Roots Fruits and Flowers

I was in need of nutritional yeast and was going to make a special stop on the way home at Whole Foods, when I remembered that Roots and Fruits would probably have what I was looking for. I don’t visit this shop enough but whenever I do, I’m reminded of just how good their selection is for a small shop.
I managed to find the nutritional yeast without any issues (it’s great for giving things a cheesy flavour, in case you’re wondering what it’s for! You can use it for macaroni cheese if you’re avoiding dairy, mixed in with blended cashews for a cream cheese substitute or on kale for crispy cheesy kale) and also got tempted by the Über Bars at the counter. I thought I’d tried Über Bars before but after eating it, I don’t actually think I had — they’re made in Glasgow and are made from raw dried fruit, nuts and seeds. I got a chocolate topped tropical one and it was amazing. So delicious, felt a bit indulgent and really pepped up my afternoon.
I like having a browse of this store as I feel like I discover something amazing on every visit. The only reason it’s not 5-​star is that the staff sometimes are a bit unorganised — on this visit, the person serving was trying to serve someone else, even though he hadn’t actually finished his shopping. So just left me standing there while he faffed about. I just wanted to pay and leave! Anyway, it’s still a great shop and well worth a visit when you’re in Finnieston.

Wouldn’t it be lovely to be able to buy your fruit and vegetables from the green grocer, your meat from the butcher, your fish from the fishmonger, cheese from the cheese monger, bread from the bakery and so on? Of course it would, but that would be awfully expensive, right?
Well in the case of fruit and vegetables from the green grocer, that doesn’t have to be true if you’re going to roots and fruits. Really, it’s slightly reductionist to refer Roots and Fruits as a green grocer. As well as beautiful fresh fruit and vegetables they sell teas, coffees, cereals, bread (mostly from Kember and Jones), eggs, meat, herbs and spices, milk, fruit, flowers and almost everything else you could need. Plus there’s a small deli section offering soups, salads and other little delicious bits and pieces.
Given the focus on ethical food here you feel like it should be expensive but it just isn’t. I always expect my bill to run higher than it does. I’m always surprised at how much I’m able to buy even before I factor in my student discount. That’s not to say I don’t often end up buying items beyond those which I went in for — with so much to offer it’s hard to avoid picking up something new to try. Nevertheless it’s always unexpectedly cheap.
There used to be more stores like this on Argyle Street. Companies like Tesco and Sainsburys priced them out and now only Roots and Fruits is left. I like that it’s there as an option and I hope that it remains as an option for a long time, so even if it were more expensive I’d probably still choose to shop here when I can. Since it’s less expensive it’s actually foolish not to.

Grabbed a deli sandwich with a tart for lunch and I’m already heading back before my lunch break is over.
Why did I not come sooner?
The bread is delicious and feta and olives are divine.
Don’t feel like one just now, but those brownies look mighty fine too. Probably best place in the area to grab a quick lunch to takeaway. :)

It don’t get more hipster than an organic greengrocer /​deli /​café in Finnieston right? Right!!! :)
These merchants of fine fruit and veggies often seem to get their mitts on the finest produce around. Their tomatoes actually taste like tomatoes (shock horror). Expect to pay a premium, but in all honestly, when I cook with their veggies, my food really tastes better, especially my salads.
Fruit is ripe and sweet, but typically this gives you a shortened shelf life at home, which suits me darn fine I have to say! I like to walk into a store and know I will be able to eat the fruit right away, rather than have to wait for it to ripen at home.
The deli counter contains an array of wonderful ready to eat salads, pasta-​y type things, cous-​cousy type salads, tortillas etc and they can also whip you up a coffee if your after a caffeine fix. The extensive wall on the left hand side of the store is filled with all types of weird and wonderful pulses, grains and spices. Great for those hard-​to-​find ingredients.
Roots& Fruits really is a wonderful little shop that is far superior than the nearby chain supermarkets for all your fruit and veg needs.

During busy hours, the owners get kinda flustered and not necessarily friendly (very selective in terms of friendliness with their customers). Stood in front of the counter waiting to order my café latte for like 15 mins before I gave up and just approached their part time stuff.
Could improve a bit more on hospitality!

Not a big shop and not the cheapest, but it’s good for fresh produce and more organic food than you’d find at Sainsbury or Tesco. I’m also a sucker for the fancy yogurt in ceramic pots, though they’re a bit expensive. Not bad if you plan on reusing the pot though. And they have a student discount, which is always a plus.

This was my first Roots & Fruits experience. I can’t wait to head to the larger store. I purchased Tahini, fresh figs, dried organic figs, peanuts, cumin and Soba Noodles. I couldn’t find Soba Noodles at the Morrison’s I was at earlier in the day so it was awesome finding all these things.
They also sell Rose Water for baking or toning if your looking for it.

Roots & Fruits is a lovely, local market-​style shop, selling fresh fruit, vegetables and organic bread, produced locally and delivered daily. There’s always an impressive array of fresh food on offer, including a deli counter full of sandwiches and samosas, as well as trays of delicious cakes and tempting treats.
I often pop in here to grab lunch, as they always have a couple of pots of soup on the go and the menu always specifies suitability for dietary requirements. I usually go for houmous and salad on a seeded roll, which is delicious and not too pricey at £2, compared to surrounding sandwich-​shops that charge a fiver for the same thing.
The shelves are filled with goodness and groceries, including cereal, soya milk, soup and snacks — mostly organic and from local suppliers. Some things are slightly pricier than in larger chain stores, but I don’t mind paying a wee bit extra for premium products, while supporting a local business and Scottish suppliers.

Nice selection of fresh fruit and vegetables, artisan breads and fresh rolls, Good selection of unusual juices.

Great corner shop — all you need for a proper snack or lunch. They do amazing prepared meals and soups too.
A great selection of bread and the best fruits I can get in town.
And good staff too — beautiful and chatty.