Deli Fonseca is one of the few places that makes me wish I was loaded…read more A fab independent deli in Liverpool's business district, it's packed floor to ceiling with all kinds of mouthwatering goodies. The gigantic counter displays a myriad of delicious cheeses, hams, olives, pates, anti-pasti and salads whilst the nearby baskets display fresh sticks and loaves of bread. To top it off, they have dozens of wooden shelves groaning with all kinds of lovely store cupboard treats from organic granola, cereals and cookies to oat cakes, chutneys, olive oils, vinegars, sauces and spices. Now, where did I put that darn lottery ticket?

This review is for the upstairs restaurant area - and sadly it is not a good one. One Saturday…read morelunchtime, I popped in for a light lunch. Nothing complicated - in the end, I ordered a Greek salad and a plate of Serrano ham rather than the pricier mains on the blackboards. I'm not sure how two really basic things could be so disappointing. I think it's because on the surface, this looks like a place that prides itself on sourcing and attention to detail. On the specials during my visit were such items as hand foraged local samphire, Cumbrian lamb and Pink's award winning sausages. So why was the Greek salad about 50% raw onion? Why did it feature those mealy crunchy supermarket basics tomatoes, cold from the fridge? Even the black olives mentioned on the menu were green. And they clearly did have black olives in the kitchen, because my four slices of Serrano ham (almost £6) came topped with a single olive. They boasted it was "20 month aged" - most of it had clearly been in their fridge, as it featured a faint tang of refrigerator and managed to be unpleasantly rubbery. Not sure how Serrano ham can even go rubbery but there you go. If you've boasting of excellent ingredients then it's unacceptable for the basics to fail so badly. I wouldn't bother returning.

This particular ethnic food shop is food from Bangladesh, as well as the usual random items from…read moreother countries, and your average couple of shelves with things like Heinz ketchup. My friend found some maize meal here which she's been looking for so she can make corn tortillas. I guess it's really hard to find that around here. It was a really big bag only priced at £`1.99. Mmmm. I'm waiting for her to make me some tortillas now. I had a hunt around for Mountain Dew as apparently a lot of ethnic food shops carry it, but I didn't find any. Sigh. The staff seemed friendly, and the prices were really decent.

A small wholesalers on Smithdown Road, if you fancy buying some out of the ordinary spices and…read moresauces, putting some pazazz into your kitchen or only want to buy your favourite hot sauce once every five years then come here! (Sweet chilli goodness, here I come!) It's cool walking around this store, they have a small butchers inside and fresh fruit and veg, as well as rows of freezers full of massive fish with their eyes gawping up at you. It's really cheap for the quantity you get so if you don't want to go to Asda and are feeding the five thousand then consider yourself in good hands.

Continental Supermarket is an alternative supermarket which deals in foreign food for those who are…read morenot natives of Liverpool but are after some home comforts. In principal this is a great idea and it follows in the footsteps of a number of Polish general stores which I have seen dotted around Liverpool and various other places across the country. Inside however this appears to be a poorly run establishment and one which could do with a good tidy to be honest. The order of the supermarket seems to be none- existent and the staff do not seem to be forthcoming with help or indeed seem to concerned about tidying the general mess. There is a wide selection of goods inside from fruit and vegetables to halal meat and in this sense this is a useful and caring place, the problem is it has too many faults. With a good tidy and a spruce up this could be an excellent stop for an alternative shop it just happens that there is work to be done.

My parents always speak of the great outdoors and the satisfaction of all things simple. Life in…read morethe country for example... growing your own food, having your own cattle and poultry. The idea is definitely intriguing, there is great appeal in growing your own food for sure. I am too much of an urbanite however. I love the buzz of the city and the idea of being surrounded by a dense population. That's not to say I don't enjoy the serenity of the outdoors. Perhaps one day I will get the bug, for now I will stick to occasional visits to farm shops such as Claremont. It is refreshing and reassuring to know that this family owned farm has been in the family for a few generations. The expertise of yielding what our wee mother earth has to offer have no doubt been passed down from generation to generation. There is nothing better tasting than fresh organic vegetables out the soil. Luckily for us they stock a good supply of vegetables such as asparagus, beetroot, carrots, rhubarb and potatoes all year round. Obviously being a farm shop it has your locally sourced meat, fish and seafood treats including roll-mop herring, smoked salmon and smoked trout. Claremont also stock some decent king-size Yorkshire puddings. (Not my cup of tea but oh well) As well as all these traditional farm shop offerings there is also good range of specialty foods which include Greek-style nibbles that feature peppers stuffed with feta, stuffed vine leaves (dolmades) and olives. Those with a mice like love for cheese will like the gourmet biscuits and Snowdonia Cheese Company cheeses will be perfect with Mrs Darlington's chutneys. I love farm shops with a passion and if you haven't been here I invite you to start your journey of love with farm shops. It will have you coming back for more.

There is absolutely everything going on at Claremont Farm. First the shop, then Claremont Kitchen,…read moresupply of fruit and vegetables to restaurants in Liverpool, Wirral and Chester and fresh food outlets in the North West, Welly Walk events, cookery master classes, pick your own, school events and fishing. I am sure I have probably missed something! I haven't tried them yet but I particularly like the sound of Claremont Kitchen and their workshops. There are a few events coming up, including Just Bread - a full day course (9.30am - 4.00 pm) devoted entirely to bread making, ranging from basic loaves and individual seeded rolls to enriched doughs, flat breads and fougasse. Also includes the perfect bread and pudding! They also have loads more coming up - wow wee! I love it!

