Newtownards, like many of the smaller towns and villages in northern Ireland plays host to a market…read moreevery Saturday and every Saturday I pass by, so used to seeing it that it could be full of naked shoppers and I wouldn't notice. I decided last week to make an exception and to enter the market square. My friend and I decided we would play a game. each had £1.00 and we had to buy the other a gift using only that pound. We set off in different directions. The stalls all sell typical market products. There is a butchers with great deals on meat such as five steaks for £10 and also selling a selection of nice looking sauces. There is a fishmonger selling any sea creature your heart desires - just follow the smell. There is also, bizarrely, a stall selling big massive lighters, as in lighters the same length as my arm, car fresheners: 4 for a £1.00 with rather interesting perfume scents such as cool water and poison - this stall also sells pellet guns. There is a florist stall with all colours of plants and a lady selling big Sloggi branded knickers - i decided to get my friend a pair but they were only slightly dearer than a pound so instead I bought her one giant prawn, thankfully she bought me some really nice buns from the bun stand. She told me she had gone straight for the big knickers too - ha ha great minds think alike. The market is good for machinery, garden things, rugs, meat, big lighters and fish. It's worth a look.

Good selection of food on the menu, and they do small plates. I'm not sure about the system of…read morereading the menu in the foyer and then ordering at the counter. I felt under pressure as there were people behind me and I was getting a bit panicky trying to remember what everyone wanted. I also find it easier to decide when there is a menu in front of me and you can ask the waiter/waitress about a dish or ingredients without holding people up. However the food was server quickly and the service staff were pleasant.

Something really bizarre happened me at Mckees Farm Shop today. First of all I have never been…read morebefore and was not expecting what I found. It's huge - a massive big cafe selling local and homemade food. A large shop with shelves upon shelves of local produce such as sweets, jams, cakes and even ice cream. I bought a tub of ice cream which is Yellow man flavored and about two seconds ago had a big scoop - oh my word it's good and made in Newtownards! Anyway, I went in to get a big dish of take away dinner for I am entertaining (Don't you know - said in a very posh voice!) tomorrow evening. my future mother in law recommended the place if you are having people round as they do a great variety of hot dishes like lasagna, curry, sweet and sour, stews for up to 20 people at decent prices. I went for chilli chicken for 6 - 6 very generous portions came to £20. While I was waiting I noticed a bit of an atmosphere in the place and i asked the guy who was serving me what was happening. He informed me that the boy band Mcfly had just landed in. I said 'what are they doing here?' to which he replied, obviously 'having something to eat.' Being a massive freak when it comes to celebs I had to have a nosy so I stuck my face up against every window in the place until I finally caught a glimpse of them (other people were staring at me as if I was deranged!) When I got home I Google imaged them to make sure it was definitely them - it was. I have to say I am massively impressed with McKees, not only is the food amazing, fresh and local but they sell a great mixture of kitchen goods as well as flowers and gifts AND they even attract celebrities! AWESOME.

Jackson's is pretty much the most well renowned and best butchers I have ever been to…read more It is extremely well known and people come from miles around to get their meat here. They sell only the highest quality, locally sourced meat, pork, lamb and poultry. Jackson's is in the small village of Ballynure, but boasts a huge shop and carpark, owing to its popularity, meaning whatever time of the day you visit at, you will be easily accommodated. The animals are locally sourced and raised to the highest standards, so for the majority of us who care where our food comes from and how it is treated before it comes to us, this place is second to none. They also have a farm shop, selling locally produced vegetables, free range eggs, jams, chutneys, and juices. Last but not least, they have an excellent bakery, selling all the cakes, buns, pastries and scones you can dream of to ruin your healthy eating regime with! Jackson's is in the small village of Ballynure, but boasts a huge shop and carpark, owing to its popularity, meaning whatever time of the day you visit at, you will be easily accommodated.

u can get anything u want in this shop!! staff are so helpful and friendly and they have top…read morequality meat at low prices!

