I rarely venture to the shopping mecca / hell that is the Trafford Centre. On the rare occasions I…read moredo however, I always try to stop by at this branch of Vom Fass. Located in Selfridges, it's almost twice as big as the city centre concession and the staff are more generous with the samples. As well as the all gorgeous flavoured vodkas, rums and grappas I've already raved about they stock about a dozen olive oils and balsamic vinegars. Produced by artisan growers in different European countries, they are stored in wooden barrels and taste sensational. The fact you can get them in a variety of different size and shape glass bottles makes them an ideal present for the chef or home-cook in your life.

This shop has just recently had a refurbishment and it was well needed…read more A handy convenience store that is located well away from many other shops, I'm not sure if they hike the price on stock because of this, but the prices are fairly reasonable. The most local shop is the Shell garage down the road, which is just a rip-off for most things. Most of the staff are friendly, even if you do see a lot of new faces.

Despite the seemingly never-ending revolving door of staff who seem to change on a weekly basis,…read morethis is not too bad a shop. It does what it says on the tin it sells alcohol, cigarettes and the usual staples but if you are looking for specific items you are better off going to a supermarket. There has been recent refurbishment but there is still a long way to go before it feels welcoming in there. The biggest advantage of having this shop so close is the cash machine even if it does seem to go against the grain to have to pay almost £2 to access your own money!

I demand to have some booze, I want it here and I want it now. The finest wine available to…read morehumanity. Well if you can't steal a Withnail & I quote from time to time then the world is a bad place. So in search of said wine I went to Czerwik. What a wonderful emporium. For me combining two of my favourite vices, cheese and wine, is actually a dangerous move because I am a picky customer. However, the expert advice and products firmly delivered. It's an independent family run business that has been established for over 15 years and it shows. There are loads of wines to get your head around, including one of my favourites Cloudy Bay. Don't be afraid to ask as they'll point you in the right direction. If you like beer then that is pretty much covered too. As for the cheese well that also ticks all the boxes. They have a dedicated cheesemonger (yes I know I love that word too, so say it loud and proud) with over 160 farmhouse cheeses kept in prime conditions for that perfect dairy hit. Oh and if you like to get all James Bond baddie then check out the Polish vodkas. I'll have some more of this please, shaken not stirred.

The greatness of a cheese shop is inversely proportionate to the amount of pre-packaged cheese they…read morehave. Czerwik's don't have *any* pre packaged cheese, so you know you are in for a treat here. If you're not sure about what to buy, just ask for a taste, its that kind of place that really knows what customer service is about. Its not only cheese though they have a huge wine cellar, extensive beer selection, all your usual deli fare and one of the best Whiskey selections you'll find anywhere. If you live in the Cleckhuddersfax region and you haven't been to Czerwik's, get yourself down there immediately. There's no better collection of delicious things in West Yorkshire, maybe the country, maybe the world.

This polish shop is better than any other. They have all the polish food brands you can get your…read moremind to! The service there is great they treat you just like they would in Poland. Especially it makes me and my polish family fell back at home.

A new and rare addition to Ashton. A Polish shop. Filled with every Polish brand you can think of,…read moreyou need not look anywhere else if you are missing your favourite juice drink or snack. Just like a corner shop you see everywhere else but this is a bit different. I guess it makes Polish people feel more at home. Like when English go to Spain and look for all the English bars! Also it is cheap and a wonderful idea. Go and have a look at this shop.

It's relatively easy to cater the needs of the student population, but not so simple to achieve the…read morecult status that Gaff's has achieved. Living in Whitworth Park for 2 years my local off license was McColl's - it was accessible, it was cheap, it had decent opening hours - yet I never would've dreamed of buying a McColl's t-shirt! It is impossible to walk around Fallowfield without seeing a student in a white t-shirt with the red Gaff's logo plastered across the front. Any small corner shop in Fallowfield would be stupid not to stock cheap alcohol, fags, pot noodles and energy drinks. And there are many shops which do, but none which have seen the success and received the following that Gaff's has. Having never lived in Fallowfield I've only ever been into Gaff's a couple of times to pick up cut-price under-the-counter cigarettes for my Fallowfield friends. I'm disappointed to see that this is a service that they no longer provide. I have also heard rumours about the sale of illegal substances out the back, but they are all 'friend of a friend' rumours, so who knows? From the outside the shop looks pretty awful. It is plastered in posters for various clubnights with horrendous names such as Pout and Vodka Island, for which they sell tickets.

