I have a bit of an issue, it would seem, of going into a shop and buying the most unlikely of…read morethings. Take Masseys, for example. A family run butchers, with a huge range of meat and meat dishes, plus a deli...and I buy some Toffee Squares. I think my whole life is generally an oxymoron... To be fair, there is a small bakery section, plus a few shelves full of chutneys, oils and sauces, so it wasn't all that strange. I think. Mr Butcher certainly appreciated this anyway, for the following conversation ensued: Jolly Butcher: Hello there! [Looks at my sister] Are you not buying something too? Me: Nope, I'm the one with the money I'm afraid. Jolly Butcher: Awk ok [Looks at the both us, back and forth, back and forth] Me: Yes, we're sisters! [Laughs and smiles at the realisation dawns on Jolly Butcher's face] Jolly Butcher: Ah yes, I thought so! I can definitely see it. Me: Really? No-one ever thinks we do. [Pays for Toffee Squares] Jolly Butcher: Awk, well you can carry those [looks at my sister, and hands her plastic bag, and then hands me my change and receipt]. Me: I like you! And we bid him farewell. Once we got home, my mum had noticed the receipt lying on the table. As soon as she picked it up, she loudly enquired as to why we had bought £20.83 worth of fillet and sirloin steak, when we had obviously purchased Toffee Squares. Laughter ensued as I guaranteed her we hadn't bought any meat whatsoever, and I had merely been given the wrong receipt. Ah, my life is a barrel of laughs...made all the funnier by certain escapades in Masseys. Excellent in every way.

Massey's for me a a place that has some really good things going for it and some not so good, but…read morethe positives tend to come out on top. Massey's is a very clean and well presented butchers. It has a wider range than most butchers as they have milk, a bread stand and they sell other home sauces and tinned goods, as well as a large stand of their pre prepared meals. That for me is the main excellent and simultaneously bad thing about this place. Their meals were a great idea, as the concept was food to go but of a better quality.Unfortunatel y they has taken things for granted and the quality of these products has slipped, which is hard to accept when they are so expensive. The whole butchers isn't cheap but it is good quality and delicious, with locally sourced meats in all the varieties you could ever want.

Well, Toasted turned out to be quite the little treat! With about a half hour to kill between the…read morepoint we had to drop our daughter off for school and then be back in time to see her play, we didn't have too many options, and as a result called in here. I've seen the sign out on the main road (which would be easy to miss) every day as it's on my commute to work and yet I've never been in. So this worked out well. What a great hidden gem, loved this place. If you're looking for it, it is opposite the attendant-less Maxol garage, down the side of the used car place. The décor has all the hallmarks of a trendy contemporary coffee shop/deli, nothing too original, but to their credit they have distilled the design to the best elements of it and then executed the layout very well, so it's a nice place to be. The staff were great too which I love as there is little to endear a place to me more quickly than nice people working there who are nice, not through customer training but because they are just good folks!! The food when was great, a wide range of mouth-watering choices are clearly displayed across the huge menu..... which is the entire back wall of the place. It has been painted in blackboard paint and the menu chalked up in big clear writing. The prices although on the higher end of average aren't extortionate by any means so I wouldn't call it cheap eats but you get top quality food and service for just north of average price. The coffee was great, which is an essential element for me and the last thing I ate was a scone..... as we were there so early, it was freshly backed and still warm from the oven......................... so so good!

Nice little find 5 mins from our vacation home. amazing baked goods, solid breakfast and proper…read morecoffee.

What is it with these shop names in Donaghadee? I nearly didn't add the category choices for this…read moreplace as I didn't want to insult your intelligence, but yes, just to verify...it is a deli / greengrocers. Most of the fruit and veg sits outside, which on this particularly wet and miserable day meant that my nectarines were ever so slightly wet (mmm, rain water) and miserable looking. Plus, the plastic bags, which already take an absolute age to open, took even longer due to their sogginess. Nice. The inside of The Deli and Greengrocer was much more sunshiny, least of all because the shop dude was super smiley and cheery. "Horrible say out there, isn't it?", says he, grinning like a Cheshire cat that quite possibly also just got that delicious bowlful of cream. "Awful, I replied", smiling purely because his geniality was *that* contagious. He didn't even mind when I handed him what seemed like an absolute ton of change. Lovely man. The layout of the shop meant that I wasn't fully able to explore the rest of it. The deli section is situated just in from the door, then there's a little slope to your right with a till, and the fruit and veg beyond that. Due to there being quite a long queue (ie. three people in front of me), I couldn't edge round them, so I just made do with my watery nectarines (don't worry, once cleaned up they tasted pretty good actually). Cheers to Mr Cheery greengrocer for making my afternoon much more exuberant.

