Cheap groceries from "unusual" shops

andygb

I don't know if there is a thread about this already, but we have over the past few years drifted away from supermarket shopping.
We use a combination of local markets, farm shops and most importantly, what I would call "unusual" or "different" shops.
I don't mean to be insulting towards them, but they do not fall into the category of supermarket and they don't specialise in any kind of item.
These shops are a real treasure trove for a whole assortment of interesting, exotic and staple items.
After a trip to a local one, run by members of the Turkish community, we reckon that we could do our entire shop there (minus cleaning materials), buying cheaper and better fresh produce.

Yesterday's haul:
300g cherries - £1.12
550g small vine tomatoes (yummy) - £1.10
bunch of really fresh coriander - 39p
2 x small bottles 100% sour cherry juice - 50p each
10 scotch bonnet peppers - 65p
20 green birdseye chillis - 40p

If we had needed to, then we could have done our entire grocery shop.

SailorSam

The only place i can think about where there maybe those type of shops is Chinatown in Liverpool. But that's about 10 miles away.

Blueyez

SailorSam wrote: »

The only place i can think about where there maybe those type of shops is Chinatown in Liverpool. But that's about 10 miles away.

the Chinese markets in Liverpool are great for somethings(especially if you have a big family or having a do). Only place I've ever seen frozen rabbits for sale as well.

missbiggles1

Shops catering for ethnic minorities are often good value and give you a chance to try new things as well. I'd think most towns would have some access to these nowadays.

geordie_joe

missbiggles1 wrote: »

Shops catering for ethnic minorities are often good value and give you a chance to try new things as well. I'd think most towns would have some access to these nowadays.

Not always, my town doesn't have any "ethnic" shops, even though we do have a large East European community.

Two or three years ago a Polish supermarket opened, but it was so expensive even the Polish people wouldn't shop in it. It closed after a couple of months.

jenniewb

geordie_joe wrote: »

Not always, my town doesn't have any "ethnic" shops, even though we do have a large East European community.

Two or three years ago a Polish supermarket opened, but it was so expensive even the Polish people wouldn't shop in it. It closed after a couple of months.

I do always wonder if and how much people from overseas get ripped off just for the taste of 'home', I know in Selfridges for one example, people shop there for things that come from the US and they are so expensive- I can't imagine the things sold costing anywhere near that price where they originate from. One example was a box of cereal I saw for £5. Not massive in size or especially holier-than-though-made-by-hand-and-packaged-by-faeries, just a bog standard well known brand of US cereal.


I always wonder how many of the little shops try the same thing, they'd have their own import charges, would have huge overheads being a non-branded business and it must be so easy to bump up the cost knowing there is little competition out there compared to the many other UK branded food shops.

andygb

geordie_joe wrote: »

Not always, my town doesn't have any "ethnic" shops, even though we do have a large East European community.

Two or three years ago a Polish supermarket opened, but it was so expensive even the Polish people wouldn't shop in it. It closed after a couple of months.

I can only judge by the ones which we have in nearly every town in Kent. We have loads to choose from - Asian, Eastern European, Polish, Turkish. I think that because there is so much competition, the prices are kept down.:)

Danili

Lots near us. Great for spices, rice, tinned goods, drinks and other long life food but in my experience although cheap, the fruit and veg doesn't last 5 minutes.

geordie_joe

jenniewb wrote: »

I do always wonder if and how much people from overseas get ripped off just for the taste of 'home',

Me too. Several times I have searched for an item I have not seen in the shops for a while. The results show up "ex-pat" sites selling British groceries to Brits overseas at very high prices.

I guess it can be the same for people who come to this country, but as andygb says, it depends on how much competition you have.

kerri_gt

jenniewb wrote: »

I do always wonder if and how much people from overseas get ripped off just for the taste of 'home', I know in Selfridges for one example, people shop there for things that come from the US and they are so expensive- I can't imagine the things sold costing anywhere near that price where they originate from. One example was a box of cereal I saw for £5. Not massive in size or especially holier-than-though-made-by-hand-and-packaged-by-faeries, just a bog standard well known brand of US cereal.


I always wonder how many of the little shops try the same thing, they'd have their own import charges, would have huge overheads being a non-branded business and it must be so easy to bump up the cost knowing there is little competition out there compared to the many other UK branded food shops.

I'm not sure Selfridges is a yard stick for anything though. Some supermarkets do have American sections now - even my local rubbish Tesco Metro. Some other stores like £ / 99p stores and B&M have random US things too.

I did see the price of tinned pumpkin in Selfridges at xmas, told my friend in the States and she nearly keeled over - they use it for dog food filler but not at that price :rotfl:

Thing is, you can't go to another country and expect to get country specific products at the prices you'd see at home - I wouldn't expect to go to the US and buy a jar of marmite- it isn't made there, and there isn't the mass market for the product,

Local ethnic stores spring up where there's local communities to support it - we have Thai, Italian, Turkish, Polish and a massive world foods aisle in the local Asda. They can get decent prices from larger specific wholesalers, and benefit from those outside of their local communities with a wider palate. Our local Thai store also sells street food at lunchtimes and is always busy.

honeythewitch

SailorSam wrote: »

The only place i can think about where there maybe those type of shops is Chinatown in Liverpool. But that's about 10 miles away.

We use the "Manchester superstore" in Lodge lane, Toxteth.
It recently won the BBC food retailer of the year award, but its about seven miles from us.