Asked 3 members of staff for help and each 1 passed the buck to some other department, does no one…read morewant to help! I only wanted some paint that was out of reach. Got stopped by security because they thought I hadn't paid for goods, but I had, all quite rude and unapologetic! Not impressed!:((((

Verity of product a little expensive but worth spending. Good value of money. Especially like the…read moretimber section large verity

Okay, a little backup here, friends who know me well. My name's Emma-Lou H, and I'm a baker. Cakes…read moreand crumbles, pies and quiches, brownies and flapjacks, cookies and shortbreads... if it can be eaten alongside a nice cup of tea or mug of coffee, I can throw it together. But every now and then a recipe will crop up that challenges me somewhat. I can find those ingredients, sure, but where's my springform tin? My electric hand whisker? My multi-tiered cupcake stand? Here! From knives Patrick Bateman would be proud of to decorative doilies for show-standard prettiness, everything for the amateur baker or serious chef is right where you'd need it. It's a tiny little spot in the Arndale Market crammed with delights from some hugely recognisable brands, and it represents a genuine treasure trove of cooking brilliance. Look out for little gadgets and measurers that make your job far easier and storage solutions for your kitchen. A classic example of how some great local shopping can be done in the eclectic Arndale Market - make sure you stop here before whipping up some Christmas yummies!

This is a great cookshop! I don't know if you'll find better in the city centre. He even has the…read moremore obscure items! For general cooking, catering, and especially baking, this guy has a great selection. If you're looking for something but can't find it, ask him and he probably will locate it within the shop. If not, he can probably order it in for you. The owner of this stall is very friendly and helpful, and has been able to get things for me I doubt I could get anywhere except the internet.

This shop has a fantastic range of bathroom fixtures and fittings, in a range of colours in styles…read morefrom traditional to modern. Forget the ubiquitous shell suite, Bathstore is filled with gorgeous bathroom suites that make me want to light the candles and sink into a bathful of bubbles. There is a fabulous circle bath (just think no arguments about taps!) For the tradionalist they have some superb cast iron enabled baths. The only downside to the bathstore is that its pricey although the bathroom suites are all evry stylish. Also Bathstore do not fit the suites and If you're looking for a one stop shop - finding your own fitter can be a bit of a pain. Overall, they have some fabulous quality baths and very helful staff.

Depends who serves you - we've had 2 very different experiences here. If it's good, it's good but…read moreGood bargins to be had in sale times. Delivery was on time and follow up service, queries etc. is available by telephone. A problem that we did have was resolved satisfactorily. The quality of the goods we bought is very good and they look great in our new bathroom.

Nisbets is a very useful store, although known as a brand that sells commercial catering equipment,…read moreit is also open to the public (Although do remember that prices on the shelves might not include VAT for the public) This is one of their largest stores in the country, it is located on Booth Street, with St Peter's Square and the Town Hall a stone's throw away. I visited the store to pick up an online order, orders can arrive in the store within as little as an hour, during their opening hours, if the item is in stock, which is pretty good. There were quite a few staff members working, which was good to see, ensuring fast and friendly service. I found the process to pick up my order in-store simple, all I had to do was provide my name and order number and I was able to get in and out of the store within a couple of minutes. The only thing I didn't like was having to sign a physical sheet of paper, which appeared to have other customers' names on it, it seemed so draconian, having a handheld scanner, and keeping any customer names confidential would be much easier both access and privacy. The store was well stocked, clean and easy to follow, and they did have some nice items, and prices were very good value for money, so it's no wonder this place appeals to both trade and public members. They are open until 17:30 Monday to Saturday, for a store in the city centre, I do find this to be far too early, and I would have thought they would have remained open until 19:00 at the earliest. 4* - A nice store that I will look forward to returning to.

Having passed this place a thousand times and not even…read moreseeing it is hard to imagine. its open to trade and general public and sells lots of diffrent cooking need. from pans to baking dishes ,utensils and expensive kitchen aid mixers if i wasn't already carring a load full of cooking gadgets in my hand i would of walked around more slowly and probably pick up a thing or two. This is the place to come for any keen cook wether your proffessional or a home cook

I remember coming here back when we lived closer to Glossop with my parents. They were sorting out…read moreour bathroom which was a perennial problem to them. So they just decided to go the whole hog, rip the thing out and get all new stuff. The staff here were mega helpful and didn't seem too desperate to make a sale at the expense of our customer satisfaction. This was pre-recession so I'm sure now they will be a little quieter but this can only mean that you can haggle a better deal out of them right? They are known in the area for their no-nonsense customer service, good after sales care and high quality kitchen and bathroom suites. And with a lasting end product, definitely recommended.

We have had a completely new bathroom and the finished product is outstanding…read more The assistance from Helen at The Courtyard was excellent. She worked through the design with us until we had what we wanted. It was easy to see the range of options, change our mind etc.There was no rush to complete a sale. Probably the most impressive part of the whole project has been the time taken by the fitter (David), his craftmanship and attention to detail.

