I can't say enough good things about this place. I'm fortunate enough to live about a 5 minute…read morewalk from the place, but even if I lived in East London I wouldn't hesitate to venture down here to buy my meat. The quality of their produce is top notch - for example, one Sunday lunch my sister bought a whole lamb shoulder (over 2 kilos) to roast for a few hours. Between the five of us, we ate THE WHOLE THING. It was just that good. I don't think I could ever describe lamb as being more-ish, but none of us could stop. HG Walter offer a comprehensive selection of meats including the lesser known cuts, game and special items every week (seasonal animals, specialty meats such as rare-breed pork etc.). They have a large variety of sausages (usually more than 10), really tasty burgers (particularly their lamb and mango one), and some pre-prepped stuff such as marinaded chicken breasts, kebabs, and prepared quail. Also, if you ask for them, they'll provide you with very cheap bones/carcasses for stock making which makes some damn tasty stock. They also sell eggs, some pretty decent local vegetable produce, some cheeses and deli items (a small pate selection including their excellent pate campagne, olives, olive oils, and a variety of condiments from companies such as Tracklements and Seggiano). Although the place is always busy (they're open until 7 which is perfect for the walk home), as mentioned by Vikki the line diminishes very quickly. The staff are great, they're always friendly and helpful. If you're not quite sure which cut to buy, they'll ask you how you're cooking it and will offer an appropriate suggestion. Likewise, if they're out of stock of one thing, they'll suggest an appropriate replacement (and not just upsell more expensive cuts). Shopping here is an absolute pleasure. In terms of price, it's not cheap cheap but cheaper than the some of the big name butchers in London. Their cheaper cuts are great value when you consider the quality - the belly pork is one of my staples at 7 quid a kilo and I find I can just about afford it on my PhD stipend. In conclusion: as I said before, I'd happily travel across town to shop here. A very enjoyable shopping experience and that's before you've even tasted their food. One last tip: their Scotch Eggs are absolutely OUT OF THIS WORLD. Trust me. The crunchiness of the breadcrumbs, tastiness of the oniony-sausagey inside and the soft egg. They're a total steal.

This small family butcher's is just packed full of unspeakably good stuff…read more There's the standard range of sausages, joints of meat and mince, but these guys take it to the next level! Skewers of marinated meat, stuffed chicken breats, gorgeous varieties of sausages (I can reccomend the chilli, but be prepared for some big heat!), and a chock deli section complete with luxury cheese and unbelievable pork pies. Also shelving behind with top quality dry goods and jars, and a small area of organic vegetables outside. And if you want a summer treat, get one of their handmade burgers, a ciabatta roll and a barbie. Sheer bliss! I used to rate Moen and Sons in Clapham as my top sausage provider, but they are now facing some stiff competition!

It was about seven years ago that I was fully introduced to the wonders and flavours of a truly…read moreauthentic Thai meal. I had gone over to my friends house, and she had brought a load of ingredients from Paya Thai Market to make a Thai green curry - my first ever one. I watched as she laid out herbs that I had never seen - kaffir lime leaves, sweet basil. The vegetables too - I had never eaten baby aubergines, or seen them in supermarkets. The meal was so good that I can still remember the taste of the flavours in my mouth as I sit here. Since then, whenever I have wanted to make a Thai curry, I have come here. My favourite discovery at Paya Thai is the red paste, sold in containers. There are no artificial ingredients in it whatsoever, just chilli's and herbs. I still get the baby aubergines here, as well as big bunches of herbs that are always cheaper then in other supermarkets. It is a well stocked market, and does ingredients from all different regions of Asia, so this place can be visited for plenty of culinary reasons. The food is always reassuringly inexpensive, and on my way out, I always make sure I pick up their jumbo sized bags of Thai crackers!

Anytime I need ingredients for a delicious home-cooked Thai dish, I head to Paya Thai Market…read more I really like the layout of the market. Ingredients common to several Asian cuisines are grouped together (fish sauce, for example). All other ingredients are generally grouped together by cuisine. So for example, coconut milk and Thai curry pastes are in the Thai area, while rice vinegar and panko bread crumbs are together in the Japanese section. The selection of ingredient is impressive. The rice section carries a few different varieties of Thai rice including Jasmine and glutenous rice, and Thai curry pastes, including my personal favorite, panang. Also, you can get a pretty good selection of spices for usually no more than 80p per packet. It's an especially good deal considering Tesco will charge about three times the price for a third of an amount of ingredient. The only downside is that Paya does not accept cards for purchases under £10. So if you're not certain how much you are looking to buy exactly, make sure you have some cash on with you.

