Reviewing Sainsbury's does seem a little silly when this is the only big one in Cardiff but I feel…read moreI need to draw special attention to its card section. I'm usually disappointed by the cards in supermarkets, although it's usually the place I am when I remember that I need to get one and it's too late to go anywhere else. This is the situation I found myself in today, and readied myself to buy a boring card that's the same as you see everywhere else and will probably be the same as another card on the mantelpiece of my friend whose birthday it was. In my previous visits to Sainsbury's (and I do go there a few times a week) I had noticed the card section at the front of the store and assumed that it was pretty small, but I was surprised to find that there was rather a large selection to choose from. And they weren't all just your standard Hallmark cards either; they had lines that I'd never seen anywhere else and were really lovely. As well as the birthday card I needed, I found loads of blank cards with gorgeous pictures that I bought just because I liked them, and I ended up spending around £8 in total, which I think is rather a lot to spend on cards. This was not because they were expensive either, with most standard size cards costing around £1.50. So next time you need to buy someone a card, do not underestimate Sainsbury's! (Oh, and on a slightly different subject, this Sainsbury's petrol station is also the only place I know of where you can pump your tyres up for free. Thank-you, Sainsbury's)

My favourite supermarket in Cardiff as at the moment I sadly can't quite afford to go to Waitrose…read moreon a regular basis. This Sainsburys supermarket is big, but is by no means as intimidating as Tesco Extra can be (if you go with friends you can very easily loose them in Tesco's). They have a great selection of food at all prices available, and I particularly like Indian and Chinese ready meal selection. They also have a fresh fish and meat, delicatessen, and bakery counters, all manned by really lovely staff. Finally I'd also recommend checking out their DVD selection as prices are rather cheap, I managed to buy New Moon the week it came for only £7.99 (so I can now swoon at Robert Pattison to my hearts content).

In the run up to Christmas, I make an annual trip to Lidl for German gingerbread, as it's the best…read moreand cheapest place I know to buy it, and Christmas wouldn't seem right without it. Last year I even bought a couple of 'kit' boxes as presents containing everything you need (except perhaps eggs) to build a Lebkuchen gingerbread house - the ingredients, icing, and decorations. If you like Jaffa cakes, look out for the packets of cube-shaped 'Dominos'; if you can find them, they are delicious and worth stocking up on! other than that, I don't often visit Lidl. The choice is a bit too limited to do a full shop there, and I'd rather avoid trips to two separate supermarkets for one shop!

I was a bit wary of going to Lidl as my mum has always turned her nose up at it…read more But.... I went here recently and was pleasently surprised. It was actually ok! The fruit and veg is mostly if not all organic and the prices are very competitive! They also sell some of the most amazing own brand chocolate I have ever tasted. Believe me it gives Galaxy a run for its money! Another thing I like is that it is never overly busy. There are always spaces in the car park and even though the seem to have a couple of staff working they get you served in no time!

Easy to pop into, with both self check and regular check out, with speed.read more

I'm probably a bit too keen with reviewing this store because when I was in there last week it…read morestill looked half like a building site! Recently a crop of supermarket mini stores have appeared on St Mary's Street. There was nothing and now there is Spar, Tesco and Sainsburys all no doubt trying to capture business from all the local workers. Well this branch seems a bit smaller than the one on Queens Street with less general items and more lunch/convenience stuff and one of their brilliant salad bars. I'm sure it'll do well, once it looks like a shop!

For some reason, Splott Mini Market was closed when I recently visited Splott Road on a Monday…read moreafternoon. This is highly unusual. Splott Mini Market is a well stocked convenience store that would normally be open at this time. I checked the window for a notice advising customers of the reason why it was shut, but couldn't find one. All very curious! There's a fair amount of competition for corner shops on Splott Road and the neighbouring Carlisle Street, with the Co-op mini supermarket on Splott Road really turning up the heat for these small independent businesses. But, Splott Mini Market is usually open from early morning until after 10.00pm, meaning that it stays open way after the Co-op has shut. It stocks tinned and dry food, fresh veg, and all the usual convenience items such as savoury and sweet snacks, soft drinks, bread, milk and eggs etc.