I have recently had to do more local shopping which has opened my eyes to just what is on our own…read moredoorstep. I have walked passed this Deli and Greengrocer so many times without giving it a second glance , but as they say every cloud has a silver lining and due to being out of action for a while the local stores have come into their own. This is exactly what it's name implies - a deli and a greengrocer. The Deli counter has all kinds of cooked meat and delicious types of coleslaw and the greengrocer has all fruit and vegetables which where possible is locally sourced . Their prices are very competitive and home delivery is available. I certainly will be visiting this shop on a more regular basis as I was delighted with the cost and freshness of the initial delivery.

I'm just going to reiterate everything everyone has ever said to me about this deli - it is…read moreawesome! Clean, fresh, warm and welcoming with a huge choice, a good sized portion and a very decent price. The shop itself reminds me of a French deli with all the gorgeous cheeses on display and the shelves which are home to dips, spreads and chutneys! Seriously this is my kind of place! I once had a white chocolate cheesecake in here many moons ago and the image and taste are well engraved in my memory - it looked like something out of a magazine and the taste was thick, creamy yet melting and amazing. I sound like a freak but I will never forget it - haven't tasted one like it since. I can't rave about this place and the food enough - just go, you'll love it!

This is the ultimate deli experience in Belfast! I love the food here and it's so fresh and I love…read morethe fact that even the bread is homemade! This makes for a very exciting smell upon entering here in the morning! Fresh baked bread...nothing better! I come here for lunch whenever I'm in the area and sometimes when I'm not! They offer a huge range of delicious fillings and will literally put together any combination you can think up! They're not afraid to give you plenty and the prices a re great too! I'm told they also cater for functions and although have never experienced this side of the business if the food here is anything to go by it'll be a win win combination!!

Like Meat? Like Freshly made local Produce? Like Bargains? Good! Then You'll like Corrie's Farm…read moreButchers. This company has gone from strength to strength in recent years opening multiple new shops across Northern Ireland and that's testament to their produce. They believe in sourcing locally and selling only the finest cuts of meat. Their new shop in Holywood is a cut above the rest and their deli counter was proving extremely popular with the local office workers when I visited today. This is the place to go if you're preparing a special meal and looking for fine food. They sell. My mouth was watering when I saw the Dry Aged Meat section - it looked truly divine! They sell chicken breast in bulk at a good price, something that might appeal to gym buffs that are looking to put on some mass. There are chalkboards all over the place advertising special deals - if you're looking for some inspiration you should pop in here for a wee look - you'll probably come out wanting to write a cook book. This is real honest local food - forget your chain supermarkets and get down here for your cuts of meat.

Corries has some competition in Holywood with a selection of other butchers on the same street but…read morethere are a few features that help it stand out from the rest. The shop itself is well laid out with plenty of browsing room so you can find what will curb the carnivore in you. A great selection of your regular butcher staples complimented with a great deli counter with salads, cold meats and cheese. Lunch on the go? Corrie's farm butchers has it covered, sausage rolls, pasties, stew, salads, you can even get a warm, freshly made roast beef sandwich for a reasonable price. Highly recommended and a decent price range for top quality products, the friendly staff will definitely help you find what you are looking for.

"People who love to eat are always the best people." -Julia Child (1912-2004)…read more One of the stops on our Belfast food tour, Sawers was a tremendous hit. Crowded at lunchtime on a weekday, we managed to nab a table when another couple finished their meal. It's super busy and inside, it's full of gourmet delights. Anyone who thinks Northern Ireland doesn't have good good needs to come here. Smoked salmon on toasted bread, hard Irish cheese, crunchy baguette, sliced turkey, even chilli sauce and something called "black butter." Oh, and wine. You can't have a midday snack without wine, right? Much/most of the food here is quite local (the wine is Spanish) and the staff are helpful. Check the "sandwich board" out front for specials. The Spanish Board for £25 would be my choice! [Review 1893 of 2024 - 871 in United Kingdom - 22915 overall]

Found this gem while strolling the streets of downtown Belfast. This place has it all! A great…read moreselection of various packaged food, a deli that makes fresh sandwiches, pastries, fresh cheeses to cut and an olive bar. Browsing the store, I saw that it's separated into sections. An Italian section with lots of varieties of pastas and sauces. Cookies from Italy and limoncello! There is a very small Mexican section, which in my opinion was pretty darn good for being in Ireland! They had tortillas, various dry chilies and hot sauces. Lots of cookies, candies, jams and jelly's and a very large tea selection. The cheese case and deli were loaded with so many choices, it was hard to choose! You can order food and eat at tables that are just outside the front of the store. A definite recommend but if you're a foodie, be prepared to be dazzled!