I really don't know how this has managed to go down hill so quickly?!…read more What was previously a packed and thriving market has become five stalls and only a hand full of customers! For such a central location you'd expect more. Today I felt very sorry for the raining stall holders as they stood about twiddling their thumbs. They really need to start promoting this market a little better in my opinion in order to bring back the custom.

It is great to see this area getting tided up and put to good use. It is also brill to have a…read morelittle market on each Thursday. You don't have to wait for the arrival of the continental market or struggle your ay around a very busy St George's market. Folkstown Market is smaller scale, but has everything you could want from a market. It has local farm produced burger stand, creperie, mourne seafood van, delicatessen a chocolates stand and many more. It's lovely to just have a dander around and decide what you might like to treat yourself to. Worth finding!

This spot is a fun place to spend a couple hours while exploring Belfast. Various vendors selling…read moretheir goods. Fresh fish,coffee, pastries, fruits & veggies etc. All sorts of gift items such as hats,scarves,shirts,jewelry,sea glass gifts (met the sweet artist) Wuite the array of goods! Fun browse There was even a musician playing Irish tunes

This market is well know for sundar gardening so I went on Sunday morning. Try cute and unique,…read morefilled with art works foods and drinks. Plenty of options for foods. Traditional (mostly) or international & lots of local coffee shop. Some stalls can have a long line since it makes to order and that can take up to 30mins for more. Most folks are just chills and seat back and relax with their families or friends. For me, it's a small market but great vibe and definitely go there on Sunday to see the true local social life.

Once I discovered that fresh seafood was available from varying outlets from just around the corner…read moreI was in heaven. I've been cooking for a long time and it was either cooking or journalism that was going to be my career path. I took the latter but experimenting with food has now become my method of relaxation. I've been here numerous times. This little seafood stall in St George's Market has been here since I've been coming and has a gaggle of fresh local seafood. The range varies according to fishing periods and what's available. I've bought huge bags of fresh Irish mussels for a paltry £3. Large, moreish and juicy they cannot be beaten. Try sautéing a finely diced torpedo shallot, a clove of garlic and a dash of black pepper. Fire in a large glass of dry white wine and a glass of water, make sure its in a large pot then fire in the mussels. Put the lid on and cook for 4-5mins. Then take the mussels out, add about 100mls of double cream, stir for 30secs and add the mussels back in, toss around and serve. The range is superb. I have a white fish allergy so have to stick to fresh seafood, salmon and tuna but the fish is always of the freshest, highest quality.

I hate fish! Which is why walking by this stall in St Georges is just to tough to bare sometimes…read more But I do get that its a good thing that fresh fish is available for people (strange, alien people to me) take advantage of a resource that all to often can only be found in the frozen food section of the supermarket. This stall sells everything, most of it freshly caught on the day and the prices seem very reasonable. Some of the smaller things such as willicks and mussels are sold in huge bags for next to nothing. Great value if your insane and like fish!

Everyone loves a greengrocer - I mean what's not to like? Fresh fruit and veg and an extra special…read morefriendly service. This wee shop on Castle Street would fit right in at a farmers Market but here it is plonked right in the City Centre. The variety of fruit and veg in this wee shop is incredible - if you're a City office worker and you're looking to nip out at lunch and get some ingredients for dinner then come here. The spuds still have soil on them and the carrots have their roots firmly attached. Forget organic this is just fresh produce transported from farm to stall in the blink of an eye. Not only is it fresh but it's cheap too. It's not often in this day and age that you can get anything for under a £1 but here you could pick up 3lb's of carbalicious potatoes for that price. I urge you to forget the supermarket giants and give Fruiterama a go!

best wee fruit shop in Belfast. Sells a wide variety of fresh fruit and veg. Staff friendly and…read moreprices good. This is the fruit shop i use to get some snacks for work. They also have a some grocery items to and sell bread, milk, egg, butter, biscuits, tins, cereals etc

Compact market, quite small with a decent variety of stalls. Due to its size you can walk round…read moreInns Cross Market quickly. Offers vegetable, bread, bakery and various other food, craft and plant stalls. Also some hot food stands, including a pizza and a coffee van. Due to the recent Covid pandemic it's good to shop outside in open air and a market worker ensures you use hand sanitizer on entrance. I especially recommend you try fresh Armagh apple juice from Autumn Harvest, vegetables from Cherryvalley Farm and cakes from Crumbs Vegan Bakery stalls. Fresh produce from local farmers, bakers, cooks and makers - definitely worth supporting.

