first opened it was filled with what looked like 'do-gooder' middle-class hippies but when we went in it was filled with a mix of people. So the word seems to be spreading that it's a good spot for a cuppa in a bright space. Mum had a reasonable coffee and I had a hot ginger beer (if it's on the menu I find it hard to have anything else) and we shared a teacake, which was apparently made by 'Emma'. So, thank you Emma for a wonderfully delicious teacake! Bread that doesn't get eaten in the cafe before it's a bit too stale goes to feed some pigs. Cool, eh? The cafe has a nice feel to it - you feel like you could take screaming kids or your gran and it would all be good. The produce downstairs is a bit expensive for me but if you're a middle-class, middle-aged hippy then it'll be right up your street. If you're a 20-something struggling to get a good job, like me, then you can buy a one-off bit of cheese, but don't expect to do your weekly shop.

I've been going to Hartnells for several years now and never been disappointed. Kevin, the main…read morebutcher, took over recently when Ian retired and is looking to bring in some new ideas. Always good local meats available - I love the Cracked Black Pepper sausages - and they are very willing to either provide a specific cut of meat or to butcher exactly what you need. Also very handy at the top of town for a pasty!

Excellent butchers. First class for those wanting to eat low fat healthy foods. Their sausages and…read moreburgers are fantastic. Would, and have, recommend them to anyone

This is a good quality butchers without exhorbitant prices which can be found in Sidwell Street…read moreExeter. Lloyd Maunders always have a selection of 'specials' as well as meat cut to order as well as cold meats. They have a range of speciality sausages and burgers and very very nice steak (in my opinion). The staff are very helpful and if you buy in bulk there is often a discount. Throughout the summer they have BBQ special packs and they do a lovely range of chicken with various glazes, to the point that I usually buy these each week. They are very yummy. You cannot fail to be aware of the shop as you walk past as they also have a section where you can buy hot meat sandwiches which are very mouth watering.

Really impressed with manager Nicky and the Exeter team. Excellent customer service and quality…read moremeat at fair prices. Best hot dog on Exeter high-street!

RL Hira is the place to go for those slightly exotic things you can't find anywhere else. They've…read moregot a wide variety of ethnic foods (including Indian, Japanese, Thai, and Polish) and a huge and inexpensive spice section. The staff are friendly and helpful, and this is one of the few places in the area that's open on Christmas, which is a godsend if you've forgotten something on the day.

This is an excellent store which sells a wide variety of ethnic foods, as well as useful…read morenewsagent/corner shop items. The prices are very reasonable, certainly in line with what other similar stores in the area are charging. For many products (e.g., dried spices), they are much cheaper than supermarkets. There are other shops in the area which have a slightly larger selection of fresh meat and vegetables, but it's not really the fault of this store as there isn't the space for much more fresh produce, and besides, they seem to have a good selection of popular fresh items in any case (e.g., onions, chilli peppers, herbs, etc). At the front of the store by the entrance, they also have a delicious fresh food counter, filled with samosas, bhajis and the like they are absolutely delicious! There are a number of ethnic food stores in the Sidwell Street/Old Tiverton Road area of Exeter, but this is my favourite, because in addition to having a great range of items, the staff are incredibly warm and friendly when you visit. They always greet you when you enter the shop, offer help if you seem to be having trouble finding something, and they just make the whole experience of shopping there really nice. Even though I actually live nearer to Continental Food Stores on Old Tiverton Road, I'd prefer to walk the extra five minutes to this store (I find the staff at the Old Tiverton Road store really rude, in contrast to the lovely people at this store!).