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Best for food shopping in Leeds
It's more of a useful list than an exciting one, per se, but here's some places that one can procure the standard daily food goods that one needs!
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12 Places
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Rowena’s 5-star review: This place is a magic wonderland of exciting cuisine. I challenge you to find a more interesting and inspiring shopping trip - you simply won't find it. As you enter the store the decor is a fascination, with beautiful lanterns hanging overhead and a beautiful silver water globe feature in the entrance. Immediately as you go in on the left there is the fruit and veg section which offers up more exotic fruit and veg than I have ever actually seen. They had enoki mushrooms, star fruit, dragon fruit, bamboo and so much more. They had fruit that I don't even know what it is. The only description I can offer is that they reminded me of Stinky from the Moomins, only more pinkish brown than black! I'm totally going back to try them some day. As well as that they had EVERYTHING to do with traditional chinese, korean and other asian cuisines. With more noodles than you can imagine, cakes, fish, 'mochi' and so much more it is probably the most exciting place to shop for food in Leeds. I can only hope that at some point I will get to live near enough to make it my regular supermarket! My boyfriend and I have made a pact that we will go in there and put together a meal sometime and I'm going to hold him to it! A delight to shop in, but pop in just to see. -
Rowena’s 5-star review: OK, so I'm officially a total fan. I made a conscious effort the other day to make use of the glorious independent shops in Headingley, which are fast developing as the months go by, and came in here to pick up some weekly veg. I can't think of anywhere more convenient for people to go for vegetables, enough to last the week, for **£3.50**! Why oh why do I not keep coming back?! Yes. That is correct. A handful of mushrooms, two huge peppers, two courgettes, a packet of mange tout, a massive bulb of garlic and a huge broccoli. Wow! I couldn't believe it, I knew it was cheap but not *that* cheap. Nor could I believe my years of stupidity, for constantly going back to the supermarket on the premise that it would be easier/cheaper. ("But everything's in one place, an' that!" was my previous argument.) Since Headingley is now the proud owner of both a bakery AND a butcher, there is practically no excuse to go back to Sainsbury's! Especially given that they're all 5mins from each other and on a Tuesday evening there were no queues at all. Go R.K. Harris! Yeah! -
Rowena’s 4-star review: What an absolute treat, what an utter delight, what a fantastic edition to the greatness that is Headingley town. One thing I have longed to see in Headingley was a decent butcher. We've so many fantastic independent little shops and cafés, it seems only right that such essentials as cheap quality meats grace our presence. I understand the convenience of such stolid forces, the likes of Sainsbury's, but I for one have been crying out for a cheaper, more local option for some time. Together, with R. K. Harris and Artisan Baker, the triumvirate of local produce has arrived. And what a force for good these three powerhouses are. I can now purchase my three main food groups (meat, veg and bread) independently, cheaply and within a few minutes of each other - how's that for convenience? And you can't top the banter neither. The last time I visited Headingley Farm Butchers I was delighted to purchase enough casserole beef to feed four, for a mere £3.50. Their chicken breasts are large enough to satisfy the mighty Thor, albeit non-free-range, though when I discussed this the friendly banterous butcher informed me that they are well kept. (Of course, he would be able to say anything but I'm inclined to trust an independent over a supermarket, right?) And once again, I believe I purchased two gargantuan breasticles for about £3 ish. Boom! Go here for meat. That is all. -
Rowena’s 4-star review: Kirkgate Market is one of Leeds' longstanding businesses and it's easy to see why. Nothing is more exciting than wandering through the thriving hub of this bargain filled arena. The stalls within offer virtually everything, from fresh fruit and veg, meats, fish, shoes, accessories, flowers, haberdasheries, jewellery shops, and much more. My most used stall is the haberdashery as their stock is just that little bit cheaper than Samuel Taylors, although they don't often have as much variety. The building itself is lovely and huge and is definitely one of the more exciting places in Leeds to have a wander around. I usually get a whole bunch of stocking fillers from here and they even have a sweet little café within for a spot of light refreshment. Most of the stall holders are game for a bit of banter, though I've never actually tried haggling so I wouldn't know if they are up for breaking a deal! Another hot tip is that their shoes are as cheap as Primark but, in my opinion, slightly better quality so it's always worth keeping your peepers open for the right pair. We're I only to live in town I'd do most of my shopping from here! Awesome bits and bobs to be found within. -
