Uber friendly welcome at the door, glorious smell of fresh baked goods and a really polite server…read more We tried a selection of savoury and sweet and all the foods were moreish delicious. Proper food here, quality ingredients, attention to detail and darn good value for hard earned money - which is so refreshing in a world coming down with spivs that want to cheapen food to the nth degree and maximise profit above all else - the multi nationals of the world Mondelez, Nestle who couid t care less beyond profit margins. Betty's is an institution whose origins couldn't have been made up as it began owned by a Swiss baker Fritz Bützer. His life was quite tragic early on with his mother dying when he was young and his father died in a fire at the family owned mill. As soon as he was old enough, Fritz trained as an assistant baker and later travelled around Switzerland and France training as a confectioner and chocolatier. In 1907 he decided to seek his fortune in England. On his arrival in London he realised he'd lost the address of his destination and ended up in Bradford quite by accident. He stayed in the Yorkshire town finding work at a Swiss-owned confectioners, Bonnet & Sons. Not long after arriving he wrote to his sister Ida back in Switzerland saying, "Maybe I will stay a while...." Stay he did, soon settling in the spa town of Harrogate by which time he'd changed his name to Frederick Belmont and styled himself as a 'Chocolate Specialist'. In those days a box of chocolates was for the rich at the equivalent today of £300 a box. It was Harold Mackintosh that brought chocolate to the masses with the green triangle sweet likely the first chocolate, hazelnut noisette they ever tasted. Meanwhile it was in Harrogate that Frederick's luck started to change. Looking for lodgings, he fell in love and later married his landlady's daughter, Claire Appleton. A few years later, in July 1919, with the financial support of Claire's family the first Bettys opened for business. Long may Betty rein.

This popular cafe and tea room is from 1919 and surprisingly I bought many of my gifts to friends…read morefrom this store. We were walking around the area and saw this cafe twice so we walked into one of them and I just decided to purchase a few boxes of chocolates and gifts for a few girlfriends. Overall I thought the stores are really cute on the I inside and outside. There are two stores that are very close to each other. No longer than a 10 minute walk. If your not sure what to buy I would just ask the lady, she was really nice and helpful. Next time if I do have time I would want to stop in here and dine with them as well. Tip- If you want a little snack to munch on grab a cookie while your walking around the area! They have different designs for different times of the year.

Life would be rubbish without this place, its on the way home for me so its great to pop in for a…read morebottle of wine and now they sell milk and magazines its ideal. There are always special offers on so bargains glore !

I've seen a few of these booze shops crop up and around in Yorkshire - I happened to notice one in…read moreRipon only the other day - and so I decided to check out the Otley branch. I don't suppose I was expecting anything outstanding, it is after all only a shop that sells alcohol, but when you're an inquisitive sort you like to go in and have a nose of everything! Inside there were some friendly staff who were ready to help me if I needed. (I don't think I needed help really...) They had a few nice offers on some of their selections, which was definitely not the wide ranging classy choice that Chez Vin might have on offer, but certainly good enough for the less discerning drinker. All in all it had a much nicer vibe than, say, Bargain Booze (which can smack a little of desperation), but was not quite of the calibre of Chez Vin. As a nice inbetweener I'm sure you'll be satisfied with the mix of deals and decent drinks!

A really happy cheery lady will meet you and help you find what you are after. Though not a…read moreparticularly specialised shop you'll find all you need here to fuel a night on the booze or just a simple bottle to accompany a meal. Regular deals bring something down to supermarket price or below. A handy shop to complete the street that has everything.

This is the biggest shop in the Oddbins chain. It has a large warehouse at the back but a really…read moremassive floor space at the front. The selection of wine is massive with cheap bottles mingling happily with a fine section as well as some beer and cider. The staff here are very attentive and hark back to the Oddbins I used to shop at in the early 90's. These guys are seriously into their wine and love to talk about it. There is always a bustle about the place as they run a large wholesale operation so people whizz about with trolleys loaded with boxes, but will always find time to help you with your wine buys if they can. If you want good wine and decent advice this is the plce to go in leeds. The selection is really excellent and the advice to go with it is always available with special offers always on.

This is a tiny little shop right at the bottom of the market near the doors to the outdoor market…read more It sells sweets, crisps, chocolate and drinks. Drinks include a fridge-full of sugary pop and also a coffee machine that makes coffee, mocha and hot chocolate. It's really a treat shop, selling the junk food section of a newsagent without the kitchen cupboard essentials. Great if you're in the area and have a bit of a sugar craving, or need a caffeine hit and you're not too picky when it comes to coffee - and for 65p for a large coffee you can't really complain. Due to the size of the shop however, there isn't a great deal of choice so if you can only stomach sea salt and coarse ground black pepper Kettle Chips or Green & Blacks' Maya Gold then you're unlikely to be a fan of Take a Break!

So off I go in search of chana, I've been meaning to make falafel for a while. Chana stores it is…read morethen. To my surprise this isn't your average corner shop. It is more like a bric-a-brac, what can't we sell type of shop. There's a growing supply of plants outside then all the regular useful bits like cheese, milk, bread, newspapers and stationary on the inside, oh yes and some chick peas.

This is an amazing shop, more like an emporium. It started out as a regular corner shop, newsagent…read moretype of place, but over the years it has expanded (without getting physically bigger) to meet the local demand for quality plants shrubs and garden stuff. Their Christmas trees are the best. To be honest you would struggle to see the shop as you drove past for all the garden plants out side and sometimes it is hard to find the way inside the shop if you just want a packet of mints! It's a well kept secret as it is away from the main shopping area, at the bottom of Henshaw Lane (near JCT600)

Incredible alcohol shop, stocking every type of beer or spirits you could want…read more Just trying all the ales would take you months, never mind the fruit beers, stouts and porters... as a porter lover who finds it difficult to find a shop that even stocks 1 type, this was a blessing. A must visit if you even vaguely like beer.

Thank goodness I found this place when I did! I managed to pick up a fair few christmas gifts from…read morehere. A lot of the men I buy for are the type of people who have what they need, so gifts need to be thought out well - and what better than beer? but I want it to be something a bit special and that's where the bottle came in handy.. My other half has spent I a long time working in Europe, and has tried lots of beers that just aren't widely available here. I managed to find a lot of his favourites, such as leffe, (all the different strengths and colours), Orval and duvel. Not only do they supply the beers they also sell the correct glasses to drink it out of. (apparently, you need a different shaped glass for different types of beer to appreciate the full flavor). ((think I'll stick to chocolate))

Another of my new local shops, this coop is a handy little shop for picking up a few groceries. it…read moreis a little more expensive than the big supermarkets but good when i just want one or two items. They sell basic groceries, alcohol, magazines, tobacco and confectionary.