We walk past The Deli around once a week when grocery shopping and finally decided to pop in for a…read moreglass of wine over the weekend. Based on the atmosphere and quality of wine, I love this little spot. It is so cosy. We were the only customers in the store and received superb service. The owner runs this location and a few other shops, plus hosts food tents at festivals during Christmas. She came over to our table and made some wine recommendations and gave us a bowl of crisps on the house. My partner, Seth S., and I both ordered the Pinot Noir from Romania. It was delightfully full-bodied and smooth. The lighting is dimmed just enough to encourage good conversation and a comfortable atmosphere. There are two main rooms for seating, each with groupings of chairs or booths around bistro style tables. The art and decor feel like a brasserie. I would highly recommend The Deli for a delicious glass of wine (or 3) and great conversation with friends.

Breakfast Review:…read more One of the best Full English breakfasts in the Midlands! Its a wonderful deli, on the High Street in Boldmere, with outdoor seating - which is superb when the sun comes out! The breakfasts are awesome. Superb sausages, great bacon, exceptional bread, (the deli sells some of the best bread in Birmingham). 2 succulent sausage, 2 bacon, fried egg, 2 half tomatoes, mushrooms. toast, quality butter. Its one of the best in Birmingham, (I rate it joint 2nd). The staff are great, headed by Pip the owner and her team of assistants, (including sons). The only real problem with this place is that I always spend a fortune on their amazing cheeses, breads, cakes and pate's. Try it. You will thank me!

Moseley farmers market is an award winning market held in the central square of Moseley. I had been…read moremeaning to get down for months before I finally managed it this Saturday... And I wasn't disappointed. The market is exactly what you would want a medium to large sized market to be. Offering a huge range of locally sourced goods sold to you by the actual producers of the items, you can get most things you would need to stock up the fridge, freezer and cupboards (with a good amount of locally made crafty things too). It's in a pretty setting and has a lovely community feel to it. We managed to find parking in the small shopping area just up from St Mary's Row at around 9:15am, but parking could be a bit of a nightmare if you were getting here later. The square area offered braces of pheasants for £6, cheese, wine, condiments and artisan food products and the High Street area (which we hadn't realised was there until we were leaving - D'oh) offers more of a crafty element. We had a nice little poke around the stalls and chatted to many of the business owners about their products and they were more than happy to talk to us and advise where the items are made and the ingrediants that go into them. We got some lovely locally made fizzy red wine (Did you know there are vineyards in the Midlands?) for £10 a bottle, some hot sauce from Pip's and was very tempted by cakes and unusual scotch eggs... We are definitely planning to go back. If you haven't been, you must go. Get there early if you're planning to drive but the buses down to Moseley drop you off right in the thick of the action, do that might be the best idea.

Moseley Farmers Market takes over the village green every fourth Saturday of the month, and holds…read morethe perfect little community vibe for all who love to indulge in fresh food and organic produce. I've been attending the market for over three years now, and I rarely miss a month. The stalls always draw me back when I'm needing a healthy variation to my diet, and the price range is perfect value for money. Specifically regarding the Beans & Leaves stall, which sells a wide range of both coffee beans and loose teas. Most of these infusions rarely reach the £4 mark for 100g, which results in more than enough tea for two for several months! The tea stall holder himself is a bubbly yam yam who'll immediately strike up a conversation. It's just a shame that his stall is on the windiest part of Moseley, meaning that a lot of his tea ends up at the other side of the market! But of course, on first visit, you'll want to sample everything. Whether this be jam, ostrich burgers, bakery, alcohol or cheese (in fact, I highly recommend the Warwickshire Truckle), there's literally something for everyone. I've also tried a range of unlikely produces which sometimes appear at the market, such as a piece of fruit called a quince, and a green tea cake, both equally as delicious as the other. As a worthy winner of "best farmers market in the UK 2012", Moseley Farmers Market is a treasury to Birmingham and brings a tasteful locality to the streets of Moseley.

