Just on the corner of Great Western Arcade (at the Colmore Row end) Julian Graves is probably best…read moredescribed as health food shop - and what a cornucopia it is (ooh, I love that word). You'll find bags and bags of nuts, rice cakes and crackers and seeds here. They do a fine range of Wasabi beans, Bombay mix and yogurt covered things but it also stocks sweeter stuff like crystallised ginger and liquorice at a cheapish price. Somehow less intimidating than Holland and Barrett (I think their vast array of bodybuilding shakes put me off), Julian Graves is staffed by friendly, healthy looking sorts who are happy to dispense advice.

This is a standard convenience store and stocks all of the usual items that you would expect; some…read morefood, snacks, a few household items, newspapers, alcohol and tobacco. I have been in a couple of times when I have been in Harborne. The chap who works there or who owns it seems really friendly and chatty. Several times he has made small talk with me, which is nice as it makes me want to pop back in here. I have always found what I needed in here, which is usually just some chocolate and something like milk to take back home. The prices are fairly reasonable for a convenience store and I have been to more expensive stores in the area. Overall, I like this store because the service is great and it has been convenient for me.

The old motto of writing about what you know rings true here (and for the next few reviews) as…read moreHarborne Convenience is very much my local shop. Open from early morning until at least 10pm every night this isn't somewhere you'd travel miles to visit but if you live nearby it's a great place to purchase things like compost or barbeque briquettes. They are also notable for stocking a good range of real-ales, an extensive selection of doggie treats (which get the seal of approval from Dave the greyhound) and the man who runs it is a really nice chap who often compliments us on how well Dave is looking and very much lives by the adage 'the show must go on'. Not only does the shop stay open at Christmas and New Year but perhaps most memorably of all through a recent power cut where thanks to a torch-lit fetching service the people of Northfield Road were able to continue to make their essential purchases of booze, fags and Monster Munch.

Their products lack transparency pertaing to food labelling and their website would never accept my…read moredebit card, but I do have quite a high opinion of their products and have thus been using them regularly for quite some time. Yes, they are one of the few supplement brands that I trust sufficiently. It is also good that their products are available in most (if not all) organic shops plus one can order them online if one wants. I did also like the fact that I could contact them for nutritional advice, though I won't any more because this week I fear that one of the technicians acted inappropriately towards me on a couple of occasions, which upset me a lot. I first became aware of Biocare because the leading author/nutritional therapist recommended Biocare in his books.

This small convenience store run by a friendly husband and wife team carries all the things one…read morewould expect, including essentials such as milk and bread, cleaning products and a small range of alcohol and tobacco, but it is particularly well-stocked with ingredients for more exotic cooking - they carry a wide range of Asian spices, Garam flour, and the like. It's by no means the cheapest of shops, but this is made up for by the long opening hours (he can be open as late as 10pm in the summer months. They carry a small selection of fresh vegetables which are displayed in front of the shop.

I have visited this place a couple of times as it is close to where I live. I have found every time…read moreI go in, the man that runs the store is always bumbling around restocking the shelves or keeping himself busy, he's never stood around looking bored, which I think is a good sign! When I first visited this store, it was a bit overwhelming as there was so much stuff all piled into the place, which is not that big. However, it stocks a range of fresh fruit and veg, some of which is stored outside during the day, so I often get a box and help myself. It states outside that it is self service. It is not so cheap, but then again he is competing with a range of other stores that stock similar items on the same road. One of the things I like most about this store, is that it stocks a range of Asian products, such as herbs and spices, which is handy when I attempt to make my own curries!

Seoul Plaza is 500 square foot of retail space dedicated to Japanese, Chinese and Korean foods. The…read morespacious aisles have space for fresh fruit, spices and vegetables, dried goods such as noodles and rice, freezer chests full of all your oriental favourites as well as packets of stuff that I've never heard of. I'm not a specialist in these foods, more of an enthusiastic amateur, but the "what the hell is that"? aspect of shops like this has always appealed to me , and there was plenty of those kind of thrills for me at the Seoul Plaza with many products that I can only label as "specialist" nestling between the more familiar items like rice, tofu and fresh chillies. The drink section was also intriguing, with Aloe Vera based drinks that taste delicious and lemongrass seed drinks that look worryingly similar to frogs spawn. I'm giving Seoul Plaza three stars not because I don't have the expert knowledge to tell if Seoul Plaza is great at what it does or simply very good, though it might well take a Chinese or Korean chef to tell you that. However, I can say that it's a well run store with an interesting selection and polite staff. Also for reasons completely unknown to me they sell what appears to be the cheapest cans of Coca Cola in the West Midlands ( a mere forty five pence!).