Judging from the fact that about 80% of my hockey club membership is South African and the numbers…read moreof South African colleagues I have in the NHS, there is a burgeoning market for foodstuffs from southern Africa I spotted this small shop next to Sainsbury in Wimbledon and popped in for a nosey round. The sign proclaims that it offers food from South Africa and Zimbabwe and I certainly saw a lot of foreign food labels but little new ingredients or funny foods that attracted my insatiable cooking curiosity However, I can't resist biltong, the medium wet South African beef jerky. I got original and chilli-chutney flavours. There were also a lot of meat products which were BBQ ready - boerewors sausages in different flavours, chicken flatties, pork ribs and steak. South Africans love a good braai (BBQ) The biltong was nice but if I was forced to choose, I would probably go for the biltong at Snoggy's in Wimbledon train station. The Savanna is still worth a return visit though

An ideal venue for homesick South Africans or curious locals; you'll get a warm welcome here even…read moreif you wander in shortly before closing time, as I did the other day. Meat eaters will be spoilt for choice, with the slightly baffling array of biltong on sale here. You'll need to be adventurous to try some of the selection... If you've visited SA and enjoyed their delicious exotic fruit varieties, you can recapture the essence of your holidays here with Liquifruit juices or dried fruit bars. Reminisce too, with Peppermint Crisp bars and musk chewing gum... If Rugby's your game and you're not too hurt over the World Cup result, you can get the shirts here, at a price...

It's a South African shop that sells biltong and other South African greats .. A little slice of…read morehome ..

I'm surprised that I haven't reviewed this Tesco store before. It's one that I regularly use on my…read moreway home from the railway station. It's very conveniently located for commuters, being adjacent both the railway station and a busy bus stop. Although it is a Tesco Metro, it has a reasonable selection of groceries, fresh fruit and vegetables and fresh bread. There's a small deli section (unstaffed). The staff are friendly, and there are two sets of tickets, one for the exit into the shopping centre, and the other for the main entrance from the Broadway. The Broadway checkouts half both self-service and staffed tills.

2023: This review is not so much about the food selection, but more about the security staff who…read morefeel the need to follow someone around the store just because they are BLACK or ETHNIC minority. I recently visited this store with my boy, to purchase a drink, and found a security guard (Eastern European) watching me close up. And TESCO seems to have a big problem with this, as it also happened to me in the Wimbledon village branch, and the Norwood Junction branch as well. I grew up in Wimbledon in the 70s, and remember the centre court when it was a town hall. Wimbledon has become very diverse since then, and I am in my 50s, still I don't expect to be treated like this just because of my colour, or the way I look. I worked for the Sainsbury in the 80s, TESCO SHAME ON YOU....I WILL NOT BE RECOMMENDING YOU UNTIL YOU CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE

Part of an international chain, this pop up store in Centre Court Shopping Centre carries on the…read moresame ambiance and merchandise as the stores I've been to in the USA The front of the store is dominated by the eponymous oils and vinegars, coming a in a myriad of different flavours. You can taste all of them and if you choose to buy, you choose an appropriate sized container and they fill it with your chosen oil or vinegar. The idea is that this is then a container for life which you keep bringing back for re-filling. Unfortunately, in this case, the store will only be around til early January, so the concept won't really apply beyond January, so be aware of that They also sell othe herbs, spices and cookware in the rest of the shop. I did like their bruschetta mixes which you rehydrate with warm water and add real punch and flavour to bruschetta and other dishes that I can imagine. Unfortuantely, at £5.25 for a small bottle, my Chinese Thrift Gene kept my wallet firmly in my pocket. Perhaps, I'll come hunting here in the sales when they're about to shut down. Hmm, I wonder if that means I have a vulture gene? Nice store. Good presents for foodies but limited lifespan, which is a shame. They drop a star for the prices

Brilliant selection and - as davepearce says - knowledgeable staff and no queuing! Selected salamis…read moreand hams (eg serrano) are also available as well as every smart cheese biscuit you have ever been offered. Outside the door there's a wonderful bread and pizza stall, so one can pick up an all-important crisp baguette or two before heading back home to open a good red wine for a feast. Waitrose is replacing Somerfield, so they may have more competition soon, although as the area is something of a foodie paradise (eg Dove the butcher, and a fish stall), it may just draw in more discerning locals.

I always find speciality shops a little intimidating, so it was nice to come in here and be greeted…read morewith a warm smile and the chance to try some cheeses. They were very knowledgeable about the different cheeses and offered some good options for what I wanted. Although I don't buy much, the quality was very good and I like the variety they offer.

A very large Sainsbury's for a town centre location, with as much choice of groceries as anyone…read morecould regularly need. It's classed as one of their "Superstores". It has a cafe, a currency exchange, mini branches of Argos, Habitat and upstairs a Tu clothing range. Fresh food counters include a Bakery, Deli, Fish Counter, Hot Food Counter, Meat Counter, Pizza Counter and a Sushi Bar. There's also a homewares and small electricals section, which runs as far as selling TVs. On my visits, I've always found the checkouts to be a little slow, and the Tu store could with a few more staff (the men's formal shirts section was s bit of a mess). Otherwise, it's good for a one-stop grocery shop.

This Sainsbury's just underwent a major facelift. After months of scaffolding and construction, it…read moreclosed for a week in November and re-opened with a new parking garage, and a huge store extension. The grocery side of the store is mostly unchanged. Standard big Sainsbury's on that side. However, it now also has home accessories, small appliances, etc. on the ground floor and clothing upstairs. The whole place is a bit shinier and seems to be keeping up with the improvement the whole area has been getting as its across-the-street neighbord Southside improves & expands.