Gaff's is a Manchester Student fallowfield life establishment!! This is the first time I am…read morereviewing a corner shop and it will probably be my last. The only reason I mention this place is because of its legendary status in Fallowfield among students. You see this place operates for the sole purpose of making students life heavenly. It is open till late for all your late night needs, it is as reliable as your iPhone. You can buy tickets to all the big gigs in Manchester's nightclubs, dvds and beverages for those late night house parties. Absolute gem!!! In fact I urge you just to pop in if you're ever driving through fallowfield, even if it is for a carton of milk. You will realize that you walk out with more than you came in for, because you remembered you needed it, such is the fantastic variety of stuff on the counter. I love you Gaffs!!!!!!!!

I'd disagree with Alfie, living as I do very close to the gay village, this offy is very…read moreconvenient, especially since Olive Deli got repossessed or somesuch. There's actually bumloads of residential properties in and around the gay village, and not everyone wants to go out to bars all the time. Offies are for when you want to buy booze to drink in your house, or at parties. Yes, there are bars around, but they don't exactly do takeout for your poker night. It's a jolly good offy, selling the usual boozes at decent prices. They always seem to have some sort of offers on, too. For a recent party, the boyf popped to this offy to re-stock our gin supplies. The man behind the counter very kindly let him off 47p (because the boyf was clearly drunk and thusly having issues with his PIN number, so he had to scrape together all the cash in his pockets). I like businesses like this; friendly and local, and run by people who give you a smile and a wave as you drunkenly leave with your Gordon's. This is a lovely offy, and contrary to prior belief, really useful to the residents of this area. And, of course, a visit to the Village is a hip hip hoorah for local business (and booze), which we should all support. That reminds me, I should go in and give them that 47p...

An off licence, in the Gay Village. I've been in for a chocolate bar and done a reccy, and its…read morepretty good, but I don't really know why it exists. I suppose some people live there, but there's not that much residential and so many alcohol selling bars and clubs, that I cant imagine going there to buy booze. They have lots of choice; wines, beers and spirits, and deals that make it pretty good value. But you can get a bottle of beer in bars around here for a pound or even less (Baa Bar) and Canal Street literally never closes so I don't know when you'd need it. So if you need to know there's an off licence near Canal Street, then I'm telling you there is, but you probably don't need it.

This is a small, simple off licence that has a good selection of beers, wines and spirits…read more It's clean and tidy, with a small range of magazines and basic groceries. A perfect place to pop in and get some of those bare essentials on your way home.

This is one of very peculiar streets in Northern Quarter. A mile-long Tib Street runs from the…read morejunction of Oldham Road and Swan Street down to Market Street, where it is flanked by Debenhams and Starbucks. Affectionately known as "cats and dogs street", Tib Sr used to house a good number of pet shops. Sadly, the last pet shop was forced to close in 2002. Since then "pet" acquired a more intimate meaning, in the proper sense of the word: the number of adult shops in the street and on its corners is, well, astounding. It is still possible, I suppose, to call it "cats and dogs street" or "pet paradise", but with entirely differently meaning attached... Of course, there is more to Tib St than shop windows with X-rated videos and sexual paraphernalia. My main destination in Tib St between 2005 and 2006 was CSV Media Clubhouse, at the top of the street, close to Hydroponics shop on the corner. CSV Media Clubhouse provides training and courses for those who want to acquire various skills in Broadcast Media, from radio to TV and filming. Opposite the door there is a peculiar graffiti wall, commemorating Tib St as it was, with lots of pet shops. Other notable doors in Tib St include: Olivier Morosini hairdressing salon; Thornley Groves estate agency; Rags to Bitches famous vintage shop; Matt & Phred's jazz club; The Northern pub; the Army Shop; Centro bar; Simple bar; Hedonist hair salon; and Sacha's Hotel. Affleck's Palace occupies the corner of Church St and Tib St. Abakhan Fabrics, the Mancunian Mecca for all things sewing and knitting, is planted on the corner of Warwick St and Tib St, opposite The City pub. Warwick St also connects Tih St and Oldham St. And one more unique feature about Tib St. As you walk up and down, you will notice pavement blocks with lines tiled on them. Take a moment to read them: they are the lines by the renowned Lemn Sissay, a poet who marked Manchester by his talent before jetting off to London (due to family, not for fame, as he insists). He was a guest at 2009 Manchester International Festival, and there are several places in the city where you can read his poems, but Tib St must be the most daring one. The poem is called Flags.

I remember going to this shop quite regularly in the early 2000s when I worked in town…read more It had a separate large area which sold housewares etc. It sold things for quite low prices compared to most back then. Is it still open?.

Not a bad corner shop really, they seem to be springing up more and more recently and their range…read moreis pretty decent while also keeping the cost down! I especially like the fact that they usually stock all the 'deals' on drinks such as powerade for 95p and choc bars on special offer! This part of Oldham Street is a bit dodgy to be honest and there's lots of ins and outs in terms of biz's but it is starting to get a bit better and hopefully there's signs that the NQ is starting to branch out and gentrify as its popularity grows with more bars and cafes. I don't mind Best-one - nice job!