And there I was blissfully unaware of the chain that is R K Harris. Providing another area with a…read moremulticoloured display of plump and juicy vegetables and fruit with a slightly tired but very friendly staff member on-site to help and serve you at the till. This shop is large and literally contains everything you could need for a decent cook off, so avoid that nasty supermarket and walk that little bit extra to go to a decent fruiterers.

It was a happy day when I discovered that Crossgates too had a branch of the R K Harris & Sons…read morefruitier fame. The staff seemed as helpful as the Headingley lot, the prices were just as cheap and the stock just as wide ranging! What could be better than buying a decent bunch from the local fruit and veg shop, as opposed to the aforementioned supermarket, by Amy P? With red and green seedless grapes at 69p per lb, a sack of potatoes to feed the masses at £3.95, 8 clementines at 99p and even blooming duck eggs, for crying out loud, at 29p what could be more exciting and reasonably priced than R K Harris and the boys? I think my only option is going to be to check out if my local Headingley branch sells duck eggs, and start looking up some recipes. Yey!

Great supermarket with fresh fruit and veg delivered daily at prices generally on par or cheaper…read morethan the bigger supermarkets.

I use this Greengrocer and Fruiterers regularly (support the local business') and am very happy…read morewith the quality and selection on offer. They have link-save offers (2 punnets of strawberries for £1.50 etc) and produce sold loose to help with food waste and to suit your budget. You can also pick up milk and free range local eggs. Lovely friendly staff and always a clean store.

Do you fancy a place that has more awards than a pre Oscar's shindig? You know you do and…read moreSwillington Organic farm fits the bill. This is a great find and has an excellent reputation for some of the best organic meat and veg in the area. Not only do they have a long list of awards but they also provide supplies to Harvey Nichols as well. Not a bad boast. You can even try some rarer breed pork if that tickles your fancy. For me it's the organic free range eggs that appeal and some hearty herbs. You'll also be shopping in the knowledge that not only are they providers of organic produce but they also pride themselves on their fine animal welfare certificates for looking after all their animals. For me that is very important and I cannot praise them highly enough for it. They also offer guided walks around the farm and outlying area from time to time so it's a good idea to keep checking their website if you want to see more about where your food is coming from. Brilliant suppliers.

This company is fantastic and most of all passionate and committed to their values, to which i…read morewholly admire. The people i spoke to really knew their product and were so very much commited to ensuring the best lives for their animals this level of passion is wonderful and the sausages i tasted were wholesome, nourishing but best of all I knew when chomping down this meat had been looked after and nurtured in the right way. My hats off to you and i hope this business continues for many generations xx

Sourced Market is a really cool location, located in Leeds Skelton Lake Services, it is their…read moresecond location, and the newest of the two, I much prefer this to their original location at London St Pancras. The store is bright, bold and modern, they have a wide range of offerings, showcasing a variety of Yorkshire brands,, as well as fresh and organic produce, the prices are competitively priced compared to what you'd pay at a regular farmers market, and more than worth it for the quality. The staff were really friendly, they were happy to help and show me around the store and what items were gluten-free, I do think the gluten-free sections could have been better, but I was able to get some fantastic shortbread, from a local family-run business, in terms of hot food offerings I was able to have a rotisserie-style chicken. My chicken was really good, it was seasoned perfectly with a fantastic salt, they upgraded me for to a full chicken as they were close to closing time, which I felt was a kind gesture, it meant I had some to take home later, and it actually warmed up surprisingly well too. I do think it would have been nice to have stronger cutterly as the knifes kept breaking when I was cutting into the chicken breast, and I would have liked to have a selection of sides, some carbs to go with the chicken (potatoes, rice) would have made it perfect. I picked up a rotisserie style chicken, gluten-free short-bread and a pack of locally sourced eggs, which all came to £11.40 which I was pleased with. They do have a small seating area within the store, part of it was cornered off (alcohol section) which I presume was due to current UK government guidelins. 4* - The store had a really good feel to it and the staff were excellent, I loved the organic and fresh produce, this is one of the best stores I've actually found in a motorway service station, the main improvement would be to increase their food for now menu however possible, especially as UK government restrictions ease which means more people will be travelling, and adding a few more gluten-free options overall, as they were slightly limited in that department.

