I love a local grocer. Hughes is no exception - they had a really good selection of fruit and veg,…read morewhich all looked in very good nick. They also had other useful bits and bobs such as nuts and herbs, and 2 packets of Foxes chocolate biscuits for a mere £1! That was, of course, a special offer - I can't promise you that that is a permanent feature... I bought an enormous bag of Braeburn apples and a less enormous bag of nectarines, - plus my 2 packets of biscuits it all came to £3.58, which seemed very reasonable.

Hughes is a mini supermarket that mainly sells fresh fruit and vegetables. They also sell a few…read moreplain flowers. The only negative thing I have to say about Hughes is that the aisles are narrow and I soon discovered people have to walk down them in single file. If you want to go past somebody you'll have to shuffle or squeeze past them. I'm sure this invaded people's personal space, like it did mine. Birmingham has loads of shops like Hughes and many of the ones I've seen are quiet unclean and it's obvious the products have been left out for a while. Here though, there's probably fresher fruit and vegetable here than in the supermarket not to mention the prices are a lot better. As well as the normal prices being low, I was also pleased to see the amount of deals they had. Two boxes of strawberries can be picked up for £1.00 and a bunch of bananas for just under £1.00. So I think this shop is underrated.

Good produce, friendly staff and a wonderfully unexpected fish stall tucked away at the back. Our…read morelocal grocer of choice.

Kings Heath farmers Market happens every first Saturday of the month between Kings Heath High…read moreStreet and Vicarage Road. During the development of the village square, the market had to move further down Vicarage road, but has since relocated to the quite eccentric updated space, which see's random fountains of water and grave stones sunken into pathways. It's quite a surreal experience, and I don't suggest walking through the space while drunk. The area becomes even more bizarre when taken over by the farmers market, as stalls are placed in between these randomly sunken stones. It reminds me of some sort parallel Kings Heath, where everything is melting in the village square, but the people just act as though it is a normality and set up a market over the space. Anyway, the local food sold here is of high quality, and many of the Moseley Farmers Market stall holders also set up here. Meaning that if you miss the Moseley market, you can always catch them at the Kings Heath one. There are also some different stalls who sell better jams than Moseley, in my opinion, so I always buy jam from Kings Heath market instead. Prices of products aren't necessarily cheap, but you certainly get your value for money, as the flavour of the food (especially the jam) is top notch.

I heard about this lovely market from a friend of mine who lives in the area. As a good street…read moremarket it's always an option of an enjoyable day out on a weekend, my husband, his auntie and I decided to go to Kings Heath and check it out. It was a delicious surprise, literally, because with all food stalls available it was almost a truly gastronomic experience. I regret having breakfast because empty belly in this place can be a very good starting. I just loved the farming made products available there. It's almost like going back to the deep south of Brazil or some countryside cities where farm culture is preserved and you always have the possibility of visiting farms and eat their delicious food. I heard about these farmer markets in Birmingham areas before but it's just unbelievable the variety of cakes, baked breads, handmade cheese and other fresh and pretty healthy products available in these places. If you fancy organic products, there are good source of vegetables and fruit to choose as well. The plants, flowers and other memorabilia are also a charming complement to these markets and people working on it are usually very gentle. I like the fact it's held on Saturdays (first of each month) because it makes things very easy for who works during week and just have time to catch up with it during the weekends. I am glad I made Kings Heath Farmers market. In Brazil we have some similar street markets ( with the difference that we sell almost everything ) and it's always good to find such a lovely experience like this here as well.

You will find this greengrocers shop next to the entrance to Touchwood, closest to the bus stops…read more It is a great little store where you can pick up some lovely fresh fruit and vegetables as well as other items such as flowers and plants and some nibbles and drinks. The prices are very low, especially when considering the central Solihull location. Staff are friendly and get the queue down fast.

I went her for some jacket potatoes as there Lovly The…read moreyoung mid 20s Lad that was in there was talking to another Lad that was obviously there for a temporary job selling Christmas tree The Way in which he spoke to him in front of me & other customers Was disgusting swearing every other word Talking about customers when we're 2 feet away from him like we were trash in the gutter We pay your wages !!! Have more respect & The Older Lady that runs the place did nothing not a single word to stop the way he was "Slagging off" the customers!!! I want be returning anytime soon!!!

