Morrisons at Piccadilly Gardens was rebranded as Morrisons Market Kitchen following a renovation…read morelast year, I really like the new store, which is massively improved and it is a welcome addition to Piccadilly Gardens. As you enter the store, there is a modern area with stands selling freshly cooked hot food, cakes, beverages and even smoothies, the choice is unique and unlike any other store of its' kind in the city centre, I would like perhaps a choice of two hot meals compared to a rotating one daily, as some of the choices are questionable, and a small seating area would be awesome, but of course, there are limitations as it is only a small store. In terms of the groceries, the selection is OK, they have a decent selection of most items you'd expect to find with a good stock of the essentials including bread, butter, milk and other cupboard items. The staff in the store seem friendly enough, and they have a large number of checkouts so you never have to wait too long to pay and leave. The longest wait seems to get into the store, they still seem to be managing the number of people allowed in the store at one time, even after the ending of COVID restrictions. I do think a mobile payment app, similar to Marks and Spencer would be useful here, hopefully, it will come in the future as Morrisons are trialling it in a couple of stores in the UK. 4* - A pretty good store which has improved dramatically since the refurb.

I was shopping in morrisons piccadilly store manchester, when I noticed the security guard, was not…read moredisplaying is SIA license. when I asked him why, he said I cannot be bothered. Surely this is not right and should be looked into by morrisons management

Tesco's Church Street location might not be the best/largest convenience style store in the area,…read moreand I may prefer the Co-Op across the way, but this particular location isn't too bad, it is accessed through a small staircase and/or a lift which always seems to be out of order. They have a good selection of to-go food and drinks, fruit and vegetables and a small but satisfactory range of essentials, some prices are slightly higher than a regular Tesco store due to the convenience style location. Most of the staff seem friendly enough, there's a small number of self-serve checkouts which are useful if you're in a rush. If you have more time and you're looking for another Tesco nearby, the Tesco Metro location on Market Street is much larger/better, but this store isn't too bad. 3* - OK, not the best convenience store in the area for overall size/selection, it isn't even the best on its' street but it isn't that bad and is located inside a nice building just outside a bus stop.

Remember the nursery rhyme about the count sat in his counting house counting all his money?…read more That's what runs through my mind every time I hear about Tesco opening a new Metro or Express throughout the country. Allegedly, the company now have over 60 branches within a 15 mile radius of Manchester city centre and yet, they still decided to open another earlier this year in the city's independent area; the Northern Quarter. Having lived in the area myself for a couple of years, I know it was difficult to get everyday essentials like bin bags, toilet rolls and washing up liquid without a long walk. Personally, I'd still rather go for a long walk than put money in Tesco's pocket though. It's not just that they're prepared to stamp out independent retailers and farmers across the world in exchange for profit and market place domination, it's that their fresh vegetables, salad and bread don't taste that good either.

Sadly, I've never got the hype about Aldi, they might be associated with "bargains" and "low…read moreprices" however I don't really agree, I always find that in ALDI you are paying less for a decreased level of quality, service and in-store experience and this branch here in the Manchester Arndale sums up my scepticism completely. This branch is in quite an unusual condition, it is located on the upper floor of the Manchester Arndale, with enterences from street level from Market Street and from Shopping centre level, where the actual only floor of the store is. The store just didn't feel nice, and it felt like a Pound shop in certain areas, it just felt cheap with the poor level of shelving etc, it just wasn't very nice at all. ALDI and LIDL are very similar in this approach across most of their branches, which are two very similar "discount" brands however another problem with the brand that this branch is a prime example of is the queuing, the queuing system was really badly handled, there are no self service tills, customer service desks or anything like that here, there is just a very low number of tills which don't cope well with queues, I eventually decided to leave and buy my products from somewhere else because of this. I did notice the store manager too who basically stared at me at a comment I made about the poor quality feel of the store and the cheap shelving and layout, he basically rudely stared at me before walking off, he didn't even acknowledge me or try to speak about the problem. Sadly this ALDI branch at the Manchester Arndale is a prime example of all things wrong with the brand especially with the poor, cheap layout and the awful queuing which isn't handled very well at all, so sadly deserves a single one star. which is a shame to start off on a negative foot as this is my first review for an ALDI store.

