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Wales Online
a day ago
- Business
- Wales Online
We tried a Home Bargains café and couldn't believe the price of a pot of tea
We tried a Home Bargains café and couldn't believe the price of a pot of tea One writer recently paid a visit to see if it was worth the hype Home Bargains Café in Warrington (Image: Manchester Family / MEN) If the prospect of a trip to Home Bargains always fills you with a certain level of excitement, then the idea of a café on site might just be your cherry on the cake, like it was for one writer at the Manchester Evening News recently. During the visit to the Warrington store, this writer Emma Gill wrote: "Like its rival B&M, you never quite know what you'll be coming home with, but chances are you'll have found it cheaper than anywhere else. So the chance to try out its café left me a bit giddier than I should have been on a Wednesday afternoon and I was certainly more cheerful than my 16-year-old, who like most teenagers these days aren't happy until they've splashed the cash (my cash) at the likes of Starbucks and Costa". A huge new Home Bargains has not long opened in Wales with its cafe too. The writer continues: "I guessed it would be busy, especially during the school holidays, but we were lucky to get a table as customers - a real mix of age groups - took up nearly every seat in the place. Thankfully a little table for two came free so my daughter took a pew while I went to peruse the menu behind the counter and see what was on offer inside the fridge. Toasties are £2.75 (Image: Manchester Family / MEN) There was more than I expected, with a range of toasties, focaccia sandwiches, box sandwiches, wraps and salads on display. The board behind the counter lists more products, with the likes of breakfast rolls and toasted items including teacakes, crumpets and toast for £1. In a separate display cabinet there's the sweet stuff - pastries, donuts, cookies, big slices of cake, you name it - and if you're after a quick grab-and-go, there's a tray full of sausage rolls priced 50p each. Home Bargains Cafe in Warrington (Image: Manchester Family / MEN) And I have to say the other prices are impressive too. The ham and cheese toastie I ordered might not quite be the standard of Starbucks, but it was well worth the £2.75 price. And I couldn't believe that a pot of tea was just £1. I say pot, it was small one, with not much more than one brew in it, but it's rare you can get a tea for a quid these days. My daughter's vanilla milkshake was £1.99 - they do chocolate, strawberry and banana too as well as smoothies for the same price - while a latte, cappuccino or Americano will set you back £1.59 for a regular or £1.79 for a large. A hot chocolate or iced coffee are also £1.79. Home Bargains Café in Warrington (Image: Manchester Family / MEN) Despite her initial reluctance to be there - a trip to Home Bargains with your mum hardly competes with a Starbucks trip with friends - she was more than happy with her £1.99 sausage barm, even more so that the ketchup sachets were Heinz. The donut was pretty standard and you can't complain with the 59p price for those, and my slice of carrot cake, at £1.49, was basic and a little dry, but still worth the money. From superstar gigs to cosy pubs, find out What's On in Wales by signing up to our newsletter here Our whole lunch consisting of pot of tea, milkshake, toastie, sausage barm, donut and carrot cake came to £9.81, which I'd say is pretty impressive. The lunch bill for Emma came to £9.81 (Image: Manchester Family / MEN) And the staff were super efficient too. Our table wasn't clear when we first arrived, but that's mostly on the previous customers who hadn't shifted it before leaving, so I just took it over to the trolleys they have, similar to IKEA. At the counter itself, it was like a military operation with order numbers being shouted once they were ready. I've been in much pricier eateries with service nowhere near as thorough as this one. Just 43 Home Bargains stores currently have a cafe inside them, including the branch at Boulevard Retail Park in Speke, Liverpool and others in Gillmoss and Norris Green, also Liverpool. If the popularity of Warrington's Winwick Road cafe is anything to go by, I don't think it will be long until we see a lot more. The sooner the better if you ask me. Article continues below
Daily Record
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Record
'We tried the Home Bargains Cafe for lunch and got food, drinks and treats for under £10'
The Home Bargains Cafe might not be your first thought when it comes to lunch - but at these prices it's not to be sniffed at. Everyone knows what it's like when you're on a shopping trip and you need a bit of a refuel. If you're at a retail park or in the town centre, there are lots of options for a bite to eat and a hot drink. Some of the bigger stores even come with their own cafe. And while that is more commonly associated with upmarket brands like M&S and John Lewis, it is also on offer at a budget retailer. It might not be common knowledge, but Home Bargains currently has cafes in 34 of its stores across the UK, according to its website. The majority are in England, but there are three north of the border too - two of which are just a short drive from our biggest cities. If you're shopping at Almondvale Retail Park in Livingston, like many people from in and around Edinburgh like to do, then you can stop off for some food at Home Bargains. It's the same for those at Westway Retail Park in Cumbernauld, just outside Glasgow. And for Dundonians, you don't even have to leave the city, as the Home Bargains at The Stack Leisure Park also offers an in-store cafe. While some people might turn their noses up at dining in at the budget retailer, we can show