There are a fair few Asian food supermarkets in the city centre, particularly around the Hurst…read moreStreet area where the city has bustling Chinese quarter containing restaurants, Chinese remedies and travel agents, but Seoul Plaza is just as good as any of those and is right on my doorstep (well, a ten minute walk away). This place quite rightly saw a gap in the market and chose to serve the large number of Chinese, Japanese and Korean students who attend the nearby University. There is a fair selection of fresh produce, and it's great for fresh lemongrass, coriander, and so on. There are the usual baffling (to Western eyes at least) array of sauces, packets, sweets, drinks and dried goods but its also provides all the 'usual' stuff like soy sauce, chili oil and the like. My wife is half Philippino and often drops in for ingredients she can't get elsewhere. There is also a fairly good frozen section and its a good place to pick up fish, seafood and items like spring rolls. It's a fairly big place - somewhere between the size of a small supermarket and a convenience store, so there is a lot of stock to chose from, so you'll more than likely find whatever it is you're looking for. The prices are fairly reasonable, too.

they are a cheap and cheerful fast food place. there staff are friendly and helpful. its service…read morewith a smile here. thye have value takeaway food e.g jacket potatoes, soup, psnninis. there meal deal includes add a drink, fruit and a bag of crisps ffor a pound to sa meal,

I used to use this grocer when I lived in Kingstanding because they have a great selection of fruit…read moreand veg and the prices are absolutely fantastic. It's a large shop with plenty of space inside, the produce is kept on wide clean shelves and always looks fresh and attractive. Baskets and bags are plentiful and it's up to you to help yourself to what you need, there is a set of hanging scales in the shop for you to check the approximate weight of your purchase so it's easy to keep track of your bill. The fruit is laid out on one side of the shop and the veg is on the other side, separating these two sections are a few shelves of tinned items and other groceries. The main onus is, however, on the fruit and veg. There are a good selection of apple and pear varieties, the Granny Smith apples are deliciously crisp and flavoursome from here. There are fresh, ripe bananas in here and they are lovely and much cheaper than those in Asda up the road. You can buy a whole melon, or half a one wrapped in clingfilm. I like that the halves are half the price of a full melon, because another grocer I use cheekily charges almost as much for the half melon! These are extremely fresh and juicy, I love the watermelon slices although should really buy a full one as I am always up and down to this grocer for more and more melon! You can also buy grapes, strawberries, kiwi fruits, nectarines, clementines etc because this grocer stocks produce that is in season he manages to keep the prices down. The veg are equally good, the baking potatoes are excellent and always come out fluffy and delicious after cooking. The baby new potatoes are lovely too, especially with a knob of butter melted over them. I make my own vegetable soup so buy a lot of leeks, carrots, onions and tomatoes from here and have never had bad vegetable. The leeks in particular are great and always seem cleaner with less grit than I find in other local grocers. There are also parsnips, swede, salad veggies (or are they fruit???), beetroots and loads more to choose from - the only thing I wish they would stock that they don't are butternut squash because I always have to go to Asda for these! You can also buy flowers from this grocer, bunches from £2.99 up to more elaborate displays priced at up to £10. They also sell some beautiful house plants which are reasonably priced and very healthy, I have bought several plants from here which are still going strong a few years later. Staff are really nice and friendly, it's not the sort of shop where you are going to have a chat with the staff but they are helpful and cheerful as they are serving. If I can't find something in the shop, which is rare as the shop is so straightforward, I don't hesitate to ask and the staff know straight away what I'm talking about and can advise me on if they stock it and where it is.

I've been living in the area for 6 years now. Brunswick Stores is one of the friendliest most…read morediverse corner shops I have ever come across and I'm not young anymore so that's saying a lot. They cater for a large variety of cultures, have plenty of low priced goods and ongoing well chosen special offers. The rest of their prices are affordable and their service is excellent. They even have a sheltered fresh fruit and veg area in front of the store! They are crowded but fitting such a variety of goods in more than makes up for it. They have an area near the door with a properly secure place to tie your dogs monitered by cameras. You can actually stand at the counter watching them yourself if you like. The entire storefront is monitered by cameras watched constantly by staff behind the counter (and believe me, they do so constantly) so bicycles are also safe and secure. There's easy disabled access and parking's not too bad. There are bus stops either side on both sides of the road each only a minute's walk away. I could say so much more and it's all good but I shall leave with a last reminder of their excellent, prompt and friendly service. There's never a queue for long in this wonderful corner shop.

I lived next to Brunswick Stores for a year and this is one of the best corner shops that you could…read moreask for. Open eight till nine every day it was the Sunday evenings when everything else was closed that I appreciated them the most. Selling a wide range of food e.g tins, dry goods you would expect they also have a extensive fruit and vegetable stall that is fresh every day. The owners are friendly and are willing to find things for you that have been put away near closing or to give you a reduced price if near the products sell by date.