Okay, a little backup here, friends who know me well. My name's Emma-Lou H, and I'm a baker. Cakes…read moreand crumbles, pies and quiches, brownies and flapjacks, cookies and shortbreads... if it can be eaten alongside a nice cup of tea or mug of coffee, I can throw it together. But every now and then a recipe will crop up that challenges me somewhat. I can find those ingredients, sure, but where's my springform tin? My electric hand whisker? My multi-tiered cupcake stand? Here! From knives Patrick Bateman would be proud of to decorative doilies for show-standard prettiness, everything for the amateur baker or serious chef is right where you'd need it. It's a tiny little spot in the Arndale Market crammed with delights from some hugely recognisable brands, and it represents a genuine treasure trove of cooking brilliance. Look out for little gadgets and measurers that make your job far easier and storage solutions for your kitchen. A classic example of how some great local shopping can be done in the eclectic Arndale Market - make sure you stop here before whipping up some Christmas yummies!

This is a great cookshop! I don't know if you'll find better in the city centre. He even has the…read moremore obscure items! For general cooking, catering, and especially baking, this guy has a great selection. If you're looking for something but can't find it, ask him and he probably will locate it within the shop. If not, he can probably order it in for you. The owner of this stall is very friendly and helpful, and has been able to get things for me I doubt I could get anywhere except the internet.

This shop is amazing so many bits and pieces to have a great look around. Be warned do not attempt…read moreto go in here if you have tons of bags from shopping as it is so tight and crammed with lots of breakable items in it this could spell disaster. It's a good idea if you want to go in here make it your first stop. The type of things it sells varies massively from, serious cookware to jokey items aprons and tea towels great cookie cutters I could go on but I won't list everything. Some of the gadgets are amazing and I stand there wondering what they are for.

Surprisingly I quite like this shop! There are so many kitchen gadgets to look at in here! Great…read morearray of stock, so it's always worth a nosey whilst you're shopping at Cheshire Oaks. The aisles can be quite narrow if there are several people in the shop (which there normally is as it's quite popular). It's a good place to go to find an unusual gift or even to find something for yourself. The prices are reasonable as it is the outlet store. Staff seem very friendly and helpful and you can park right outside if you're lucky enough to find a space.

Tefal is a french manufacturer of your typical cookware and home appliances, such as kettles,…read moretoasters and blenders, this is an Outlet store which are often cheaper to reduce some stock, and I was very impressed with the prices in particular, where I picked up an iron, for £9.99 which as I recall should have been around £25 - £30 The store was quite quiet, but so was the rest of the Lowry Outlet Mall it was located in, mainly due to the time of my visit, later in the evening after grabbing a meal elsewhere in the complex at Caffe Rouge. The store was a decent size and did have a nice range of items, which still seemed good quality and they were applicances, I guess were discontinued and sold at set price, but they still seemed to be good, and honestly I'm a tech-lover but even I don't care about having the latest iron, kettle, blender or toaster if such thing exists, as they still had some pretty nice applicances here. The decor was basic but it seemed typical of most Outlet stores, it was okay. The staff seemed nice here, the man picked up a boxed version of my iron from the back, rather than the model I picked up, it is worth noting some items here may not come in boxes which is partly linked into the lower price. Overall, this is a nice store for home and cookware appliances, and really worth a look in while in the area, and one of my favorite stores int he Lowry Outlet and I feel it has done enough to earn three stars.

Christopher's is another little shop in Heswall that has been here as long as I can remember. My…read moremum raves about this place because they always have a fantastic display in the window, and the shop is a treasure trove of culinary implements. They're basically a kitchen/home ware shop, specialising in quality bits and bobs. The shop is quite small but is literally packed with bits and bobs. These include kettles, pans, toasters, knife sets, chopping boards, cups, plates, utensils, other crockery and cafatieres etc. They are middle of the road in terms of their prices, and you could probably get everything that they sell, but poorer quality from the likes of Ikea! But they do sell quality stuff, and stylish items that help you kit out your art deco pad. Definitely worth a look if you're passing through Heswall!