There's few things I like more than a glass of mulled wine. And so it was with a considerable…read moredegree of regret that I left town last December with a bottle of the cheapest plonk money can buy, an orange, some nutmeg but no cinnamon. Fortunately, I decided to quickly check out this food store on my way back. I can now say with confidence that this is the place to get your herbs and spices, for it only stocks the most flavoursome seasonings at prices far more realistic than your average supermarket's. My cinnamon was big and uneven. With some huge sticks and some tiny and all ranging from a woody brown to a powdery orange, this looked like it had come from a real plant. The spice was reasonably priced, too, with a large bag of this rustic looking stuff for just under two quid. Since then, I've been back to Al-Sheemal for various products. The parsley I asked for at the back of the store was given to me in a generous bunch, and the place is excellent both for food cupboard stables and middle-Eastern specialities. The staff certainly know what they're selling and are always more than happy to help so there is no need to be shy if you haven't the foggiest what anything is or does. What they didn't tell me, though, is no not rely exclusively on colour when choosing which spices to use. For the record, girls and boys, NEVER put cumin in wine. URBAN CHALLENGE: Try a new seasoning

It's so handy this branch. I was catching a train the other day from here (not the shop but from…read morethe platform) and with only 5 minutes to spare and my 7 month old son in my arms I just had enough time to rush in and grab something as long a the queue wasn't too big. There was a bt of a queue but the staff got through it in no time and before you know it I was on my train munching my triple decker sandwich and cheddar cheese and fancy onion crisps. Ok there are cheaper sandwich shops but they simply not as nice.

Oh, I was so incredibly happy when this place opened. And I still am. M&S Simply Food is enough…read morehappiness for a lifetime. Marks & Sparks stock only their own brand of food and drink. This could be a bad thing in terms of choice, but it's not. There's too much choice in the M&S range as it is already. I spend ages every time just staring at the selections of sandwiches and salads. Then another age choosing juice. This store is in an incredibly handy location for anyone who commutes in and out of Cardiff Central, as it's right there in the station. It's also great as a place to stop into before going to Vue Cinemas; here you can get healthy and yummy snacks instead of salty cardboard hot dogs. In short; the food here is fantastic, if not cheap. Great for a healthy snack or treat, not so great for stocking up on basic before you head home (although, maybe if you're on a better wage then me, you'd be alright).

Excellent supermarket. Great range of goods, branded and own brand. Some specialist cooking…read moreingredients are lacking but their fresh produce more than makes up for it. Morrissons sell the best freshly prepared food around with baked sweet and savoury pies & pasties, rotissarie chickens, deli and their freshly baked farmhouse and specialty breads are the best around. Miles better than bland & tasteless Tesco.

From the owner: Take a trip to your local Morrisons for everything from your weekly food shop, to clothing,…read morehomeware, electricals and more. Head to Market Street to enjoy fresh, locally sourced produce. You can use our store locator to find a store near you or shop online and have your groceries delivered straight to your door. Our handy click and collect service means you can shop online as normal, choose a location and collection slot to suit you, and pick it up.

Medina Food Store is one of several convenience stores competing for the local business in the…read moreimmediate area. It stocks all of the usual staples like milk, bread, confection and soft drinks, as well as a good selection of inexpensive spices alongside the pulses and grains. And of course, there are the usual jars and cans, as well as an unfeasibly large selection of dates! More quirky items, not often seen in this kind of store, include large bags of BBQ charcoal stacked by the door, and a row of glittering shisha pipes racked up on the top shelf closest to the counter. They used to sell Halal meat from the chilled counter at the back of the shop. Sadly, these days this is filled with Arabian-style cakes and confection, as it wasn't feasible to continue stocking it. With the main serving counter at the front of the store, and the chilled counter at the rear, it meant that two people had to be consistently present, which just wasn't economically viable. There was insufficient trade to make this option workable. They tried operating both counters with only one member of staff, but shop-lifting became such a big issue they have been forced to suspend meat sales until they can find a Halal butcher to take the counter over as a separate concession. Somewhat unsurprisingly, the theft of meat is pretty common. It's a high-cost item that people have found increasingly difficult to afford as the recession grinds on. All meat retailers are suffering the same problem across they board; supermarkets and independent stores alike. Peshwan, who was serving when I called in recently, told me that things are looking up. The owner is talking to a butcher at the moment, and so the issue looks like it maybe resolved quite soon.

If you want to eat what Indian/Pakistani people eat at home then this is the go too place. From…read morewhat I can gather the owners mother gets up very early and spends most of the morning preparing 3 dishes one chicken one lamb and one vegetarian dish and various breads and kebabs. It's not too spicy and you won't taste anything like it in your local curry house. I love it and never had a bad meal. Give it a go

Good old Co-op have got a store right in the centre of town. It's not a very big one, but it stocks…read moreall of the essentials, and so it means that you can call in on your way home after indulging in a bit of high street therapy! This is excellent news! The last thing you want to do after squandering a fortune on some all too ephemeral fashion items is pay over the odds for your evening meal... all you need is something tasty and light, before you head for the bathroom to prepare for your night out, emerging in your glittering new outfit, ready to take on the town! Co-op fills the gap! It's also a great lunchtime destination if you work in town. They have above average quality sarnies and salad bowls, that are often cheaper than their nearest rivals. I love the idea of grabbing a sandwich for lunch, alongside picking up a few things to have for my evening meal when I get home. Co-op and M & S are brilliant for this!