I was just randomly taking a drive around Leeds when I spotted a big pick your own strawberry sign…read morein a field. I got a huge rush of excitement and had to pull right there and then as i'd always wanted to go strawberry picking but never got round to it. The car park is a bit muddy at the moment after the wet weather we've been having but they have kindly put down straw to help prevent you getting stuck which is thoughtful. I have been twice this week since finding the place and both times the guys working there have been super friendly. There is a small hut were you collect your baskets from and pay when you've collected. Then there's two strawberry fields and a rasberry field too. My son adored picking raspberries he was so greedy I think far more when in his stomach than his basket. I did worry at first about how safe it was for him to eat unwashed fruit but franky there was stopping the kid anyway and I figured a tummy ache would teach for next time but so far no ill side effects have been seen. He is nearly two and I think he felt really grown up and independant picking and eating the berries by himself. I was happy to leave to roam free a bit and just enjoy himself. I thought this was an idea spot for taking children as its gets them outside in the fresh air and allows them to see where their food come from. Plus picking the fruit themselves might make the less fussy about eating it. Also its far cheaper than the local supermarket prices too so you can save a bit of money too.

The Green brothers seem to be growing, they're everywhere I go lately. Well everywhere around…read moreLeeds. I'm talking about John and Andrew Green, the proprietors of Wilson's Butchers, Wilson's Pies and Pasties in both Crossgates, Morley, Armley and Garforth. The first thing you notice when you step into Wilson's is all the awards these guys have won, championship pork pies seems to be a regular, membership of the Q Guild, trophies in the shop window, even by butcher's standards these guys are good. You don't have to step inside to get this impression, it's hard to get through the front door, there's always a queue, a testament to how popular the place is, people queue out the door, to me that's insane. So naturally curiosity gets the better of you and you join the queue, as any Brit does, we like our queues. When through the shop archway there's always a smiley face in the form of a butcher or deli staff to say hello and take your order, and there's never a rush to get you out of the way, if you're pondering too long friendly banter is a must, and it's all in good fun. I've been sent her to buy pork pies for my friends in Huddersfield and Bradford because they profess they are the best they've ever tasted, and these blokes know their pies. I'm not a pie bod personally, I prefer their cooked meats, I have a particular weakness for the delicately coated spicy chicken which is moist and tasty and gorgeous. yum. With an excellent selection of good quality cuts of meat, pork pies, PORK PIE WEDDING CAKES people, yes, I kid you not, deli meats, salads, sandwiches, potato salads, coleslaws, and the odd sweet pastrie, Wilson's is much more than a butchers. Brilliant. Can't fault it.

In my humble opinion (and those of everyone else I know) Wilsons make the best Pork Pies I have…read moreever had the privilege to eat. Nice crust, meaty filling with great flavour; especially if they have just come out of the oven. They are also great for BBQ packs in summer.

On one of my many jaunts about town I stopped off in this Holland & Barratt store, situated within…read moreCrossgates Shopping Centre. I suddenly remembered that I'd run out of my squirrel food, dried fruit and nuts, that I rely on at work to keep me going until lunch so took the opportunity to check out H&B's selection. It's definitely an essential buy when working in the office, there are so many birthdays and celebrations which lead to cakes and sweets by the bucket load being brought in, so I need my healthy option to keep me in check! Anyway, as soon as I wandered in I found an awesome deal on some Neals Yard dried fruit mix. Happy days. It was a huge bag filled with dried apricots, dates, pineapple, papaya, banana chips and raisins. Yummy! Usually this bag costs £3 but on this day the deal was £1.50 so I was more than a little chuffed. On further investigation there were lots more deals on similar bags of healthy treats, but not wanting to go overboard I stuck with that and a bag of trusty mixed nuts. The whole purchase came to around £4 and the lady who served me was an absolute delight. She was really friendly and chatty and I left with a big smile on my face! Not something you'd expect from a mere health food store, but this lovely shop has some good deals and particularly friendly service.