Before Lidl came to Oxford Road, Worldwide was the place where I did most of my shopping. My…read moreflatmate and I set ourselves a challenge - each time we went to Worldwide we would buy an item of fruit or veg which we had never tried before, bring it home, attempt to prepare it and sample it. This led to some rather funny looks at the counter. One one occasion, on asking our Kenyan friend for cooking information, he explained to us that they probably laughed at us because *no-one* buys just one bhindi. We soon learnt from this school-boy error. As well as fruit and veg I always picked up pitta, naan and other foreign breads here, but it's probably not the place to go for a reasonably priced loaf of Warburton's. They also sell exciting fizzy drinks from all over the world, baklava, mango lassi and every herb, spice, bean or pulse you could think of, all of which I can recommend. Things that I have purchased from here and regretted include tinned palak paneer, a tray of 30 very unethical eggs, weird smelling incense, cheese and DIY henna. As a vegetarian I've never looked at the meat counter. But I know that my Muslim flatmate bought her meat there as it is all Halal and my Chinese flatmates bought their meat there because they sold all the disgusting-sounding parts of animals that they liked to boil up in stews, such as chicken feet. I challenge you to visit Worldwide and not to come away with more than you went in for. Even the fruit and veg is priced so that you end up with 3 cucumbers (£1) rather than the one (50p) you went in for!

Worldwide Foods. Not just a clever name my dears, certainly not. While its location on the Curry…read moreMile might make you think it's an Indian supermarket, well! Remember that it's not only Indian restaurants in Rusholme. Okay, so most of them are curry houses, and that's reflected in the fact that Worldwide Foods is mostly Indian, but you're just as likely to find your Turkish flatbreads or your Jerk seasoning here as you are your Patak's pastes and poppadoms. But you'll find so much more. As I found out far too late on the way out, there's a massive fresh produce fruit and veg stall at the back. There's also a Halal butchers, and tons of stuff you've probably never heard of. We picked up some unusual little treasures like miniature crisp puri breads with cumin seeds, like tiny poppadoms, sweet buns made with sesame seeds and egg, and crumbly shortbread-like biscuits with coconut and topped with chopped pistachio and almonds. In fact, if you're as unfamiliar with ethnic sweets as I am, you may well spend most of your time in the cookie aisle to pick up new treats. As well as this there are additional niche items like rose syrup (for faluda methinks), tropical drinks, every kind of Bombay mix you can think of, canned goods and tons of pulses and rice... just do what I did and explore. It's so much fun. Worldwide Foods is nothing short of a culinary adventure!

I visited specifically to ask about CBD oil. the staff were very helpful and friendly, and gave me…read moreall the necessary information that I was looking for. I shall definitely return soon to explore their extensive range of high quality products. Thank you for all your help at a personally challenging time - the CBD is helping greatly!

This gem of a health store stocks a wide variety of products. It is excellent for anyone suffering…read morefrom gluten or dairy allergies, and has a much wider variety of products than general supermarkets. Dried fruit and nuts are available at the counter, at very competitive prices- and you can get the exact amount you need- no more full bags of sesame seeds lying around in the cupboard after using two tablespoons! They also sell protein shakes and muscle building products (presumably for all the athletes at the university), 'healthy' chocolate and sweets, loose bags of herbs and spices, dried beans and many other things! Finally, they also have a section for organic and chemical-free make up, beauty and cleaning products, along with alternative medicines. The only downside is the cost- the products don't cost more than other shops, they're just all expensive to start with- but that's the cost of living healthily.

Matta's is an excellent Asian store selling a huge variety of ingredients and exotic foods as well…read moreas frozen fish. There is no other store like this in Liverpool as here you'll find rarer products that you can experiment with. It is particularly popular with students and people from foreign backgrounds. Some westerners may consider the food strange so don't be suprised. There is alot of delightful produce to be tried at affordable prices. If you want to cook up something new whether it is middle-eastern or Carribean cuisine, come here because staff are friendly and will kindly advise you.

The world in one city is one of the many trite cliches we scousers like to ram down people's…read morethroats - instead visit this excellent food emporium and get some ingredients to make some lovely food to ram down your throat instead. Matta's is a well known Liverpool food stockist, I'm not sure it's really a deli, let's call it a food place because they sell things to do with food. Because we here in Liverpool know so little about food - our traditional meal is not scouse as people will have you believe but Pot Noodle - there are few places like Matta's and certainly none as reasonably priced. Herbs and spices, exotic condiments, preserves, oils and stocks are the main fare of Matta's trade helping scousers to liven up our spam frittas since a while ago and now they have entered the 21st century with an e-commerce website.

Spice Corner is a visual delight, a cacophony of spices, pulses, herbs and fresh vegetables. After…read moregetting the urge to create his own curry from scratch, my Other Half embarked on a mission to do just that. Spice Corner was his savour when selecting the mixture of mainstream and more obscure ingredients required. I don't think there is any herb or spice that the stall does not stock. The aromas that waft from the stall are fantastic, it makes me feel immediately hungry. The lady that served us was fabulous. Extremely helpful and knowledgeable about all things spicy, she guided us into finding what we needed, whilst also interjecting her own hints and tips. The prices are significantly less than the brands that rip you off in the supermarkets. So much better value, and the quality is incomparable. The stall resembles somewhere that I would like to shop, grocery shopping with personality.

Spice Corner is on a corner and sells spices! It has a pretty vast range of spices and…read morespice-related ingredients in packets, pots, boxes, jars and tins. There are also lot of packets of mysterious looking dried bits and bobs, bread, dates, some fruit and vegetables and dried and fresh herbs. The signage is much neater and clearer than many of the poorly signed stalls in the market and it packs a huge variety of products into a tiny shop. Prices are pretty cheap here and the staff are friendly and informative. At Spice Corner you're sure to find all the constituent parts of a good home-made curry and several new and unusual ingredients to try!

