The supermarket is in a convenient location for shopping
As well as groceries the big branch sells homeware, electrical goods and clothing(Image: Liverpool ECHO )
As a shopping writer I’m a regular visitor to Merseyside’s supermarkets and over the past few months I’ve made it a mission to visit some of the biggest and best.
My supermarket adventures so far have taken me to Merseyside’s biggest Tesco, – the whopping 95,052 square foot Tesco Extra in St Helens. I’ve also been to Asda’s biggest store in Merseyside – a smaller but still impressive 76,504 square feet store in Huyton. With two big names ticked off, I wasn’t about to stop there.
Next on my list was the biggest Morrisons in Merseyside which is the branch in Speke. Located in Speke Retail Park, the store boasts 43,554 square ft and even has its own in-store café.
Other services at the branch include an ATM, Amazon Locker, CoinStar Machines, InPost Locker, Rug Doctor and Morrisons Travel Money plus a deli, bakery, fishmonger and flower shop.
Aisles in Morrisons (Image: Liverpool ECHO )
Despite being far away from the city centre, the supermarket is conveniently placed being right next to the bus stop at Speke Retail Park. Being in the area, I also took the opportunity to visit other shops nearby including the huge new Cancer Research shop, making the area a plus for a big shopping trip.
Entering the shop I discovered the deli area with a salad bar, meat counter and other small snacks like samosas and sausage rolls.
The meat counter it has to be said was quite uninspiring, and nothing in the salad bar took my fancy either. But it’s nice to see Morrisons adding a medium salad from the salad bar to its Meal Deal main selection for those who want something a bit more creative than a packaged sandwich. There was also a make your own pizza counter.
Morrisons’ salad bar(Image: Liverpool ECHO )
Further on there was a bakery section with a selection of tasty looking loaves including Morrisons The Best Seeded Californian Sourdough (£3).
As well as all the anticipated groceries you’d expect to find in store, this big branch sells homeware, electrical goods and clothing with aisles dedicated to glassware, bedding and towels. Electronics on sale when I visited included espresso machines, desk fans and mini dehumidifiers.
The clothing on offer included men’s and women’s items as well as a large selection of kids clothing from Morrisons’ Nutmeg range. When I visited there was everything from hats and wellies to jumpers and dresses as well as school uniform clothing.
Morrisons’ Nutmeg clothing(Image: Liverpool ECHO )
However by far the best part of the Morrisons was its café. While the supermarket didn’t have much that you couldn’t find at an average supermarket in terms of groceries, the café is a great addition to a shopping experience, offering somewhere to have a cup of coffee and sit down before the bus back to town.
It was brightly lit and spacious with plenty of chairs available for me to choose from. To order you simply follow the canteen-style system, first walking past a fridge full of children’s meal deal items including sandwiches, snacks and juices.
The menu selection included full English breakfasts, breakfast rolls, fish and chips, pie and mash, ham, egg and chips, tikka masala, lasagne and mac and cheese.
Kids mix and match meals were £4 with options including fishfingers, veggie sausages, potato waffles and peas. There was also a table full of books and activities to keep kids entertained.
Coffee and tea was self service, which made sense as a quick and easy way to grab a drink.
The Morrison café also has windows that face directly out to where the bus stops so you can watch your bus roll in with a cup of tea, which is a huge plus considering it was a cold day and the buses are not always frequent.
I can’t say I’d hurry back for a regular shop, after all Aldi is my go-to. However, for shoppers visiting Speke Retail Park it is a huge plus having such a big supermarket to pop in to and the café is a big win too.