I'm not prone to depression but spending five minutes in this Aldi definitely made me feel like I…read morewas sliding down a long and bleak hillside. For starters, this store is about ten times bigger than any Aldi I've seen before and looks and feels like a gigantic Iceland. There's no attempt at seducing customers or displaying goods in an attractive manner - everything is just stacked up as easily as possible with horrible signage. The lights look like interrogation strip-lights and there's no music or ambience. In short, the whole focus is on the products and what a mixed bunch they are! One minute you're walking past an aisle of cheap biscuits, crackers and crisps, the next cheap cheap DVD players, walkmans and sat navigation systems. At the back of the store there's an even cheaper fresh and frozen section with perfect looking fruit and veg, meat, fish, cheese, butter, pizzas, puddings and ready meals. Strangely, Aldi seem to sell odd bits and bobs of clothing too from cheap fishing gloves and hats to wool scarves. I'm sure you could pick up some good things if you looked hard enough but frankly, I can't imagine having the time or the inclination to return.

There are plenty of arguments for and against the social impact of segregated communities in…read moreManchester. One of the overwhelming advantages of such communities however, which I'm sure will gain universal approval is their complete immunity from being threatened by giant retail food chains. You know the ones I'm talking about, the ones that've been driving out small independents outta business across across the country. I LOVE the fact that the communities remain militantly loyal to local foodstores like Madina. Upon close inspection, turns out the reason is a little more complex than just cultural affiliation. One of the main one reasons? This place is AWESOME!! There's literally a library of spices to buy (at BARGAIN prices) and experiment at home with. Any foodie/charlie out there who's sick of the monotonous nature of the shopping experience, will find this to be their culinary/chocolate factory. True, London probably bigger volume of such establishments, but they probably cant beat us for sheer quality. So next time you're stuck in traffic driving to town on Stockport road (through Levenshulme) have a break, and instead of having a kitkat, park up and have a cheeky gander.

Despite having a deceptively small storefront, once inside Madina Superstore turns out to be…read moreanother Desi supermarket easily on a par with branches of Worldwide Foods or Manchester Superstore. With the UK 'hungry gap' upon us, I bagged a box of lychees plus sundry Desi vegetable and fresh herbs. Freshness of the produce was very good, although a bit of banter with a Desi customer revealed that he was passing up on the tinda as being too big - although this is no doubt an out-of-season issue. For the mobile cosmopolitan foodie such as myself, the aim is to know where all the ethnic food stores are so that ethnic food shopping can be done with a minimum of detour from other city business and pleasure. Although there is nothing really oustanding about Madina Superstore to make you travel beyond your nearest Desi superstore, it is nice to have a proper Desi supermarket in Levenshulme to save Levy locals a trip up Stockport Road to Longsight. And visitors such as myself can combine a visit to Madina Superstore with a trip to the monthly Levy Market, or else the permanent Trove café bakery or POD deli.

Marks and Spencer recently opened their Piccadilly Station location, it is a useful store if you…read moreare looking to pick up some essentials before your train, I do find it a little frustrating that this store seems to be hidden away, tucked in the corner of the upper level of the station, compared to Sainsbury's Local and WHSmith, two similar stores located right on the concourse. This is a small store, so it is pretty much only for essentials, if you are looking for a larger store, you may wish to head to Piccadilly Gardens or Market Street. The store had a good-to-go food and drink section, as well as stocking basic staples like milk/bread/meats. The staff seemed friendly enough and the store had a nice enough feel to it. There is a fridge that is broken so the overall stock in the store was reduced, which considering the stock is already reduced compared to other locations around the store anyway, is a little frustrating. 3*

What's a girl to do when she arrives in Manchester and has the munchies?…read moreHead to M&S of course and stock up on their divine chocolate covered brazil nuts and chocolate covered raisins. I would offer to share them but alas, they've already gone!