you why that would be daft. Emma Gill is the Parents Editor at our sister title the Manchester Evening News and she recently took a trip to her nearest Home Bargains Cafe with her daughter. The pair of them managed to get some food, a snack, and a drink each - all for under a tenner. Emma was surprised at just how much was on offer at the cafe, especially at the bargain basement prices. And she "couldn't believe" how little it cost for a pot of tea, compared to cafes across the UK. The whole experience was "pretty impressive", with Emma praising the "super efficient" staff for their "thorough" service. Read on to find out about Emma's full experience at the Home Bargains Cafe. Emma's review "I'm sure I'm not alone at getting a little excited at the prospect of a trip to Home Bargains. Like its rival B&M, you never quite know what you'll be coming home with, but chances are you'll have found it cheaper than anywhere else. "So the chance to try out its cafe left me a bit giddier than I should have been on a Wednesday afternoon and I was certainly more cheerful than my 16-year-old, who like most teenagers these days aren't happy until they've splashed the cash (my cash) at the likes of Starbucks and Costa. "Sadly there aren't yet any such cafes in the retailer's Greater Manchester stores, so we had to travel to the nearest one at Warrington's Junction 9 Retail Park, which opened a year ago. "I guessed it would be busy, especially during the school holidays, but we were lucky to get a table as customers - a real mix of age groups - took up nearly every seat in the place. Thankfully a little table for two came free so my daughter took a pew while I went to peruse the menu behind the counter and see what was on offer inside the fridge. "There was more than I expected, with a range of toasties, focaccia sandwiches, box sandwiches, wraps and salads on display. The board behind the counter lists more products, with the likes of breakfast rolls and toasted items including teacakes, crumpets and toast for £1. "In a separate display cabinet there's the sweet stuff - pastries, donuts, cookies, big slices of cake, you name it - and if you're after a quick grab-and-go, there's a tray full of sausage rolls priced 50p each. "And I have to say the other prices are impressive too. The ham and cheese toastie I ordered might not quite be the standard of Starbucks, but it was well worth the £2.75 price. "And I couldn't believe that a pot of tea was just £1. I say pot, it was a small one, with not much more than one brew in it, but it's rare you can get a tea for a quid these days. "My daughter's vanilla milkshake was £1.99 - they do chocolate, strawberry and banana too as well as smoothies for the same price - while a latte, cappuccino or Americano will set you back £1.59 for a regular or £1.79 for a large. A hot chocolate or iced coffee are also £1.79. "Despite her initial reluctance to be there - a trip to Home Bargains with your mum hardly competes with a Starbucks trip with friends - she was more than happy with her £1.99 roll and sausage, even more so that the ketchup sachets were Heinz. "The donut was pretty standard and you can't complain with the 59p price for those, and my slice of carrot cake, at £1.49, was basic and a little dry, but still worth the money. Our whole lunch consisting of pot of tea, milkshake, toastie, roll and sausage, donut, and carrot cake came to £9.81, which I'd say is pretty impressive. "And the staff were super efficient too. Our table wasn't clear when we first arrived, but that's mostly on the previous customers who hadn't shifted it before leaving, so I just took it over to the trolleys they have, similar to IKEA. "At the counter itself, it was like a military operation with order numbers being shouted once they were ready. I've been in much pricier eateries with service nowhere near as thorough as this one. "If the popularity of Warrington's Winwick Road cafe is anything to go by, I don't think it will be long until we see a lot more. The sooner the better if you ask me." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. 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Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
'We had lunch at Home Bargains Cafe and were baffled by the price of a pot of tea'
Emma Gill headed to the Home Bargains cafe at a Retail Park in Warrington with her family and was left amazed by the prices on the menu and the food and drink on offer I'm sure I'm not alone at getting a little excited at the prospect of a trip to Home Bargains. Like its rival B&M, you never quite know what you'll be coming home with, but chances are you'll have found it cheaper than anywhere else. So the chance to try out its cafe left me a bit giddier than I should have been on a Wednesday afternoon, and I was certainly more cheerful than my 16-year-old, who like most teenagers these days, aren't happy until they've splashed the cash (my cash) at the likes of Starbucks and Costa. Sadly, there aren't yet any such cafes in the retailer's Greater Manchester stores, so we had to travel to the nearest one at Warrington's Junction 9 Retail Park, which opened a year ago. It comes as a man claimed, 'I work at Tesco and there's one thing I hate doing for customers'. I guessed it would be busy, especially during the school holidays, but we were lucky to get a table as customers - a real mix of age groups - took up nearly every seat in the place. Thankfully, a little table for two came free, so my daughter took a pew while I went to peruse the menu behind the counter and see what was on offer inside the fridge. There was more than I expected, with a range of toasties, focaccia sandwiches, box sandwiches, wraps and salads on display. The board behind the counter lists more products, with the likes of breakfast rolls and toasted