SPAR Birkdale

Alright, so you need something quick from the shops in Birkdale? SPAR on Liverpool Road is your shout. It's not gonna win any awards for fancy interiors, but it's open stupidly late – 7am till 11pm, seven days a week. That's handy if you've just realised you're out of milk at 10 on a Sunday night.

It's your standard SPAR really, decent selection of groceries, newspapers, booze… the usual. Prices are what you'd expect, maybe a touch higher than the big supermarkets, but you're paying for the convenience, aren't you? Google reviews are sitting at 3.8 stars from 35 reviews, so people seem generally happy enough. They've got a phone if you need to check if they stock something specific: 01704 566432.

Don't expect a massive range of organic kale or anything like that. This is more for grabbing essentials. They do have a website (spar.co.uk) but honestly, for this one, just pop in.

Parking can be a pain on Liverpool Road, so be prepared to circle the block a couple of times.