This little market is my local just 10mins by car from my house and I really look forward to it…read moreevery month. There's a wealth of seasonal and artisan produce available and all at very reasonable prices. This is definitely the way to shop! Cut out the middleman buy fresh from small producers and support local industry! What could be better? Even the rain and wind couldn't dampen spirits this morning and my haul from the market included fresh meat from McCarthy Meats (£20 for 6 sirloin, burgers, chicken fillets and speciality sausages) vegetables from Cherry Valley farm with the muck still on. Fabulous cheese from Mike's Fancy Cheeses, fresh juices from Mango Street and mouth watering tray bakes by Little Treats. I also had a delicious coffee from the Coffee Angels. There's loads more and lots to sample as you peruse the stalls including jams, chutneys and oils and a range of hot food to purchase from soups to hotdogs or fresh made pizza. Everyone is lovely and more than happy to chat about what they do. You can keep Tesco Sainsbury and Asda this is how to buy your basics and still have cash to spare. There's plenty of free parking nearby and trust me it's better for you to be outside in the fresh air rather than dragging yourself around a crowded supermarket. If you haven't been go! Take my word it's worth it

I don't have a problem with organic food. The idea that something is reared under a non-chemical…read morebased feeding structure and is generally created in as loving a way as possible is a good thing. I do have an issue with the word organic being slapped on everything to ensure it's accepted by the middle class consumer and sold at an inflated price. Luckily in this case, Mullan's farm seem solely interested in producing top of the range meat. This little butcher/farm shop towards the front of the market sells everything from corn-fed chickens (producing that lovely yellow skin which crisps up very well when fried) to venison and beef. I left with half a dozen eggs the last time, slightly more pricey than Mc Carthy's egg stall across the way but they were still great. I ended up using them in a spinach and goats cheese soufflé, very tasty and I recommend it.

Came here after hearing great great things from family in the area. We had the shakshuka and…read morecoffee. It was just amazing. And then we had desserts which was just out of this world. Stranfield we will be back

Vegetarian café with great food and ambiance (4.5/5 Green Stars)…read more We stopped here en route to Carlingford on a friend's recommendation and all three of us were very happy we did. The place is lovely - the café is filled with light and plants and the surroundings are beautiful. Mum is a picky eater but she relished the mushroom quiche and finished the entire piece even though it was huge! (Seriously - about three times the size of portions elsewhere.) My brother loved his herbed rice bowl and I liked the organic porridge with fruit and the pistachio plum cake. The only kink was that several items arrived much later than the food - the coffees, bread, and honey for my porridge (I had already finished my porridge by then). The store is filled with great stuff - fresh fruit and veg, and a good selection of some of the most ethical products. Weirdly, the Strandfield website contains no info other than an address, so you have to rely on reviews to get info in advance. The lunch menu is mostly comprised of sourdough pizza, salads (including a quinoa bowl and herbed rice bowl), and sandwiches - see menu photo. There are also lots of bakery items, including freshly baked scones, cakes and wheaten bread (which was really good - I bought one to take home). I'm giving Strandfield café 4.5 out of 5 Green Stars for social and environmental impact, for these reasons: · I didn't actually notice at the time but the menu is 100% vegetarian! · Strandfield uses free range eggs from their own farm. · My porridge was made with organic oats · Flowers and plants in the café come from Stranfield's own nursery · The grocer sources local and organic fruits and vegetables along free range eggs, and organic health foods · The store stocks a really good selection of ethical goods - I could do most of my shopping here if I lived here. · Strandfield would benefit from providing more info (on the website or menu) on ingredient sourcing.