Do you regularly use traditional High Street shops such as butcher's and bakeries ?

[IndigoSpritz]

I do. The bakery I go to most often is in the next town down the road and I always buy flatcakes and burger baps there. I occasionally buy extras such as chocolate cookies or scones. This particular bakery is somewhat stuck in a time warp judging by the display cases and fixtures, but they do well. All the cakes, tarts, cream buns and so on are fresh every morning and always seem to sell out.

I use a few different butchers for burgers, sausages, gammon, bacon and savouries like pork pies and pasties. They're all good and it's a privilege to have these shops to hand.

I know all these foods can be bought in the supermarkets but I prefer to pay more for higher quality. Of course, I appreciate not everyone can do do. I should add that I'm happy with a Hovis or supermarket granary loaf for toasting.

Even if no shops are near, it’s worth going for special occasions such as Christmas if you can.

Unfortunately our local butcher is very very expensive. I went in for some mince and came out £20 shorter. Our baker is also very expensive. I only visit them rarely, last time I went to the butchers was around 5 years ago and the bakers around 2 years ago. We live in a prosperous town and other people can obviously afford it as they haven't closed down! I don't feel guilty about using the supermarket as I can't afford the high end independents.

I am fortunate to live near a thriving high street, so shop there, butcher, Baker, greengrocer, hardware shop - and also ALDI. I also live within walking distance from Asda, which is so depressing to shop in I do so right I have to, but do appreciate it is often cheaper

We have a farm shop close to us where I buy my milk and vegetables. My dad has a farm almost next door so I take my egg box and get my eggs from them.

I buy meat from different local butchers but we only eat meat once or twice a week.

I really only buy in the supermarket what I cannot get from local shops.

We have an old fashioned bakers at the end of our road, use that every couple of days to buy loaves of bread, buns etc. Also emergency milk if we've run out (have online grocery shop delivered once a week)

Our nearest high street is about 20 min walk away. There is a posh deli, hipster bakery (alongside Gregg's, plenty of charity shops and pound shops, it's a weird mix) which we use occasionally, but that's for treats not every day.

There used to be a great trad greengrocers which I did use regularly when I was SAHM so could go during the week. But in the end they couldn't compete with Tesco and Aldi and closed a couple of years ago.

Yes. We have some great butchers in our little town but no greengrocers. I work in a neighbouring city where we're lucky enough to have an amazing market on the doorstep so I use the bakery/grocers/farm shop on there in my lunch hour. Plus we have a local lady who delivers veg and eggs to your door.

I buy all my butcher meat from the local butcher. I do buy frequently from the Bakery,but usually throw a loaf in the trolley when in Tesco.Use the greengroers a lot but will buy some basics eg onions,bananas in Tesco All costs a bit more ,but worth it for the quality

One of my new year resolutions was to shop locally more often.

As part of that, I have already given up buying meat at the supermarket. We eat meat much less than we used to and I go to the butcher rarely (only once since Christmas, though that is also because I am using up stuff from the freezer). The meat is more expensive than at the supermarket but the quality is much better, I like knowing where it has come from, and overall I'm still spending much less on meat.

I buy most fruit and veg locally and very conveniently they also sell bread from a local bakery, so I buy that from the same place which saves an extra journey. I'm out of the house for over 12 hours a day Monday to Friday so it has to be done on a Saturday, but I think it's worth it.

Plus we have a local lady who delivers veg and eggs to your door.

envy

Would love to but as others have said I struggle with opening times as I work full time. Our local market stall does veg boxes delivered which are fab so at least I manage to support a local business there!

No because they close too early! I do my shopping in the evening after work. I have other things to do on Saturdays and they're mostly closed on Sundays. It's really annoying tbh, I'd love to support them.

One of the advantages of living in a rural area! Right now, Tesco has bare shelves but veg lady is fully stocked and will be delivering later.

We are lucky to have some naice shops on our high street despite not living in London. Lovely local bakery, grassmere butchers, Hotel Chocolat (the reason I am fat). Could do with a good tea shop and the healthier brood stores are stuck in the 90s unfortunately.

Bakery - no, don't have one nearby

Butcher - one in the village so occasionally.

I use it for

Unusual or specific joints of meat
Last minute BBQs etc
If we are snowed in

Otherwise it's too expensive

I do - we have a suburb butcher in the village and we used to have a greengrocer but the rent went up so we lost them. Very upset by this but now go to the market in the local town for veg. Our baker is a local chain and not brilliant so I go to the one in the next village. I only go to the supermarket for dry goods and cleaning stuff, loo roll and the like. Hardly any of my food comes from there.

I do, but I'm aware we're very lucky where we are. There are free range eggs in the village and it's an honesty box system, so I can get them whenever. The butcher is open until 6pm, which IMO makes a huge difference - he always says it is totally pointless to expect people to support you if you close before work ends! Also you can email in an order and pick it up if you're short on time to have things cut up.

Don't use a bakery as I make my own bread.

I am also fortunate in that a local lady keeps several chickens at her home so I buy eggs there as much as possible. All I have to do is send a text message to make sure she has some before I go there. Otherwise, I can usually get high quality eggs for the same price at the market. Admittedly, I don't know if they are barn eggs or free range.

Not food, but my area also has two small, independent hardware shops, one of which is very traditional, good value and sells practically everything. Homebase closed last year (new Aldi being built) so it's good for the independents.

Not as regularly as we’d like, our market town has some great offerings but we can seldom get there when they are open. We both have long commutes and do 90% of our food shopping online. If I am off work or occasionally at the weekend I’ll make it to the local shops-but I have a horse and weekends are largely spent riding so not in town.

I have my own hens though so don’t buy eggs!

No. Work full time. Shop online, but do get veg box (but to be honest can’t guarantee that’s local).

In any event, high street in town does not have a baker, butcher, greengrocer etc. Affluent town, Home Counties, high street is full of pound shops and coffee shops and a few banks. Depressing, but suppose it’s a vicious circle. Most people I know work here and full time.

Enb76 What did the greengrocers become?

I live in a 'rough' part of London where the high street is mainly fried chicken shops, take aways with bad hygiene ratings and about 10 different barber shops/nail shops... So no because there's nowhere I want to shop here. The best we have is a Greggs for a bakery...

When I lived elsewhere I bought most of my fruit, veg and bread from the farmers market at the weekend. I'm veggie so no need for butchers shops anyway.

I only buy meat from my local butcher. Fantastic quality, and they will slice short ribs in an unusual way for me (LA kalbi style). They also throw in freebies for my dog and are great at sourcing anything I want to pre-order.

I bake my own breads and cakes, so don't really go to the bakery, of which their are many close to me, but I do go to the greengrocer and fishmonger.

#VWpurse

Nothing yet. It’s currently a pop-up.

Yes.. my town has an amazing bakers. The butcher is brillant and cheaper than supermarkets. We have a fish shop. A fancy deli with amazing produce. A fruit and veg shop... and there are farm shops nearby where we get eggs and venison etc.

Once Aldi gets here I'll be able to stop out Tesco delivery.