items including teacakes, crumpets and toast for £1. In a separate display cabinet there's the sweet stuff - pastries, donuts, cookies, big slices of cake, you name it - and if you're after a quick grab-and-go, there's a tray full of sausage rolls priced 50p each. And I have to say the other prices are impressive too. The ham and cheese toastie I ordered might not quite be the standard of Starbucks, but it was well worth the £2.75 price. And I couldn't believe that a pot of tea was just £1. I say pot, it was a small one, with not much more than one brew in it, but it's rare you can get a tea for a quid these days. My daughter's vanilla milkshake was £1.99 - they do chocolate, strawberry and banana too as well as smoothies for the same price - while a latte, cappuccino or Americano will set you back £1.59 for a regular or £1.79 for a large. A hot chocolate or iced coffee are also £1.79. Despite her initial reluctance to be there - a trip to Home Bargains with your mum hardly competes with a Starbucks trip with friends - she was more than happy with her £1.99 sausage bap, even more so that the ketchup sachets were Heinz. The donut was pretty standard and you can't complain with the 59p price for those, and my slice of carrot cake, at £1.49, was basic and a little dry, but still worth the money. Our whole lunch consisting of pot of tea, milkshake, toastie, sausage barm, donut and carrot cake came to £9.81, which I'd say is pretty impressive. And the staff were super efficient too. Our table wasn't clear when we first arrived, but that's mostly on the previous customers who hadn't shifted it before leaving, so I just took it over to the trolleys they have, similar to IKEA. At the counter itself, it was like a military operation, with order numbers being shouted once they were ready. I've been in much pricier eateries with service nowhere near as thorough as this one. Just 43 Home Bargains stores currently have a cafe inside them, including the branch at Boulevard Retail Park in Speke, Liverpool and others in Gillmoss and Norris Green, also in Liverpool. If the popularity of Warrington's Winwick Road cafe is anything to go by, I don't think it will be long until we see a lot more. The sooner the better, if you ask me.
Daily Mirror
31-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
One of UK's 'prettiest towns' where 'everyone should go once in their life'
Hailed 'a breath of fresh air' by Visit North Yorkshire, Helmsley is a 'picturesque market town' with 'so much going on' that 'if you go once, you are likely to go back time and time again' Greater Manchester is home to many beautiful spots, but occasionally it's refreshing to explore a bit further afield. Whether it's summer day trips or discovering new places on longer journeys, the possibilities are limitless. However, some destinations stand out more than others, and the Yorkshire market town of Helmsley is certainly one of the top contenders. "We stumbled upon this gem during a recent visit to the nearby Yorkshire Spa Retreat. After catching a fleeting glimpse of it en route, we couldn't resist the opportunity to spend a few hours there on a sunny Saturday in July", said Manchester Evening News writer Emma Gill. READ MORE: 'I was born through rape in a war-zone - when I met my mother I saw my face in hers' Described as 'a breath of fresh air' by Visit North Yorkshire, Helmsley has previously clinched the Great British High Street Award's best market town category and is reportedly 'a place everyone should visit at least once in their lifetime'. The town offers numerous picturesque walks and cycling routes that lead you through the North York Moors National Park. It even boasts its own castle, complete with impressive stonework defences, including the striking east tower that still dominates Helmsley's skyline. "But our main aim was to leisurely browse the many shops and grab a bite to eat. With a plethora of cafes and coffee shops to choose from, we opted for an alfresco table at the charming Number Twelve tearoom, nestled under the castle in the town's Castlegate. Following a delicious breakfast - a full English, a sausage and hash brown sandwich, and drinks, all for a reasonable £28 - it was time to explore the shops. The town boasts more independent shops than chain stores, adding to its unique charm. A scenic market square, which hosts a regular market and is a favourite gathering spot for motorcyclists, branches off into several streets adorned with stone buildings and stunning floral arrangements. Hunters of Helmsley, a family-run food and drink business for 30 years, was so eye-catching that passersby, including us, were stopping to snap photos of the shop front. There are numerous noteworthy shops, ranging from the Traditional Sweet Shop to the quirky The Ginger Bear, a distinctive gift and accessory shop guarded by cute little tin men. With an abundance of bakeries and delicatessens, there's no shortage of spots to grab a sweet or savoury treat. On our way back to the car, we popped into Auntie Anne's Bakery, renowned for its speciality steak pies and attracting customers from far and wide. We treated ourselves to a selection of their sweeter offerings, including a handmade custard tart and triple chocolate shortbread. Adding a visit to the castle certainly makes for a full day out here. If you're a fan of brews, local craft brewery Helmsley Brewing Co offers beer tours. Just a stone's throw away is Beadlam Grange Farm Shop, boasting its own butchery, delicatessen, greengrocery and a two-storey bistro. It also features a dog-friendly seating area and a toddler play zone in its covered fold yard. Visit North Yorkshire describes 'picturesque Helmsley' as having 'so much going on' that 'if you go once, you are likely to go back time and time again'. I couldn't agree more."