If ever I want a reminder of my holiday to Morocco nearly 15 years ago (high time I got back…read morethere!) I just pop to Arabesque on Lark Lane. Whilst enjoying the classic North African dips, salads, tagines and grilled meats and the sweet mint tea so fragrant and the surroundings so beautifully evocative, you are automatically transported to the Jemaa El Fna square in Marrakesh. You might even imagine yourself smoking a hooka pipe. On a sunny day get to Arabesque early-ish to nab a table outside; it's worth it. Lark Lane people watching AND some of the best houmous you can sample in Liverpool? What a combo! N.B. Arabesque is a Bring Your Own Booze restaurant with a £3 corkage charge so get yourselves a decent bottle from Tesco or the Co-Op nearby and you'll still be making a decent saving. Oh yes, and don't forget to check out the actual 'bazaar' before you leave. You'll be feeling in such a holiday mood you'll probably leave with a weaved basket or that hooka pipe you imagined yourself smoking in the Jemaa El Fna...

Great place to find original Moroccan handicrafts and sample authentic Moroccan food. You can sit…read moreat the pavement cafe and watch the world in Lark Lane.

Amongst the fast food mayhem which inhabits Smithdown road it was really refreshing to see a store…read morewhich was comitted to providing people with fresh and healthy organic food products. As a student you can begin to feel bogged down by the constant fast food fare and beans on toast so to be able to visit somewhere which gave a good healthy option and was so close to my halls was brilliant. The shop itself is green outside which is apt and it really feels light and refreshing when you enter. The staff are fantastic they really are committed to providing good quality food and good quality service to the customers. On one of my excursions here I has numerous questions about the varied produce all of which were answered swiftly, informatively and most of all friendly and this made me feel a real affinity with the place. They give you so many options in here and the website even suggests healthy recipes you can make yourself such as deserts which are suitable for vegans. This really impressed me as it shows the amount of care these people put into what they do. The prices are good and the food is always ridiculously fresh as every day there are deliveries of spanking new produce.. So if your feeling fed up with fast food and fatty meals then try out Windmill you will feel like a new person.

There are organic shops and then there are ORGANIC shops. I didn't stop long enough to chat with…read morethe staff as they were very busy stocking the shelves and unpacking deliveries but having looked at the extensive selection of items and range of organic goods I could tell they were very passionate and dedicated people - I have never seen anywhere that has organic tampons! Yes a selection of organic tampons, I mean I could have misread but I didnt really want to pick up the packet and really take in what I had just seen. It certainly wouldn't surprise me as they have gone to great lengths to stock only the most envrionmentally sound products here in a range of foods and household products - frozen organic meals? Ah even the morally sound are lazy and lonely. And I have never seen such a range of pastas in so many shades of brown and green. They even have ochra in tomato sauce - must be the equivalent of tinned sardines in tommy k, not sure what that's like on toast?!

If you had to draw a butcher, the chances are the resulting doodle would come out looking like the…read moreowner of this high street meatmongers. Huge arms, a friendly demeanor, jovial facial hair, he's like one of those mannequins you find in the countryside. Butcher shops are the kind of things that appear to be disappearing as great, bloated supermarkets blight high streets up and down Britain. This is a real shame because there's nothing to make you feel more like somebody from 1952 than stepping into a shop of dead animals and asking for bits of them.

Real butchers are few and far between these days. Many have closed as supermarkets have taken over…read moretheir business. A.R. Tyms is a great little butchers. The butcher himself, as a previous reviewer said, is exactly how you would envision him to be; well built, friendly and with ample facial hair. He's a lovely man who really makes you feel welcome. They have a wide range of meats available and the produce is always of an excellent quality, much better than the prepacked supermarket produce. The butcher is always happy to suggest or explain something to you. This is an excellent shop with a real community feel about it. Long may it remain.

The Scotch Beef Shop specialise in Aberdeen Angus Beef, but it's not just for the cow lovers. They…read morehave a great range of lamb, chicken, free range eggs, pork and the rest, all sourced from high-quality Scottish companies. Let's get down to brass tacks here; the sausages. Black pudding, pork, streaky bacon, brown sauce and some secret ingredients... yep, they sell all these in ONE sausage. The Breakfast-all-in-one. Think of that explosion of flavour between two pieces of toasted granary bread. Mmm. The minted lamb grills and chinese barbeque burgers would be fab for the next barbie too. They even have thick rich beef gravy, which comes in glass jars, lining the counter so forget Bisto, if you're buying your beef from here, go the whole hog (/cow?) and get the grandest gravy to go with it!

The Scotch Beef Shop dedicates itself to selling Aberdeen Angus Beef. All their beef is fully…read morecertified (as displayed on their walls) so you can be assured that you are getting the genuine produce. As well as beef, they sell other prime cuts of meat such as lamb, pork and chicken. With experienced and friendly staff to help, there is a professional approach to their trade. I would recommend their award-winning sausages; you have to try them to believe why they deserved the award. Very good quality indeed and some of the best lean sausages I have tasted. This is most definitely a top range butchers with a clean and fresh appearance (not grotty like some) and pleasantly laid out.