Rowena’s 4-star review: I know it's one of those mini-supermarkets, and with that comes a down side, but it has been a faithful friend of mine since living in my new location in Headingley. The absolute quality which stands out in this store is the staff and management. On more than one occasion I've been served by, I assume from having visited often, their manager and he is utterly polite, helpful and friendly. I've seen him tackle unruly, rude and obnoxious students who were drunk and it was awesome too! They came in the shop, drunk out of their minds, and began to annoy everyone in the queue by singing loudly and aggressively. Once they arrived at the counter, with an inordinate amount of alcohol, the manager asked them if they were drunk. They laughed at him and said, "Yeah mate, I'm wasted!" or something similar, and so he refused to serve them. I think everyone in the store had a smug grin on their faces after that, especially given their futile protestations! They were asked to leave and peace there was once more. Awesome. As well as fantastic staff they are pretty much stocked with almost anything you might need to quickly pop down for. They even have bay leaves! But, sadly, no dill. There is also the annoying fact that if you end up buying for the week it will certainly cost about a tenner more than the bigger shop, but you should (as should I) know better than to leave it until the last minute...! -
Rowena’s 4-star review: It was a happy day when I discovered that Crossgates too had a branch of the R K Harris & Sons fruitier 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! -
Rowena’s 3-star review: Having now lived in Headingley for a few years I used to visit Sainsburys for my weekly shop, even before it was a Sainsburys - when it was Somerfield. Essentially, there isn't a great deal of difference between the two companies in terms of my weekly shop. There are a few items that were most definitely cheaper when it was a Somerfield - smoked mackerel, some of the fruit and veg items etc - but there are some Sainsburys features that were not there and are quite good. One of those is the 'feed your family for a fiver' leaflets, which are really quite useful! I picked up one for lamb pitas, which is really good. It's cheap, tasty, different and of course I've embellished the recipe in my own way to make it suit me. The staff seem to be the same staff as before, which is great, as they have always been patient and helpful. They have new 'self service' counters, which can be useful if you only have a couple of things and don't wish to queue. They can also give you the rage of Zeus when they accuse you of an "unexpected item in the bagging area!" so use with caution. All in all, I'll always shop here as it is most convenient for me to access. But it's not an unpleasant place to shop for your goods so I'm happy. -
Rowena’s 3-star review: Kirkstall Morrisons is certainly one of the larger supermarkets in the Kirkstall/Headingley area and so is rather a popular choice to go for a weekly shop. The store is gargantuan and has all you need and more to sort you out with your weekly shop. It seems even their news and flower stalls are larger than the average supermarkets' and they also have the full benefit of a huge fruit and veg section. Prices, with Morrisons I find, are usually really competitive but obviously there are always changing deals so it's one of those things where often the convenience of location is more important than a special weekly deal. Nonetheless, when I went to buy some chewing gum and a paper I was happily served really swiftly by their kiosk staff, without having to even go through the store, so for that I was pretty happy. I hate having to queue if I've under five items, especially if you have to get past all the other shoppers to do so as with Sainsbury's of Headingley! Staff were friendly and efficient so all is 'a ok' with me here. No amazing story, but then who wants a story when it comes to a supermarket? In. Out. Done. Happy! -
