Small, busy little bakery on North Street. I love that it's like a proper old fashioned style shop…read morewith their lovely goods in the window and on display behind the counter. They have a little sit in cafe towards the back, and aside from the bakery goods, also offer hot foods, a deli to make sandwiches, and hot and cold drinks. I have used the bakery a number of times to have sandwiches made up and they have been fresh and tasty and the service has been friendly too.

Yet another Ballygowan business that has fell afoul of the business might of the Garage, but at…read moreleast it has the USP of having pharmacy services which allow it to have a guaranteed customer flow on a regular basis. The store has everything you would expect: it does a range of nappies, shower and bath products, cleaning products and all their usual hygiene products on top of the standard blend of medicines and health related products. There is also a photo processing facility which can be handy for when you don't want to deal with the slow supermarket machines or order online. The staff are very nice and friendly and will gladly give you their best advice on products. They also will allow you to bring faulty things back with no fuss as I found when I bought a tube of Bazuka that had nothing but air in it! Unfortunately the car parking spaces are limited to 3 and are hard to get, but you can usually park across the road. One for the locals and in emergency scenarios only

Handy little pharmacy in ballygowan , traditional pharmacy and shop with parking outside…read more The chemist sells toiletries, gifts, baby food and a few baby toiletries. Perfumes and some jewellery. Also sell my mums favorite perfume which I had been searching high and low for and only to find it in ballygowan pharmacy which was brilliant for me, good pharmacy with a selection of gifts, bags and jewellery , make up selection too. Theres a lolly stand at the till for that sweet tooth.

With supermarkets these days thinking we cannot be trusted to have sweets beside the till, McKays…read moreis a sweet tasting trip back to yesteryear. The walls are jam packed with bottles and jars, bags and packets of any sweet treat you could wish for, just waiting to be weighed out and enjoyed. It is amazing how such a tiny place can fit so much in, also selling a good variety of tobaccos for those that way inclined. Yes, it is aged, dark and tiny, but regardless it is rockin.

Until I decided to Yelp about it, I didn't actually know the name of McKays, I only knew it as…read more'that wee shop at the end of the Arcade that does the lovely sweets', and that's probably what I will always call it, to be fair. Really centrally located, McKays does a roaring trade from people out shopping, or others on their lunch hour who work in the town and want to pop in for their newspaper, magazine, cigarettes, or just some of the lovely old fashioned sweets, bon bons, gums and treats that you can get in here. It's really small inside, so you're better looking at what's on offer through their window, which bulges with goodies - if you have a sweet tooth beware, you will do yourself some damage here...

Boots sell makeup, lotions, potions, perfumes, magazines, sandwiches and pharmacy items. However,…read moreI'm more of a fan of Superdrug own-brand products which are labelled Vegetarian, Vegan and Cruelty Free. I shop in Boots very rarely and only if I can't get the items I need from Sainsbury's in Forestside or am really not going to be able to visit to a Superdrug store.

This branch in Forestside is pretty busy. There are always plenty of staff to help though. I was…read morecollecting some photos that I had ordered online. I had called previously and was told that they were not in yet, even though it had been nearl a week. The next time I called the staff couldn't find them in the warehouse! After another look they finally found them. Apart from that little mix up I always find the staff to be helpful and friendly. All the usual products that you would expect from a boots store including good range of No7

Nope, nothing to do with the band whatsoever. I hope there won't be an Uprising (ahem) among you…read moreall when I say it's actually primarily a costume jewellery store, but it also sells a few shoes, tights and the like. I've found myself quite a few bargains in Muse, it has to be said. I picked up a necklace for £2 for my sister (which died a sudden and premature death when she decided to wear it out in the rain and it turned a funny shade of green), as well as one for myself (which has gotten plenty of compliments and is still in intact). Both necklaces were those long dangly ones too, so I think £2 was pretty sweet. Yep, when Muse do a sale, they really do a sale. The rest of the year (ie non-sale time), the jewellery and shoes are comparable in price to the likes of Accessorise and Topshop (ie fairly expensive). The type of jewellery is also very much similar to the aforementioned stores, and in fact, they even sell some Dorothy Perkins stuff. Interesting. I don't think there'll be too much of a 'Resistance' if you pass by Muse...

This tiny little shop in Castlecourt stocks pretty much any type of jewellery you could ask for…read more It's run by the same company who supply the jewellery for Dorothy Perkins and Miss Selfridge, so it's not surprising that there is quite a bit of overlap in the stock. The jewellery is generally reasonably priced, so it's pretty useful to call in if you need something to set off an outfit. They also do hair accessories and bags, but they aren't really to my taste, so I tend to avoid!

Plonked right in the middle of Castlecourt shopping centre is Zumo juice Bar. Zuno provides a…read morehealthy alternative to fizzy drinks and an ideal pit stop in a busy city centre shopping mall. The service in Zumo is excellent, the staff are extremely attentive and are very talented smoothie makers too boot. I would recommend that you try a Zumo Berry smoothie, I am not exactly sure what is in it but when it tastes as good as it does I do not really mind. Apparently it is god if you are feeling unwell but I think this is just code for it being the best way to beat a hangover.

I have to admit, I am a sucker for a good smoothie.I really like some of the innocent brand of…read moresmoothes but I always find that they are vastly overpriced for the amount you get, and in the majority of times I will buy a carton which I can't bring around me, so the Zumo juice bar brand is good for giving me my smoothie fix! My girlfriend swears by the Flu Buster smoothie, not for its healing properties, but just on a deliciousness basis! I tried a Sun Splash smoothie with had mango, pineapple and orange, and was really tasty! Everything is reasonably priced for what you are getting, and it is reassuring to see everything get made fresh in front of you rather than the mystery of something that is generically manufactured with a whole load of added sugars and other additives. The staff are always pleasant despite usually being rushed off their feet, so if you want to watch your figure or if you are feeling tender after a large night out, I recommend this place!

I think it's a disservice to call E Herron & Sons, or 'Herron's' as everyone calls it, just a…read moreNewsagent. It stocks a whole range of things including loads of the freshest fruit and veg you are likely to find. I used to work directly above this shop and I used to watch the fruit and veg delivery come in every morning. The spuds that are on sale out the front of the shop are still covered in mud - that's fresh! I feel a great deal of affection towards Herron's. It really is a jack-of-all-trades. You can get most of your household essentials from here as well as picking up a lottery ticket or an ice cream on a hot Holywood day. Whether you're after your cigarettes or ingredients for a home cooked meal give Herron's a go, it's as convenient as they come.

I was walking around Belfast City Centre and stumbled upon this gem of a shop! I grabbed a hot…read morechocolate to-go so I could sip on it and have a photo shoot with it around the city. The staff is friendly and the environment is very clean and inviting. The place was packed guessing by its popularity in the area. There are many tables to sit at and also a gift shop sort of section where you can buy chocolate boxes. The hot chocolate drink was VERY rich as expected and satisfied my cocoa craving.

As soon as I see the word Chocolat (or any other spelling) I have to stop. We had stopped at the…read moreHotel Chocolat in Guernsey and loved the selection but this place showed chocolate drinks. We ordered a drinking Hot Chocolate and picked up a couple more chocolates. This place was larger and there were many tables to sit and relax with your chocolates. The first taste of the hot Chocolate was pure heaven! Rich and hot but not too sweet. I could drink this all day. A very nice layout for the shop and staff were friendly.