This is a lovely place - just on the Hagley Road by the is-it-closed-or-isn't-it Ivy Bush pub…read more It's a family run restaurant, with amazing service and they sell a delicious range of Persian and Iranian food - last time we went we opted for the lamb kebabs and chicken kebabs with a generous (some would say massive) helping of salad, bread and steamed saffron rice. Best of all was the pudding - at the time I was just weaning myself off a diet and had been drooling at Gregg's doughnuts for the best part of a week. I'm so glad I waited because the desserts here are amazing - as well as Baklava they do Iranian sorbet, ice creams and (also very generous in size) fruit salad. The restaurant isn't licensed but they do really refreshing mint tea - which given the amount of food we'd managed to pack away was a welcome addition. It's always busy here - especially on Friday evenings so I would phone ahead.

Nice small and friendly restaurant with varieties of kebabs. The servings are quite big, and next…read moretime I'll try sharing my plate. There are plenty options of starters. All we ordered was delicious. I liked the freshly made fruit juices, all made in front of your eyes :). There was Turkish tea (I call it like that because I used to know like that) and we enjoyed that a lot :). Finally they served with freshly made desert.

Exquisite!!! I'm hooked…read more What can I say, this place is addictive! Located at 40 Great Western Arcade, they offer the most pleasurable and desirable chocolates, that I have tried. You get a very personal service in here, and they are a nice independent retailer. Although a little pricey, the occasional treat is worth it, and you get what you pay for. The have a good variety on display and even have gift presents for your loved ones for you to buy. The shelves aren't too over stocked, but they do have a large variety of sweets, chocolates and candy for you to choose from. Try the fruit centre's - they wont disappoint. I will visit again and this place has my seal of approval.

This is by far my favourite chocolate shop EVER! The…read morecustomer service in Chouchoute is second to none. Pierre and his wife run the store and they really are so friendly and offer a completely tailored service. Pierre obviously cares about his customers and will give you a guided tour of all the wonderful and artfully created chocolates on display, even letting you sample a few on the house. This is no Thorntons! Each piece is a work of art, from dark chocolate dipped cherries and orange peel to Champagne truffles; everything is beautifully made and packaged making a gift from Chouchoute a real treat. I always come here to buy presents for family and have a chat with Pierre. Everyone should sample some chocolates from this shop - you'll never settle for Roses again, that's for sure! I couldn't recommend Chouchoute highly enough. One of Birmingham's true gems.

The Meat Centre is a butchers shop situated on Soho Road. What you would expect to see at a…read morebutchers is what you will find at The Meat Centre. From meat to chicken to pork sausages, these are some of the things you will find here. I have brought some sausages and cooked them at home. They tasted brilliant and I ended up having some hot dogs. I have also brought some chicken legs and thighs from here and used them to make a Thai Green Chicken curry. Again the chicken itself was excellent and I have no doubts I will be back. I do have to travel some way to get to Handsworth from West Bromwich but it is worth the travelling because I know I am guaranteed quality food from here. Staff are excellent which makes this place even better.

This shoppe brought me back to my childhood. Many of the candies in this store they don't sell in…read morethe regular shoppes anymore. The lovely young lady who works in there was so pleasant and offered suggestions. The shop is clean, organized and just makes you feel happy and you instantly feel like a big kid. A definite go when in Bullring.

This great little market styled shop has a very old fashioned feel about it, the kind of shop that…read moretakes you back to your childhood. They offer everything from the traditional boiled sweets, to lollies, nougat and cookies. The choice is never ending, and if you are anything like me, making a decision in a sweet shop isn't easy. Try the peanut butter and chocolate flipz pretzels at £4.99, absolutely wonderful. A nice tasty snack, for a decent price. The perfect store for sweets and confectionary, whether they're for you kids, family or a day out, you'll enjoy spending the pennies in here. Overall, I thought this was a lovely independent shop with an enthusiastic service. You'll visit this one again and again.

I will be totally upfront and tell you first off that I help organise the market. It is run by the…read moreJewellery Quarter Neighbourhood Forum who are a group of local volunteers. But I'm also a customer who looks forward to seeing familiar favourites and new stalls and I never leave without bags weighing me down, so I'm judging it as ok to write a review :-) We now do an Easter, summer and Christmas market the grounds of St Paul's church. We don't make any profit and plough any surplice back into the next one to keep the cost to stallholders down. We have a mix of delicious food to eat there and then, to buy and take home, and a great bunch of local artists, crafters, makers and growers selling stuff to adorn you, your house and your garden. We are small and perfectly formed but growing well. At our summer 2014 market in August we had 27 stalls, a good footfall and a great atmosphere. Look out for our Christmas market in December.