Rowena’s 3-star review: Well, it's not that I mean to encourage the likes of a Tesco treading on the toes of the indie shop owners, but I needed a few bits and Tesco Metro happened to be the place in Horsforth to help me out. Having accidentally spent my entire Saturday shopping and browsing about town I realised that I needed to pop into Horsforth to grab some bits before it got too late. Happily enough Tesco sorted me out for everything I needed. Easy food, such as sausages and salad? Done. Porridge oats and raisins? Done. Veg to last the week? Done. There appears to be very little in this shop that they don't have. To be honest, there wasn't a thing I needed that they didn't have so it was a grand old visit. Of course, I did not find their prices any cheaper - if not a tad higher - than Somerfield and the like, but convenience is convenience, and that's what this was. The lady who served me was really quite sweet, and I could tell she was having a tough time dealing with a spate of customers and those hellish beastly 'self-serve' tills, so for that I was really pleased. If I can I will always prefer to go indie, but you have to give it to them, I couldn't have got my breakfast for this week any more easily than I did by nipping in here. -
Rowena’s 5-star review: In the run up to Christmas I was busy away trying to finish my family gifts and they simply would not have been perfect had I not visited Salt's. My plan was to create hampers for my dearest and I needed the final few items - I wanted a mixture of food, drink and non-edible gift items and I'd sorted most of these at a variety of places but for the finishing touches! Having been advised that Salt's was *the* place to go for hamper-type goodness I wasn't disappointed. The arrangement of the shop is delightful to begin, as you wander through the door you're greeted by a veritable cornucopia of goodies. It's filled to burst with meats, cheese, chocolates, pickles, pate, chutneys and more. Can I say "yum"? Whilst the lunch time offerings come at a hefty price I can only imagine the delights one might experience in consuming some divine looking goods! Now to the hampers. The friendly lady asked me if I needed a hand and I explained that I was compiling my own hampers, but I needed the baskets and a few more final treats. She was only too happy to help me, in spite of the fact that they had their own ready made hampers (which looked fantastic!) and readied two baskets whilst I picked up a few extras. I opted for some of their specialist chocolate, the sea salt and rose varieties I can personally recommend having sampled it after Christmas, a few of their pates and some other added extras. Everything went down brilliantly and my folks couldn't be happier with their selections. As an extra bonus the lady even allowed me to take some of her cellophane wrapping to finish off the presentation, which was extremely kind and at no extra cost! A truly delightful deli with a hoard of specialist delights - worth every penny! -
Rowena’s 4-star review: Of course all the other points remain, Waitrose remains an actual enjoyable experience when it comes to shopping for your goods. However, my discovery today that they sell Thai Sweet Basil (for your green curries and the like) has once again upped my happiness levels of the place. Still far too expensive for me to be a proper regular, and many odd looks came my way for wearing a kaftan into the shop (it was hang over day, and I suppose I did look a bit strange) but I'm delighted that I've finally the finishing touch to make a perfect Gang Kiew Wan. I also really enjoy getting my green token, and passing it on to local charities. Waitrose for the winzies. -
Rowena’s 5-star review: This might be a little generous, since there the wifi wasn't working and there aren't any plugs to juice your laptop, but the quiche I had here a few days ago was simply outstanding. As was the special mash. As was the gravy. OK, there were still a few niggles - but the power of incredibly delicious home cooked treats seems to have swayed it for me. I had to remind about the gravy, for which a 20p (I think) surcharge was made. And for that 20p, I got a rather measly jug. However, it was just about enough, even for a gravy fiend like myself. And it was very very tasty. I slathered it all over the 'special' mash, which was indeed most special - complete with bacon bits, leeks, onions, and creamy as you like. Absolutely marvellous. And the quiche... I've never gone as far as to call one 'game changing' before, but today I do. I'll never look at quiche the same way, now that I know all it can be. Beautifully cooked, the pastry was exquisite, and the balance of ingredients damned near perfect. Go the cheese and onion, you'll not regret it. The chap manning the shop downstairs was really lovely, and very friendly. As soon as you go in the huge range of delicious bakery goods, from pies, quiches, breads, cakes, brownies, and more, are set to tempt you - if you've no time to stop, pick something up for tea, and you'll be surprised at how good they are. Basically, there's still a few bits to iron out, but even if I can't sit in with the laptop, I'll be back just for another quiche.