Just across the road from where I live so this store is very convenient for me. Every week they…read morehave 4 fruit or vegetable products at 59p, which is really good value. The staff are not too friendly, but the shop was very clean and also has a very big car park.

This brand of supermarket (Ancoats and the other one on Market street) has become my standard…read moreweekend-stock up establishment, on my way home from work....and it would appear that I'm not the only one, for the place is a hive of bustling activity on a Friday night, as every local apartment-dweller can be found here stocking up on the cheapest booze and pizza in town. Last night I decided to get a few 'bits' for the weekend, but I ended up purchasing most of the party food and drink I'll need for my flat warming next weekend (I've recently moved back to the area). There are just so many essentials at ridiculously low prices, that you need to be prepared for over-buying. A standard-sized frozen pizza (nice as well) for 89p..WTF! Garlic bread 30p. Cottage cheese is at least twice the price in Tesco and Morrison's. On that note, Aldi is great for cheese-lovers, in terms of prices. Not the the most varied selection but they are definitely the cheapest. Veg is cheap, bread is the cheapest in town, with a fresh bakery on site selling dirt-cheap homemade bread. I have to say I went in for booze primarily and I purchased some fine ales for little over a quid! Bought some wine for £3.15 and it's actually ok! Also managed to get some winter wamers which you don't see anywhere else but the Christmas markets for treble the price; mulled cider and gingered wine for around £3 a pop, amazing! The only gripe I have is having to purchase carrier bags, as I've a drawer full of them at home. Come prepared with your own plastic if you come here and bring at least three, as you will go ALDI supermarket-sweepin' in the aisles. :-)

Been to Aldi this morning, the items I required were on the top shelf in promo section. I could not…read morereach and when I saw a staff member passing at the bottom of the isle dragging a heavy crate. I shouted him ( I know right a bit rude) he stopped what he was doing making sure the pallet of food was safe. Then he helped me, getting the items I could not reach. He was very polite and curteous. His name was Raiz this was the Ancoats Store excellent staff. Thanks

I'm not a fan of ASDA Hulme…read more.. It's great in that it's huge, even had clothes and technology stuff upstairs... The downsides far outweigh the good! The veg section smells like sick... in the last two weeks I've been 3-4 times and each time the fresh produce section stinks... it's really off-putting and means I don't end up buying anything fresh. There's also a larger than normal amount of rude people shopping there. Pushing past you, generally irate customers... on top of this we always seem to get a member of staff on the checkouts that is stuck on slow... All in all I like having a good meander around to see what the retail giants have on offer but I find when I visit ASDA Hulme I just want to get out of there ASAP. Sorry ASDA Hulme you just don't cut mustard... and you stink...

Back in Liverpool myself and my better half would become truely excited at the prospect of visiting…read morethe local Asda. Why I hear you cry? Because as students in a time where most clubs/pubs did not have a 24hr license and shut at 1am/2am there was nothing more fum that a drunken wander around asda to see what rubbish we could buy. When we arrived in Manchester we had no idea that round the corner to our delight there was....a 24hr Asda. However gone are the days that we cannot stay in the clubs/pubs til 4am and now Asda has become to us what it is to every other grown up individual....a hassle on a Sunday, an obstacle course through crying children and down and outs. I am only consoled by the fact we do stay in the clubs/pubs till 4am and that our drunken trips to ASDA have not ceased to continue because we are getting old and boring. Asda we still love you, we love you for making us feel at home wherever we go.

