Garden Fresh Exotics

I thought I’d reviewed this place in the past, I keep returning so I’ll just try again! I’ve found myself favouring this grocers/​supermarket over other local stores. They have a fantastic range of cheap, fresh produce which ranges from the exotic to the everyday. They seem to have their finger on the produce pulse because they stock quite a few fresh herbs, kale amidst a number of other popular ingredients. I like that there’s quite a variety of fruit here, it’s not just apples and oranges in here!
Aside from the fresh produce, you can find any number of packets of flours, grains, pulses and spices in all sorts of sizes. The canned and bottled goods here are fairly limited, as are the refrigerated products (certainly compared to the KRK). What’s probably most striking is the absence of fresh meat (until you realise they have a butcher in the next unit) although they have a few processed products in the freezer. What you will find in the fridge at the back is super cheap, salty, squeaky halloumi (£1.80 a pack) and boxes of crispy, irn-​bru coloured jelabies (in fact they have quite a good choice of Indian sweets). There’s also the almost obligatory rack of halal sweets that no one seems to buy. After loading your arms/​SO’s arms with produce & heading for the tills, you’ll have one last choice: which of the samosas are you going to buy?! Right at the tills, they have boxes of chicken, lamb & veg samosas, forget sweets at supermarket tills, this is the real temptation (the veg ones are tasty!)
I find myself popping in here at least once a week to pick up bits and bobs, I might end up in here more frequently now that they have a new organic & whole foods section. I’d really recommend this place if you get fed up of the traffic in KRK, see you by the samosas!

Massive range of spices, interesting fresh fruit and veg, some unusual freezer items which I have not seen elsewhere (frozen coconut, ready made kebabs, flavoured parathas).
There were some great bargains, if you need seeds try here for big bags for the same price as small specialist ones elsewhere (e.g. Linseed for less than £2).
If you are experimenting with cooking at home but not sure on how to mix the spices, Garden Fresh will be able to help as they have packets of Indian and Thai spice mixes as well as individual packs.
They stock Green City Wholefood items (so some interesting granola and other healthy items on display by the till).

Garden Fresh Exotics is genuinely my idea of heaven. An endless supply of fresh produce, weird and wonderful herbs and spices, and any sort of Afro Caribbean ingredients you’ll ever need can all be found under this roof.
And the best part about it? It’s all criminally cheap. I went in today and left with fenugreek seeds, star anise, cardamom, caraway seeds, rose syrup and nutmeg. For a tenner. That may not sound overly cheap, but these were massssssive bags, and I swear the amount of star anise in the bag will last me about 5 years.
I will definitely be back here again and again. The staff are helpful, they know where anything you need is, and the plethora of fresh fruit and veg available will benefit me greatly!

Holey fresh fruit and veg Batman. Well, this is a relatively new addition to this end of town and one that is slightly less foreboding and intimidating (to me at least) than some of the others. If like me you prefer your fruit and veg shops to be bright and airy with clean displays and pricing then this is the gaff for you. Tucked just off Great Western Road, this is a great joint to pick up your weekly veg or an apple on the march… very much my kind of place!