Where art thou Trader Joe's?

Does anybody know of a shop (preferably in the Manchester area) where you can buy fresh gourmet foods ala Trader Joe's? Asda is killing me with produce that goes off in two days, mains that can't be reheated, and overprocessed cheeses. I'm starting to think I should just start throwing notes in the bin and skipping the middle man.

That brings me to another question: has anyone reheated chicken and eaten it? Please tell me it can be done.

Fresh gourmet food near Manchester, I can't help you with. I don't shop at Asda, instead I buy my veggies from the green grocer stand on the high street or once a week at the farm stand. On days I can't do that, I buy from my local market and look for locally grown foods. It also helps if you buy smaller quantities and have a plan for what you will cook during the week.

has anyone reheated chicken and eaten it? Please tell me it can be done.

I'm still alive.  The quickest way is a microwave. I don't have one so I use the oven or stove top and just make sure it is cooked very hot. It's not as appetizing as the first cook though.

No Trader Joes here sorry! Look out for Fresh and Wild which is about the closest you'll get but I am not sure if they have a shop in Manchester.  M&S and Waitrose also have very good fresh produce and gourmet type food but they are quite expensive, especially M&S.  Otherwise try getting your fresh produce at a greengrocers (if you can find one!) or farmers market. 

You'll find the best produce at farmers markets and the like as everyone else has said.  Places like Holland and Barratt and Julian Graves will have dried fruits and nice tidbits if that's what you are looking for.  Also look out for locally produced products in jams, meats etc.  Most areas have Best of awards for these things.

As for the chicken.. roast chicken reheats quiet well in the microwave... wrap it well in saran wrap/cling film and nuke until hot... keeps the moisture in well.  Of course you have to use decent wrap or you wind up with plastic chicken!

haha, I used to live within walking distance of one of the ASDAs in Manchester.  I feel your pain.  I agree with suggestions to source produce from independent shops if at all possible.  We didn't have Trader Joe's where I lived in the States so can't help you to find a comparable shop, I'm afraid.  Have you been to Lidl yet? They often have interesting things.

I've reheated chicken in the microwave (within 1-2 days of it being cooked in the first place) without a problem- fried and roast chicken works best.  As long as it's room temp before you put it in the fridge and you reheat it thoroughly, should be fine.

I eat reheated meat all the time.  I'm sure some people would be up in arms over it, but I've never been sick in my life.

Most of the time, the best produce comes from local markets.  However, be cautious because not all are the same.  Our local is really cheap & generally good, but sometimes the fruit goes off REALLY quickly (explaining their cheap prices! ).

I've always been told that you should not reheat meat more than once after cooking, so you could cook a roast chicken in the oven, put it in the fridge for later and then reheat the amount you want to eat in the microwave. But what you couldn't do is reheat the entire chicken every time you wanted to eat a small slice of it.

We're always reheating meat in the microwave, since my dad makes the meals hours or even the day before we're actually going to eat it... he made a meat lasagne this morning, but it won't be eaten until tonight.

Overprocessed cheeses??

That brings me to another question: has anyone reheated chicken and eaten it? Please tell me it can be done.

All the time!

Thank you all so much for this - it's a huge relief! My husband swears that reheated chicken is poison. We even asked the Tesco staff who were maning the rotisserie chickens and they confirmed his position. I have also noticed that most chicken and pre-packaged food labels do say "Do not reheat".

But warnings be damned, I will have my reheated chicken! LOL I also enjoy making a big pot of turkey chilli and working my way through it over the course of the week.

I will scout around for some local grocers and farmer's markets and let you all know how I make out. I will also let you guys know if I find any good places for fresh mozzarella, quality brie, etc. (Can you tell I love cheese?    )

I too am in mourning for the lack of Trader Joe's.  But there's hope, right?  After all, Whole Foods made it to London a few months ago 

I will also let you guys know if I find any good places for fresh mozzarella, quality brie, etc. (Can you tell I love cheese?    )

Even my pathetic little local Tesco has fresh mozzarella and brie. In fact I think it's a lot easier to find lovely cheese in the UK. Start working your way through the British regional cheeses--there are some gorgeous ones!

Although I'll admit to missing Trader Joe's quite a bit!

I too have seen brie at Tesco but it only cost 99p. Is it possible that it's actually any good? Since I have a confirmed mozzarella sighting I will defo try Tesco again. Thanks for that!

I'm still figuring this stuff out as you can tell. My husband refuses to go grocery shopping with me. Instead he just drops me off and tells me to call him when I'm done. 

the deli counters at the supermarket will have good cheese...and my £1.50 wedge of brie from Tesco is delish, IMO!

Overprocessed cheeses??

I have some sliced cheese in the house that: a) doesn't actually taste like cheese; b) features slices that are stiff as cardboard; and c) despite one pack being bright orange and the other being pale yellow both taste the same.