Homesense at the Trafford Centre is fairly tucked away within Trafford Palazzo (formerly Barton…read moreSquare), it is a large store and it is over two floors. The store looks fairly nice from the outside and is reasonably spacious and presentable for a Homesense store, which can be a little like a non-clothing, home goods version of TKMaxx, their parent company. They had a small selection of furniture and some interesting items, some prices better than others. I like how this store is open late into the evening, which for night-owls like myself is ideal, they're open until 10 pm during the week, closing a little earlier on weekends. I did find the store to be both understaffed and untidy, the shelves were full of rubbish left by customers, including half-eaten food and empty cups, I understand this isn't the store's fault but it was just rather unpleasant, and with no staff members on the shop floor, it wasn't getting tied up to look more presentable. Again, a lack of staff on the shop floor meant I struggled to find what I was looking for. 4* - I like this HomeSense store better than their Manchester Arndale location, it is larger and has a nice range of stock, yet they could for sure improve the staffing levels and cleanliness around the store.

Home Sense is one of the greatest discoveries of the Western world. Where else can you create a…read moredesigner home for half the price? It looks very TK Maxx with endless aisles of furniture and ornaments in no particular order or organisation, but you do not have to look for as long in Home Sense to unveil a bargain. I love the grandeur and scale of some of the items; there are enormous Baroque mirrors which lounge beside huge terracotta pots- its like being in the Land of The Giants. Union Jack painted cabinets stand patriotically next to mirrored Art Deco inspired dressing tables and there are pictures galore promoting everything from Pop Art to Hollywood legends. Home Sense's garden range is definitely worth taking note of, there are table and chairs in ice cream colours and last year I saw a stone table and bench which was absolutely divine and I still kick myself for not buying it. So I have versed you well Yelpers on the stock, now for the prices! This is one of the cheapest priced shops I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Cabinets costing £600 elsewhere are £250 here, crockery is a steal and glasses are great quality and £13 for a box of 6 champagne flutes. I am serious, you blink twice with astonishment when you go to the till. What is appealing about this quirky treasure trove is its ever changing stock.There is no point admiring a Home Sense bargain found by someone else and hoping you can get it for yourself. The majority of the stock are one-offs and will not be featured again so this is a buy-it-when-you-see-it type of place. Yay! I'm a fan!

Brilliant little shop, if it hasn't got it , it's not worth having! Very helpful lady who owns the…read moreshop, if you need anything diy then this is the place

Really cute little ramshackle shop on Bury New Road. Prestwich Hardware is so helpful for DIY…read moreprojects, odd jobs around the house and bits and bobs that might be so tiny and inexpensive but make the difference between harmonious home and falling apart. The service from the chap (definitely the right word) is so helpful especially if you do the whole damsel in distress thing - its NOT an act I really do have no clue. But I'm an independent woman and at the moment its just me and my mum in our house. No men to do all these kind of jobs. So we have our own little tool box now - yes some of them have flowers on and were a present. But still. They can help you with the parts themselves, tools, how to do it, common pitfalls, what to do afterwards. Lifesavers but they don't have the range that say BnQ have as its a pretty small shop.

Fatty food weekend - Part 3 - High Legh Garden Centre - Saturday Lunch…read more Yes, I must be getting old if I am visiting a garden centre cafe HOWEVER, I was there looking for an arbour (yeah how rock'n'roll am I???) and my toddler was asking for some dinner so I had no option really. This has recently been refurnished and now they have a swanky new cafe that is much bigger than the old one. I was impressed with the kids meal we got, a big fat sandwich with proper ham - although we did manage to put the young couple (no kids) next to us off their dinner when my 2 year old spat his ham into my hand (he'd had enough). Oh well, cest la vie. His meal came with crisps, fruit, drink, sandwich and biscuits (which I ate). I had a cheese and onion sandwich and some chunky chips. And they weren't kidding when they said chunky - I could have used them as a weapon. They came with a miniature pot of garlic mayo which was yummy, just not enough of it. And this was all polished off with a bottle of water, juice and large slab of victoria sponge cake for £15, which I think is quite reasonable for a garden centre. The staff were really friendly and helpful, which I think is a good indication of a place if the staff are cheerful. If you are in the area or just in the garden centre, it's worth visiting for a light lunch.

I booked a table for Myself and 8 friends, unfortunately one was unable to attend. The table was…read morelaid beautifully with floral decoration. We were served by Karis who came & took our orders saving us queuing individually to place our orders. Every meal was beautifully presented and tasted scrumptious! The cost for 8 of us including coffee's was just over £74...good value for a Garden Centre of this caliber. The Restaurant is spacious & nicely decorated & the staff are friendly and helpful . Thank you Karis for looking after us so well. We all enjoyed our visit and will be back.