Alfie, the reason why this Worldwide Foods bears resemblance to Worldwide Foods in Rusholme, is…read morebecause they are part of the same chain (see website for details). You whiz past this shop on the train line which goes southwards from Manchester, and I have often contemplated pushing the emergency stop button to come and grab some of their fresh fruit and veg. It is not as large a store as the one in Rusholme, and doesn't have such a sleek and shiny feel to it, but still stocks a wide range of reasonably priced fresh produce out front, and inside they stock all of your East End and Rajah spices, lentils, beans and pulses, rice and miscellaneous objects such as henna tattoo kits, all at reasonable prices - cheaper if you happen to want 5kg of rice, or 1 litre of curry paste. OK, so most of the products are Indian, so 'worldwide' maybe isn't quite the right word, but they do trays of delicious Turkish baklava, as well as English staples such as milk, tea and bread.

Strangely, this Worldwide Foods store has reminiscences of Worldwide in Rusholme, with which it has…read moredefinitely got no relation. This one, on Slade Lane in Longsight, has a similarly haphazard way of arranging its range of foods in a completely incomprehensible order. Like the other Worldwide, it too has a few absolute bargains, and some areas of particular excellence. Here the highlight has to be the fruit and veg, which is piled up outside the store in abundance. The selection is absolutely incredible, and stretches from common apples to lesser muched fruits and vegetables such as yams and pumpkins. They even have some miscellaneous fodder, which I cannot name, as I haven't a Scooby Doo what it is. The rest of its stock isn't bad either, with plenty of cheap tinned and jarred goods. Not the kind that should never be in a tin like spaghetti Bolognese and chilli con carne, but things which belong in tins, like olives and pestos. Its much cheaper than Sainsbury's and Tesco, and not terrible quality like Lidl and Asda, so basically, its really good.

The best source of vegan groceries in Nottingham City, with a deli counter and food to go…read more The shop is omni (there are a couple of items with gelatin in), but is mostly vegan, with some vegetarian. They have a good chiller section with vegan meats and cheeses, a good dairy-free chocolate selection, and the food counter has a huge range of vegan takeaway things like wraps, pasties, pies, cakes

Just tried to ring them to see if they sold dried herbs, and they put the phone down on me. I then…read moretried to ring again, and they picked up and put the phone down before I had a chance to speak! Not having a good day?

I've shopped here a couple of times. Prices and produce all seems fine…read more Modern spacious store with a small deli and coffee machine.

Lebanon is one of a trio of Lebanese delicatessens on Kingsway, which offers to meet 'all of your…read moreArabic household needs'. Their focus on the Lebanese/Arab niche also makes this a worthwhile destination for the serious foodie, both for the range of unique goods and also the strong Arab cultural vibe to welcome and inspire you. When I visited, it was staffed by a timid, veiled Arab girl, for whom my Scottish accent and loud personality were just too much! No problem, this gave me a chance of some banter with the whiskery main man, who came out from behind his halal butcher's counter where he had been busy spicing meats. I walked out with a dozen items - saffron, za'atar, rosepetal jam, date syrup, dolmades. Here you have not one, but half a dozen choices of each of za'atar, tahini, dolmades, vine leaves, floral waters. A can of dolmades is a easy way to add another mezze to your Arab feast. Many of the other items combine to provide a whole palette of mild but interesting flavours unique to the region, which I would recommend as having a broad appeal to most palates. They stock the widely-available El-Ammar khoubz wraps, which seems to be the biggest Arab bakery in Manchester, and very fresh bread too since they are local. I had already planned on lunch in Rusholme, but as it was getting late I decided to have dessert in advance - a takeaway selection of Lebanese date rolls, coconut slice and others, all very nourishing and energising when eaten in moderation whilst waiting at the bus stop! It is less of a trek than you might think to get out there, easily reached on the frequent 50 bus service from Parrs Wood, itself easily accessible from the Oxford Road corridor. Other than these Lebanese delis, I'm not sure that Burnage is much of a destination although I have an idea there are some OK restaurants - message me if you can recommend any! However, for Lebanese restaurants and takeaways, Rusholme is the main concentration.

From the owner: Great business here at Lebanon supermarket I have been a butcher I like to call myself king of…read morehalal meat I have any Arab food , Bosnian and I have over 1000 make please come and visit

I regularly shop here and I was asked on one visit to leave my bag at the counter. I told them I…read morewouldnt be and the woman started arguing with me. I told her that there is no way that I am leaving my work stuff behind . very rude. if they have an issue with shop lifters they make enough money to have properly security

It's like visiting Asda, but in Morrocco. the only thing missing is wildlife. with it being Ramadan…read moreseason, expect massive crowds in the evenings. There are plenty of cash and carry's dotted alongside Stockport road for all your exotic foodie needs but this place arguably trumps them all. Whilst Ahmad's Cash and carry is just as big, it has a cold and empty warehouse feel to it and is located in an odd place. It really is well worth a gander or two, if only to take in the aromas, the foods and spices you've probably never seen before. Despite the size of the store don't worry about getting tired either dragging that trolley around, there's a cake shop and a small cafe for you to rest and treat yourself. Want more encouragement to visit? The boxes of mangos are going at 3 for £10 a pop. I can personally vouch for the fact they are sweeter than sweet.

This has got to be the best supplier of curry in the country!…read moreI used to work with someone who had a staff card for the Patak's shop and we lived on curries for quite a while. All of their products are tasty and authentically made in the traditional ways. I don't know how amenable they are to general public turning up for bargains, but it's got to worth a 'phone call.