Definitely my idea of a great delicatessen with a fantastic selection of meats, cheeses, jars of…read moredelicacies, fresh olives, fish, pates, salads and everything else that you hope to find to complete a gourmet feast for a special treat. Among other things there is high quality bacon and locally produced smoked salmon. All sortsof specialised ingredients are likely to be here with things you don't find often such as the Canadian Clover Crest honey which I bought. The only trouble for me is that Arcadia is so far away up the traffic laden Lisburn Road though the longish opening hours are helpful. Mind you, perhaps it is just as well as I'd be overspending far too much.

Arcadia is quite possibly one of the best finds I have had the pleasure of discovering while…read morewriting my reviews. I'm not up on my deli / speciality foods, nor do I know my Perches from my Pollocks (apparently types of fish...yeah, I didn't know that either) but even I realised the extent of Arcadia's wonderfulness. Plus they sell American sweets. No longer was I interested in the Snappers or the Sea Breams (yep, more fish), the Gruyere or the Gouda (cheese this time)...I eyes were solely fixed on the sweetie selection. Picking up a packet of peanut butter M&Ms (I don't like peanut butter, nor do I like M&Ms), the feeling of the novelty of purchasing something that is so highly sought after over here overcame me. And so, they were bought for the grand price of £1.49. My sister, on the other hand, eyes popping out of her head, was visibly distressed by the varied and unusual choice of confectionery which lay before her. Well, Willy Wonka was the lucky man this particular day, and she selected a packet of 'Wonka Nerds'. And now I am officially going to immigrate to the USA. Ohhh, these are good. These are really, really good. Tiny drops of wild cherry and watermelon explode with flavour the moment you pop them in your mouth and start chewing. It's been nice knowing you all...I'll see you on the other side. (Of the ocean).

This fantastic little place is easy to pass by and not realise what a gem it is. At the front is a…read morefoodies dream with a selection of artisan and main stream confectionary and a beautiful deli. Tucked in a the back is an intimate and stylish eatery. I was there for a book launch featuring local artisan foods and otherwise might not have found it but wow am I glad I did!

Good food menu, lovely wine selections, and a small foodhall with an upmarket range that would put…read moremany a Dublin emporium to shame.

It's been far too long since we were here last, and we got a taste of what we've been missing…read more We only recognised one staff member, so it's all change, but he remembered us and he treated us extra special which was a class and decent touch. All the staff were charming. It's a fall-out of Wu flu that brought us here on a Christmas Eve - we met a niece and her young children in a way deemed socially distant to exchange Christmas presents. The kids menus (£6.5) are excellent, a kids drink, main and dessert with the food made on the premises. One little one opted for fish & chips and got a proper piece of freshly battered fish (in huge contrast to the rubbish I was served locally at Craft). The other little one had chicken nuggets and again it's clear these were also made on the premises, as they should be. All the adults opted for the all day brunch, which wasn't my first choice, but I went with the flow. It's essentially a breakfast fry up with chips added and a choice of tea/filter coffee £10. Everything was properly cooked and tasty. I wanted English mustard and to my horror they had none. I was offered - and declined - the oil based Dijon and its awful stuff. I had noted that they made their own sriracha hot so I opted for it and it was superb. In fact next time I go I'd choose it. The only other bummer was that the coffees were cold by the time the food was served. This place is a class act. I won't deduct points for mostly my foibles but Colman's English mustard is a necessity. Sure won't wait as long to go back.

A comprehensive menu but forget that and just order the Smokey Joe burger and if eyes are much…read morelarger than belly just double up for a burger topping over six inches in height complete with double patties, brisket, bacon and tobacco onions. Once finished you may need to remain seated fit at least 20 minutes! The kids enjoyed it too with a great choice of mains and deserts for little ones. Very reasonably priced for the quality of food.

By far my favourite place in Carlingford is McAteers The Food House. A gourmet deli and grocery…read moreshop up front with a beautiful cafe/ restaurant further inside. Given that we were a large party of sixteen people the service we received was exceptional on Saturday 12/08/2017. We pre-booked for an evening meal and opted for a set menu of two courses with a glass of either Prosecco, red or white wine. I had a refreshing glass of Pinot Grigio, a scrumptious bruschetta starter and a delicious spicy veggie burger with chunky chips. Superb quality, tasty food, an excellent menu with something for everyone and great value at €25 per head. The restaurant itself is relaxed, bright and spacious and I can't fault a single element of our evening there - a fantastic experience.