Booths supermarkets are just lovely, they are clean, bright, well laid out, bursting with choice and a general pleasure to shop in. They are however not the cheapest and therefore would probably not suit the average budget of the average family with 2 or 3 kids for doing their main shop on a regular basis. I only shop there now and then and just for a few bits and pieces because of budget constraints and because I don't live especially near one and it is well worth a visit for those little extras now and then even if you can't afford to do all of your shopping there.

There are only 27 stores and they are all based in the North West, predominantly in Lancashire, which is a shame for those who live out of area but I guess that this is one of the things that keeps this chain of supermarkets special. As well as your normal everyday goods Booths ensure they always have a selection of local produce available and the quality is second to none. They have a fabulous range of cheeses, bread and meats as welll as lovely fresh fruit and veg, a decent range of freezer foods and a fabulous beer & wine section! There are often tasters available for the wine, and often cheese too, and the store staff are very helpful if you want help with choosing certain wines. The freezer section includes a beautiful selection of frozen berries, some of which I have recently bought for making blackberry gin! They are a great price and are of a great quality, so if you fancy making a nice fruit pie you don't need to wait for the summer season! The quality of food and the fact that much of it is locally produced, rather than mass produced, accounts for the extra cost, as does the service you receive in store. It is just a much more pleasant shopping experience than say Morrisons or Tesco and you feel much less hassled by the end of it as it tends not to be uite as busy as other supermarket chains.

Having said this, I don't want to suggest that this store is a rip off in any way, you do get what you pay for and there are often offers on things as you would find elsewhere. All I am really saying is that you would probably notice a difference doing a huge family shop there, compared with say Asda, but for bits & pieces or if you are just shopping for yourself or as a couple then it's not exactly going to bankrupt you!

I like to go there near Christmas and get a few nice cheeses and a few treats, as you find things in Booths that you don't see elsewhere. The stores vary in size but all have a good choice and of the 4 or 5 different ones I have visited they all offer the same level of good customer service.

One final tip, if you are going then I highly recommend their hot sandwiches available from the hot food counter. They do cumberland sausage, bacon etc as well as gammon with mustard mayo (which is amazing!!) and they are very reasonably priced, around £2.50-£3 and you get loads!