Kirkstall Off Licence

Having been living in the more student-​style areas of Leeds for sometime I’m familiar with a number of little off-​licenses and corner shops. It comes with the territory, doesn’t it?
Anyway, now that this is one of my nearer mini-​stores I’ve had the opportunity to sample their shop and — surprise surprise — there isn’t a lot of story here. It’s the usual, it covers all the standard groceries that you might need to nip over for. Bread, milk, tea bags, toilet roll, tobacco, booze, chocolate, crisps — you see where I’m going with this.
Trouble is, if you are after more than the standard you’ll need to actually go to a supermarket. If you want to pay less you’ll need to actually go to a supermarket — or, y’know, go to the indie stores for the local organic touch. The thing with these little shops is that they can get away with bumping the price of milk and bread — because it’s closer and you won’t be bothered with making the extra effort.
Anyhow — it is here to provide you with the bare essentials, emergency items, until it’s time to do the big shop! Not bad.

In these times of a rescission it is mind boggling that so many family run, smaller businesses are surviving in the outskirts of Leeds. With students making meals out of bits and bobs, or having 2 packets of crisps and a mars bar for their dinner, corner shops such as Kirkstall are still going strong!
The is nothing flash about this small store and it is a little dusty and old fashioned. If appearence doesn’t bother you and you need to pick up the essentials, Kirkstall offers it you at a handy location.
If you want anything past the bare essentials I would head to the supermarket however as range is small and the prices a little higher than ASDA! That is unless it’s booze you’re after! Kirkstall offers a large range of alcohol and brands at average prices with good deal on bottles of wine (written on neon paper starts in corner shop style!)
I have a feeling this shop relies on cricket customers buying their alcohol here before entry to avoid the high prices and students buying snacks!
Kirkstall’s location is handy for the bare essentials, however if you want to do a bulk shop for something more than milk, bread, newspaper and cigarettes, drive up the road to co-​op for a much bigger selection!

The appeal of corner shops and little offllicences still surviving I found cute when leaving London for uni back i the late 90s. This was an example and the fact it still survives is great. However, this off licence does not get much passing trade. It is surrounded by students who would probably use it if lazy but if buying in bulk they go elsewhere for buying prices.
This shop is a little worn and dusty, but handy when you pass it. Alas though it is not open late like the student want and expect and the range of products is tiny, so it relies on the crowd from the cricket buying booze cheaper than available inside the famous Headingley ground.
An economic oddities preserves this offy, but it you live nearby and walk past it to go shopping, then don’t expect it to open all year round for your needs, because time+effort=reward and the reward is for the time and effort of providing tinnies for the test match crowd.