I've recently been training for the Great Manchester 10k run. As I've been increasing the…read moredistances, I've had to change my route to include areas I normally wouldn't go. Including Ancoats. I wouldn't usually go here mainly because when I first moved to the NQ, it was a bit run down and aside from the occasional visit to the Argos, there was no particular reason to visit that area. Plus, as regular readers of my reviews will know, I tend to be a creature of habit and go to the same places again and again. Well running up and down Great Ancoats Street, and some of the side streets, has opened my eyes to the new places around here. Including Ancoats General Store, which I first noticed 10 days or so ago. When I ran past it last night I made a mental note to myself that I must remember to come here this weekend. And I'm glad I did. It isn't that much bigger than the corner shop I used to frequent as a kid but it fits in so much good stuff. There's fresh bread to greet you as you enter and then the aisles of food to the left. The decor is the kind of decor I've come to expect from hipster type places , with pipes/air conditioning exposed. But, having said that, I'm not sure I'd describe it as hipster. There's the organic ranges, plenty of dairy/gluten free choices but then there's the familiar brands/products that you'd expect in a supermarket/corner shop. They sell magazines too. They sell a good range of alcohol and alcohol accompaniments. I specify the 'alcohol accompaniments' because I noticed a good range of tonics for gin, that you'd not usually expect from a relatively small shop. I noticed a lot of local produce: the bakery providing the bread, the eggs, the milk, just a few examples. Some of the products are priced the same or lower than Tesco/Aldi (the Longley Farm yoghurts are well priced at 35p, for example) and some of the organic/dairy/gluten free stuff was a little pricier but that's the same anywhere. I was chatting to the guy who was on the till and he told me they'd been open for two and a half weeks. They are going to have a cafe and also hold meet the producer type of events, including good and wine tastings. That's the reason I've gone for 4* rather than 5* : it just seems too early to properly rate the place, especially as it seems there's so much more to come. I highly recommend a visit.

It's a coffee shop (with a bar) and a general store, florists, bakery, card shop and they are…read moreplaying postmodern jukebox over the top. I never thought I'd say this about a corner shop...but it's just cool. "Very Northern Quarter" in the nicest possible way.

So a night in the Liverpool Airport Hilton was followed by a Terravision trip which annoyingly went…read moreright past my flat and took me straight into the centre of Manchester. Oh, you can't get it to stop. Only two stops on the Terravision. It gets worse too, the driver seemed content with blasting some kind of compilation of Rock FM's happy hardcore Saturday playlist so loudly that I couldn't even hear my own iPod despite my silencing earphones. So. I was stuck at Shudehill, when I discovered they charge for the loo at that bus station. I needed the loo. It was not pleasant. And my money-saving budget-happy gene kicks in when I see loos you have to pay for. However when on my way to the Arndale to find somewhere to spend a penny, I went past the lovely shiny Co-op food supermarket where I could literally spend pennies. I couldn't resist going in, it looked so nice. This is due to a mixture of enthralling offers and the fact that they're so ethically sound. They do like to tell us about it on the adverts. A LOT. I really needed to get to the Arndale, emergencies and all that, but the fact that I spent a fair bit of time browsing in there proves how good it is. Locally sourced fresh stuff, delicious looking flavoured houmous and kettle chips and specials instructing you how to create a home meal for a pittance. I know a lot of supermarkets are doing this right now but there's just something about the Co-op's hippy demeanour that makes it all the nicer. I'm a Co-op fan, and so should you be. Quit lining the evil Tesco pockets and do your shopping here. Oh and a PS - recently I went to the Piccadilly branch and grabbed a couple of reduced items. My card had expired and I only had loose change, but I was around 18p short. The checkout lady let me off. So not only are they ethical, they're sympathetic too! Now if we could just get rid of those slightly smug adverts they keep bombarding us with, they'd be incapable of doing wrong...

When this Co-Op opened their doors last year, I felt like high fiving every single member of staff…read moreand joining them in a victory dance. Originally, this site was rumoured to become yet another soul-sucking, money crunching, Tesco Express. Luckily, the local community intervened with residents and MPs actively complaining to the landlord and local council. They obviously listened and decided to rent the space to the more ethical Co-op Group who promote fairtrade and organic farming. Open early til late, it's a great addition to the Northern Quarter and a wonderful reminder that sometimes the good guys get to kick the bad guys where it hurts!