North Wales Live
17-05-2025
- Automotive
- North Wales Live
'I went to a car boot sale with £20 and found everyone after the same thing'
Car boot season is upon us and for many the urge to burrow out bargains is irresistible. Treasures potentially await in other people's trash - though it's easy to succumb to temptation and buy something you have absolutely no use for. It's been a while since Emma Gill last attended a car boot sale. After setting up a stall to sell her children's toys when they were younger, the early morning wake-up call and haggling over items worth pounds wasn't something she was eager to do again soon. However, one car boot sale near her is thriving and you don't need to rise with the lark to enjoy it. In addition to the usual Sundays, Bolton Car Boot Sale now also operates every Wednesday. It welcomes sellers from 10am and buyers from 11am. Parking costs a pound, or £3 if you want to arrive early. Paying a visit, Emma described what she found, reports the Manchester Evening News. I arrived just after 11am - this time as a customer - at the location outside the Bolton Wanderers stadium in Horwich. The place was already bustling, with rows of sellers and hundreds of shoppers scouting for deals. Having scanned the stalls, I was pretty confident that, whatever you're looking for, you'll find it here. I found a huge range of items on offer, from clothing ("All ladies clothes 50p" one seller announced) to trainers, toys, tools, toilet rolls (£6 for a pack of 36, if you're curious), plants, computer games and everything in between. Wheelchairs were even being sold for a bargain price of £30 each. One young lad seemed thrilled with the tub of mini cars his mum had bought, insisting on carrying the entire box while being pushed in his trolley. It's places like this where you can find the toys your child loves that are sometimes no longer available in shops. Shoppers were out in force, rifling through the various stalls for hidden gems. The main attraction, however, was the "meat man" in his blue Nationwide Meats van. With his sales pitches booming over the microphone, he was serving up a storm . In the busy crowd, one customer scored an amazing deal of "£80 worth of tomahawk steaks" for just £30, plus some complimentary beef. Another bagged an assortment of minty lamb, ribs, and chicken for mere £20. I too succumbed to the "plenty for £20" offer, initially opting for some steaks but then finding myself exchanging £20 for a hefty bag bursting with meat. And so it was that I went home with 770g of peppered steaks, 2.7kg of jumbo sausages, and 3kg of chicken drumsticks. I began questioning my storage capabilities at home. Fortunately, after a bit of reshuffling, everything nestled into the freezer just fine. Laden with my purchase, I headed back to the car, overhearing a woman excitedly relay on her mobile that "the meat man's here". The event conveners had even taken to Facebook to confirm the meat vendor's presence following eager inquiries. "So many people asking", they said. "Yes, yes, the meat man will be here every Wednesday and Sunday." Who would have thought a midweek car boot sale could draw such a crowd? Yet, in the midst of a cost of living crisis, it's perhaps no surprise that folks are jumping at the chance to save a few bob - and snag some bargain bangers in the process! The car boot sale takes place in the stadium car park on Burden Way, adjacent to Middlebrook Retail and Leisure Park. It has been operating on Sundays since 2016, attracting up to 400 sellers each week. The Wednesday car boot sale, launched just four weeks ago, is already drawing up to 200 sellers. On Wednesdays, it costs £10 to sell from any car or van, with sellers setting up from 10am and buyers arriving from 11am. On Sundays, the fee is £14 for a car and £20 for a van, with sellers present from 5.30am and buyers from 7am. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox There's no need to book - just show up. For more information and updates, check out their Facebook page here.
