To say that Abu Bakar is well-stocked is a gross understatement! The shelves are absolutley…read morechoc-a-block with row upon row upon row of immaculately presented groceries of endless variety and flavour! Wow! If, like me, you ever struggle to choose between about three sandwhich options then you may be liable to be frozen in cant-decide panic at the endless choices presented to you by Abu Bakar! Even the halva section appears to be never ending! They sell a wide selection of vegetables, a broad variety of juices, endless rows of pulses, spices, herbs, cakes, bread, jars of pickled items, huge sacks of rice and flour - possibly aimed at businesses but may be handy if you live in a big house, loads of condiments (including some very mysterious and tantalising items such as a pot of chololate and cherry something...spread?...whose ingredients list was in Polish only). Homeware-wise they have pots, pans, crockery and kitchen utensils. There is also a halal meat counter. As Susan mentions, Abu Bakar is aimed at the Aisian community, but for anyone like me with boringly British culinary habits it is a fascinating and exciting place of endless possibilities and obscure and intriguing ingredients.

Sitting somewhere between supermarket and corner shop, Abubakar is aimed mostly at the Asian…read morecommunity, with a large selection of Halal meats and more exotic fruits and spices, but it's also a popular spot with local residents and students looking to stock up. They often have good deals on fresh fruit like mangoes, and you can pick up all the ingredients you could possibly need to cook a decent curry from scratch. The staff are really helpful, and the nearby parking means it's ideal if you need to do a large shop but don't want to do the supermarket run. Worth stopping by to check out the huge range of exotic fruit juices - hangover heaven.

Fulton's is one of those 'Aladin's cave' sort of shops but with food rather than hardware and…read moretreasure. As well as consistently providing the cheapest teabags and soft drinks in Rothwell it's always worth a walk around to see what they are selling ultra cheap. I have nearly always found the staff pleasant and helpful and happy to point out any bargains you might have missed.

This branch of Sainsbury's is a fairly decent size store, although it isn't the size of a large…read moresupermarket you can do a weekly shop, it is okay while you are in the Leeds city center, being on The Headrow next to the St John's centre. Inside it is a typical Sainsbury's, albeit a little old fashioned and in a way their is so much empty space, especially at the self-service and manned checkouts, where there is so much space wasted, so the range could be much improved. There was a decent yet small selection of most things, so if you are looking for some essentials odds are you probably are going to have to settle, for example you might not be able to get your favorite flavor or brand of crisps, drinks or chocolate bar for example. The staff didn't seem too helpful, they did come to the checkout when I needed them to approve my transaction, the checkouts could have been kept tidier, to keep rubbish such as receipts away, rather than cluttering the space. Overall, this is a decent place to call in while in Leeds center looking for essentials, but could be much improved and without a huge amount of similar competition nearby, it doesn't seem to be eager to compete, with the nearest alternative supermarket being a large Morrisons store which is a place to do your weekly shop, rather than call in to get essentials, which works out a hassle in a way, while comparing this store and considering its' location I feel two stars is fair.

I was actually really giddy when Sainsbury's appeared smack bang in the centre. I'm not really a…read moresupermarket snob, but sometimes, Sainsbury's just produces stuff that really hits the spot and tastes just lovely. It's a rarity when you prefer the home brand stuff to the actual branded products. And for me the Sainsbury's brand seems to do this rather nicely, especially the Taste the Difference range...can anyone say quad chocolate cookies? yum!! The central location makes it nice and easy for those folk out there who don't and can't drive to access all their groceries and get on to public transport route home, without too much hassle. Technically it's a supermarket, but to me it's more the size of a large Sainsbury's Local. That's not to say there isn't plenty of good ole Sainsbury's merch going on in there. There's even a coffee baked pastries section, along with the cigarette and newspaper kiosk, fresh meats and breads/bakery, crisps, chocolate, food in jars aisles too. But my new favourite novelty has to be the self serving tills. They still excite me. But aside from being super fun, they're incredibly practical, as the queues often get quite large in here, but they don't last too long due to the many self checkouts. The only thing I can find fault with this Sainsbury's is that the staff always seem harrassed, and maybe they are, but suck it up dudes, put a smile on your face, they always look shocked or put out when you ask them where something is, and there's a look of 'how am I supposed to know' about their chops. Aside from that little blip, it's grand.

Not a lot you can say about a supermarket. Perhaps a little more bland and expensive than your…read moreaverage supermarket in this area but it serves it's purpose.

M & S in Pontefract is mainly a food store, with just a bit of clothing etc at the back. But it's…read morethe food I like, so I think it's perfect :) The staff are always really helpful and there are always lots of tills open, so I have rarely had to wait long to be served. The shelves are usually well stocked and the food is well worth the few extra pennies - especially the Rhubabrb crumble which I think I might well be adicted to!!!

This is only a very small branch of M&S, so mainly sells food, with a few items of clothing, mainly…read moreunderwear IIRC. Still, it's nicely presented and is good if you live locally, as Pontefract is only a small town so it's great to have some of the better known shops that you can pop into. I like M&S Food, especially since I heard that all their meat and egg products are animal welfare friendly now. I hope that is correct, as it makes me more inclined to buy food there, even though it is more expensive.

The store is situated in a very large building that looks like a department store towering over the…read morestreet. I suspect it is most frequently visited by restaurant/cafe owners or those with massive families who stock up on huge bags of rice, pulses and other products available in 'bulk buy'. They do, however, sell single portions of things for the lone shopper who enters anyway despite the huge 'cash and carry' exterior, such as myself. I managed to find cans of Coconut milk for only 59p each which is almost half the price of other retailers. My whole basket came to less than a fiver, which would have been more around the £8 - £10 mark in most other shops. They sell vegetables, breads, and meats fresh or frozen. Biscuits, sweet goods, kitchen wear such as baking trays and other handy bits and bobs, and various cosmetics such as bath/shower gel etc. Susan is right about the name being somewhat confusing as it is mainly foods from Asia and Africa and not the common British conception of 'continental food' (deli style West European). If you are after the latter (Italian, French, Spanish etc) you are probably better off going to a deli in town or a chain supermarket.

Great shop on the former Fforde Grene site. Good access and…read moreplenty of parking- even open until 10 most nights! Specialises on pulses/spices/grain/meat/breads/veg and sauces I would associate with West Indian/Pakistani/Asian and possibly even Greek cooking. I'm a regular here to stock up on spices/chick peas and even black peppercorns as they're so cheap! I also frequent the butchery for Mutton or Goat to do in a curry. Prices are fantastic, packages have a variety of sizes to suit your needs and it's like an Aladdin's Cave. Go have a snoop around, I bet they stock something you'll want to buy at a great price!

Everyone needs an 'emergency' shop now and again and that's where Tesco Express steps in…read more Unfortunately the convenience doesn't come cheap and oft times special Tesco offers exclude the express stores and the prices aren't brilliant. Yes it's a glorified petrol station but don't say you've never desperately needed chocolate at five to midnight...........