Appna

It’s like visiting Asda, but in Morrocco. the only thing missing is wildlife. with it being Ramadan season, expect massive crowds in the evenings. There are plenty of cash and carry’s dotted alongside Stockport road for all your exotic foodie needs but this place arguably trumps them all. Whilst Ahmad’s Cash and carry is just as big, it has a cold and empty warehouse feel to it and is located in an odd place.
It really is well worth a gander or two, if only to take in the aromas, the foods and spices you’ve probably never seen before. Despite the size of the store don’t worry about getting tired either dragging that trolley around, there’s a cake shop and a small café for you to rest and treat yourself.
Want more encouragement to visit? The boxes of mangos are going at 3 for £10 a pop. I can personally vouch for the fact they are sweeter than sweet.

Appna seems to be as big as it gets for Asian and ethnic grocery stores in Manchester, which stands to reason given the high Asian and Black population in Longsight.
I found fresh produce to be up to the usual high standards of freshness and value. But with some of the deals creeping down to wholesale prices — two fresh tamarind boxes for £3 is a bargain, for example. Plus, I have uploaded a couple of photos of items which I don’t remember having ever seen before, and there were a couple of dozen other fresh produce items which were also new to me.
As with Wing Yip, they ask you to leave your bags at checkout. I understand why they do this, but still it is a bit of a hassle if you do the modern green thing and bring your own shopping bags!
I’m so glad to have discovered Appna and Longsight in general!