Think of Christopher's as the small town, independent Lakeland. It's fabulous! Everything you would…read morefind in Lakeland, you will find here. And may be more. I noticed a lot of items that I had never seen in Lakeland, although they were the type of thing that store would carry. Besides your usual kitchenware and interesting gadgets, you will also find some pretty dishes and teapots, cute oven mitts and tea cosies, potato shaped veg brushes (so cute!), cake decorating items and cake toppers, wedding favour items (including spools of ribbon, ribbon roses, mini horseshoe charms, etc.), and so much more. I would say that if you are ever in the area and love this kind of shop it would be a really nice thing to do to buy your stuff here rather than at Lakeland. Support the small town, and support the British economy!

HomeSense is a chain of discount home furnishing stores, it is owned by TK Maxx, who also has a…read morestore next to this one in the Manchester Arndale. like TK Maxx the branding/styling of the name is different on this side of the Atlantic. The store is large and has a good selection of bits and bobs, from pillows to appliances, from ice cube trays and cheese-graters. Considering, they're supposed to be a "discount" chain, I did find some prices to be a little high, if you're lucky you'll find a high-quality item with a good discount/offer though, so it's kind of like a TKMaxx jumble sale but replacing the clothes with home items. The staff seemed friendly and happy to help me find what I was looking for, and the experience at the checkout was smooth. This is a fairly good store, obviously, some deals are better than others, but probably the best selection of home furnishing in the Manchester Arndale, with a fairly presentable store and helpful staff. 4*

I'm kind of in love with this shop. It's dreamy! The window displays are whimsical and they're sure…read moreto draw you in every time. The seasonal produce is brilliant, both food items and general home ware. They've got the Christmas stock in at the moment and it's absolutely gorgeous, snow globes and crockery, bath products and food. You name it :) I had to drag myself out of the shop before I spent my entire pay check. I love that you can get top quality, one off items here are a very decent price. The staff are always helpful and the store is clean and well presented. They also have a pretty good reduced to clear range. If you're in to DIY like me you can pick up something that's a little damaged for a ridiculous price and fix it up at home. I've saved so much doing this. I also find this shop to be ideal for gift shopping as they stock such a wide range of products, the packaging tends to be beautiful and I can pick up items here that I wouldn't normally see in other shops.

This was my first ever steamer trading store I visited. It is nestled in the beautiful Chester…read moreshopping area, the store itself is all kida weird, you walk through a narrow long front area to a lovely upstairs area full of amazing cookware. I think this is one of the better independent cookware stores with something for everyone. My biggest purchases are knifes when in here with a selection from all over the world to suit every chef or home cook you will never miss out. They are not the cheapest place to buy many of their stock items but they are reasonable and the staff will always find the right product for you. The staff are amazing, very knowlegable and always willing to help. It does get busy so you sometimes have to wait but it is worth it. If you are stuck for a great gift for someone or just want to treat yourself to a new kitchen gadget this is the place to visit.

Nisbets is a very useful store, although known as a brand that sells commercial catering equipment,…read moreit is also open to the public (Although do remember that prices on the shelves might not include VAT for the public) This is one of their largest stores in the country, it is located on Booth Street, with St Peter's Square and the Town Hall a stone's throw away. I visited the store to pick up an online order, orders can arrive in the store within as little as an hour, during their opening hours, if the item is in stock, which is pretty good. There were quite a few staff members working, which was good to see, ensuring fast and friendly service. I found the process to pick up my order in-store simple, all I had to do was provide my name and order number and I was able to get in and out of the store within a couple of minutes. The only thing I didn't like was having to sign a physical sheet of paper, which appeared to have other customers' names on it, it seemed so draconian, having a handheld scanner, and keeping any customer names confidential would be much easier both access and privacy. The store was well stocked, clean and easy to follow, and they did have some nice items, and prices were very good value for money, so it's no wonder this place appeals to both trade and public members. They are open until 17:30 Monday to Saturday, for a store in the city centre, I do find this to be far too early, and I would have thought they would have remained open until 19:00 at the earliest. 4* - A nice store that I will look forward to returning to.

Having passed this place a thousand times and not even…read moreseeing it is hard to imagine. its open to trade and general public and sells lots of diffrent cooking need. from pans to baking dishes ,utensils and expensive kitchen aid mixers if i wasn't already carring a load full of cooking gadgets in my hand i would of walked around more slowly and probably pick up a thing or two. This is the place to come for any keen cook wether your proffessional or a home cook