One of my favourite days of the Jewellery Quarter calendar is the third Saturday of each month when…read moreit's 24 Carrots day. The food traders are all local to the West Midlands and after 2 years of popping in for my regular haul I've got to know them pretty well. Must haves are coffee beans from Andy at Beans & Leaves from whom I tend to try whatever is new this month. He's also an expert on the 1970s but that's beside the point. JQ business Vee's deli are there with their great selection of cheeses that you can try before you buy and then there is the markets' own vegetable stall which occasionally sells carrots! More often than not I'll pick up some flowers and whatever vegetables I want with the Sunday roast the next day. Sometimes I'll pick up a homemade frozen meal or at the very least a dessert from the frozen food stall before checking out the delights from the huge Squisito hot food stand. Finally it's the essential dozen eggs from the meat guy, who has a 10 year old clever side-kick who can calculate in his head faster than I can with a calculator. If you're coming along, I'm usually there around 12, when occasionally they have live music so be sure to say 'hello.'

This supermarket is one of my favourite independent places to shop, based in the heart of Soho…read moreRoad. I try and shop here every 2 - 3 weeks, and the discounted prices on shopping to be had in here, are gob-smackingly good! The ideal place to get all your authentic ingredients for that all special curry and what not. I buy all of my asain, Indian ingredients in here and more. The small packets of spices are convenient and the cheapest that you can get! Everything from the Basmati Tilda rice, flour, nuts, great juices, tea, snacks, lentils, oils, juices, cereals, shop here first. You'll be hooked, with famous brands it's a shame they don't offer some kind of reward scheme! My tip, try the bags of 'Paneer' in the fridge section, on your right when you walk in (past the big bags of onions....) at £3.99. Fry into a tomato curry, just delightful and beats takeaway food. I find I always fill my trolley shopping in here. The prices ARE THE BEST THAT YOU CAN GET! They close early on Wednesdays and only the far till on your right accepts debit cards. They even have free asian newspapers for you to take away, if you can read them. What makes this place extra special is staff at the door will look after your shopping bags and give you a numbered ticket whilst you shop and browse! 1 Hour free car parking is available for shoppers, there after, it's £1 per hour. Enjoy. A great gem and a much valued and appreciated store for all communities.

S&D Supermarket is literally based in the centre of Soho Road and my parents do come here whenever…read morethey are in Handsworth. Would I come here again? Only if I am in Handsworth and am desperate to buy Indian ingredients. There are closer green grocer stores that have Indian spices and plus there are high retail stores that sell Indian ingredients needed for making curries. But the prices at S&D Supermarket are excellent and they won't be beaten anywhere else. From tea to Indian snacks and savouries to cereals, these are some of the things you can buy from this supermarket. This is an excellent store for the locals and those living in Birmingham. To top it all off, the staff are top class here and they will help you out. If you do need guidance on any of the products at this supermarket, they will be there. There is car parking on-site and parking will be free for an hour. After that you will be charged £1 for every hour.

I'm a bit of a market novice when it comes to shopping for and actually buying meat and veg. I've…read moregot to be honest and admit that I've always watched the hustle and bustle of the markets in Birmingham from a safe distance. However, having a young family and in these financially challenged times, I thought I should bite the bullet and give it a go as an actual customer, rather than mere browser. Being the coward that I am, I went with my Mum for moral support. She knows what to look for when buying meat and veg. In these days of cellophane packaged supermarket goods, the market produce can seem very daunting. After some hints from Mum and watching her in action, I went for it at A P Doherty's. I wanted to write this review to recommend them because of the amazing deal we got. I think Ryan (the guy behind the counter) mistook my hesitancy for reluctance to spend, whereas I was trying to work out what he was talking about and whether I was getting good value. There are loads of butchers and poultry specialists but these guys gave great value. I got so much chicken and gammon for £20 that the bag burst carrying it to the car.