Fine Fare

[Hobittual]

Re: Fine Fare

Oh and Mace, that was another low profile organisation, probably went out drinking with Fine Fare.

[absinthe_boy]

Re: Fine Fare

I remember having both Fine Fare and the International in Letchworth Garden City. The International certainly was bought out as a chain by Gateway, who later metamorphosised into Somerfield. I didn't much like the International except they did a nice line in jelly. I remember the Letchworth store as being very bland, possibly even unclean to my childish eyes.

Fine Fare I think were also bougut out by Gateway...in Letchie the International turned into a Gateway (before closing altogether, another story) while the Fine Fare site was sold and became something else...I forget what. I always liked Fine Fare, the orange own-label packaging was somehow reassuring, as was the double-F logo.

We had VG store on one of the estates too, I could bike there as a kid and buy sweets or comics as it was the closest "supermarket" to our house.

Time marches on, but it is a shame these familiar things disappear.

[Danny]

Re: Fine Fare

[Star Attraction]

Re: Fine Fare

I definitely remember when Fine Fare had a store in Middle Street, Yeovil. It closed late 70s (circa 1977/78), and Primark moved into the premises they vacated.

As for the double f logo, I remember that well, though at the time the Yeovil store was still trading (I was just a young kid), it just looked like a funny shape to me, I didn't get what it meant at the time.

The Fine Fare league for football was still going in the mid eighties in some parts of the country. Mid to late 80s (1866/87?) I think Fine Fare, Carrefour (UK) and Gateway amalgamated.

[Caz]

Re: Fine Fare

Only have a vague memory of that chain. Our local was Galbraiths, don't know what happened to them either? My biggest memory of supermarkets was when my mum sent me to stand in the queue for sugar. Anyone remember the sugar shortage in the 70's? I had to stand in that queue the whole afternoon as it went on for what seemed like miles!! After I got some my mum then sent my brother and a woman neighbour recognised him and sent him off home as it was only one bag per family!

[suzannewozere2]

Re: Fine Fare

I lived in Sawbridgeworth, around the corner the post office was a wavy line store. In the village there was a fine fare and international stores, a VG and a co-op.

There was a MacFisheries in Bishop's Stortford and Timothy Whites in Harlow.

Does anyone remember Spoils the kitchen shop and Chelsea Girl?

[Snowblue]

Re: Fine Fare

I remember Coopers who became Coopers Fine Fare. Would that be the same chain?

I remember Galbraiths. Anyone remember Templetons?

[Austin Maxi]

Re: Fine Fare

I remember Fine Fare, and International stores, and Wavy Line.

No-one seems to have mentioned Presto yet - "You'll be impressed at Prestos!"

Then there was Woolco which was a part of Woolworths.

Which reminds me - Whatever happened to Woolworths? Remember them?

[suzannewozere2]

Re: Fine Fare

I

Then there was Woolco which was a part of Woolworths.

Which reminds me - Whatever happened to Woolworths? Remember them?

What about Winfield ? again part of Woolies.

[Wil]

Re: Fine Fare

There was a MacFisheries in Bishop's Stortford and Timothy Whites in Harlow.

Does anyone remember Spoils the kitchen shop and Chelsea Girl?

There was definitely a Chelsea Girl in Harlow at one point and I remember the Timothy Whites there quite well. A visiting aunt and uncle bought me a Corgi Green Hornet car from there in the early 70s

[suzannewozere2]

Re: Fine Fare

There was definitely a Chelsea Girl in Harlow at one point and I remember the Timothy Whites there quite well. A visiting aunt and uncle bought me a Corgi Green Hornet car from there in the early 70s

Yes the Chelsea Girl was roughly where half price jewellers is now. It was very dark and had music playing. Therewere heart shaped pouffes as well.

Boots had an upstairs and sold records.

[john]

Re: Fine Fare

I vaguely remember Finefare, I remember Liptons better though, my mum worked in our local one in Marple, Cheshire(where I am originally from) before I was born, and then went back a few years later until it eventually closed in the mid eighties. It was a good shop, though I think it was quite expensive for the time.

[Richard1978]

Re: Fine Fare

I vaguely remember Finefare, I remember Liptons better though, my mum worked in our local one in Marple, Cheshire(where I am originally from) before I was born, and then went back a few years later until it eventually closed in the mid eighties. It was a good shop, though I think it was quite expensive for the time.

I'm from Marple too, but now live in Stockport.

My Mum used to shop about once a week at Hyde's Fine Fare in the 1980s. Stockport was very slow to have a bit supermarked then in 1986 they opened a Sainsburys & Asda at almost the same time & right next to each other.

I started to look up about Fine Fare after I found a picture of one online: Fare's fair at Fine Fare! on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

I still remembered the logo after all these years, one odd thing FF did was have a code number on the sticky labels rather than a price, but it still had to be keyed in, as this was before the days of barcodes.

When I was young Marple had a Dee Discount, which became a Gateway, as did all the Fine Fares due to a merger. I'm surprised that such a big brand was allowed to fall by the wayside.

The same shop went through a few rebrands & changes of owner to became an Iceland.

Liptons became a Hanburys, a local chain which the Co-op I think bought up. This has been empty for a few years, but there have been plans to open a gym or a Weatherspoons in it. When it was a Liptons it had an upstairs cafe which went when they left.

Wasn't Timothy White's part of Boots? My parents got our first barbeque from the Stockport branch in the early 1980s.

Stockport also had a Chelsea Girl in the mid 1980s, not sure what it became.

[ridski]

Re: Fine Fare

We used to do all our weekly shopping in Fine Fare on Inverness Street in Camden Town. I think it's a Wagamama now. There used to be a Co-Op right by the corner of Camden High Street and Parkway that is now a Barclays bank. Then again, Camden is totally different from when I was a kid.

[Teejay]

Re: Fine Fare

I remember Fine Fare, and International stores, and Wavy Line.

No-one seems to have mentioned Presto yet - "You'll be impressed at Prestos!"

Then there was Woolco which was a part of Woolworths.

Which reminds me - Whatever happened to Woolworths? Remember them?

What about Shoppers Paradise? Wasn't it just... with it's "no frills" line of dour looking groceries in white packaging with black writing.....