A greengrocers and a garden centre, all crammed into a space normally occupied by a cornershop,…read morethis place is a bit of an oasis on the slightly run-down Stirchley High Street. Outside you'll find a great selection of shrubs, plants and vegetables to plant in your garden, and at extremely reasonable prices. I get the impression that most of the items for sale, and in particular the veg plants, have been grown by hand, either by the shop themselves or else by a trusted local nursery - the care and attention is evident in each plant, and these are clearly not the product of some anonymous uber-greenhouse knocking out bedding plants by the thousand. Inside the store is cool and welcoming and beautifully stocked with fresh, organic produce that is a treat for the eyes and nose. After visiting this place you'll think twice about selecting the somewhat tired looking veg on offer at the local supermarket - this is super-fresh stuff that looks and smells great. The staff are friendly and helpful and know their stuff, both about the plants and the produce. They are also pretty fair - if you select a plant that is the last one available and it looks a wee bit sorry for itself, they'll normally either knock something off the price, or else not charge you at all. Highly recommended!

This greengrocers can be found next to Boots in Shirley and opposite another greengrocers. As well…read moreas fresh fruits and vegetables this store also sells flowers, some drinks and a small selection of packaged food. The staff are friendly and when I have visited with a double buggy or my dog the staff have come out to take my payment when I have just got some flowers or fruit from the front display. Great tasting fresh fruit and vegetable and very reasonably priced

After a day of shopping, there's nothing like tucking in to some freshly-made, hot Indian snacks…read more So whenever I'm planning a trip down to Sparkhill; Sooraj Sweet Centre is always on the agenda. They are a pure vegetarian eatery, specialising in Gujarati sweets and snacks. Their mogo and dokhla is utterly divine! The softness of the texture and impeccable taste makes Sooraj's the best place for these particular dishes. I can almost taste them as I write! They also have a rare stock of Indian drinks, that aren't commonly available in supermarkets. So what better way to wash down a hearty snack than with a mango, passion fruit or guava-flavoured drink! And if the sun is out, I need little persuasion to grab a kulfi ice-cream on the go. Pistachio flavour in particular is my weakness! The sweet centre is homely, clean and very reasonably priced. A definite recommendation for Gujarati snacks!

I have a penchant for very sweet desserts; some of the sweetest I have tasted are from Indian…read moreCuisine. On the occasion I am in Sparkhill, I always try to come here to buy some sickly cake style sweets. Barfi is an unfortunate name because it sounds like barf, which means to vomit. The barfi they serve here is delicious and super sweet, it tastes nothing like barf. Barfi is more like a sugar cake with a doughy edge to it. It is usually sold in rectangular blocks from a large tray of barfi. Gulab Jaman is also a very sweet dessert that I often buy from here. To make it they deep fry dough in oil so a crisp orange biscuit emerges. This is then covered in treacle and served in a bowl. The Gulab Jaman here is also very good. If you like sweets, and have never tried Indian sweets then I would recommend this shop for your purchases. They sell some of the best in Brum.

I still can't work out if this place is useful or not. Granted the fruit and veg section must be…read morehandy for those in the neighbourhood but the rest of the shop can only be described as random. It's set out a bit like a pound store with certain items in large stocks. I spotted about 30 chocolate gateaux in unmarked packets for £1 each. And you can pick up multipacks of Haribo and branded chocolate, in fact most of the shop works on a multipack basis. Want to pretend you're in a greasy spoon when eating at home? Then these industrial size burger sauces will do the trick. On my way out I spotted some Chinese lanterns for sale. Strange.

This is one of several Big Apple stores dotted around South Brum, and it's not one of the best…read more Whereas the Harborne branch is a pretty decent greengrocer, this outlet is much more of a convenience store. There are more tins and bottles inside the store than there is fresh fruit and there are often items of stock on sale that have clearly been picked up cheaply in bulk at a cash and carry for a quick sale. That said, there is a small and fairly good selection of fresh produce out on display. They must find it quite hard to compete with the nearby Co-Op (2 or 3 doors down the road) but they nevertheless maintain a foothold on the Cotteridge map, so must be doing something right...I'm just not sure what it is!