One of my favourite type of emporium

Whenever I go to Gloucester I try to stock up on certain Asian food supplies,  particularly fresh bean curd, known generally as tofu (or sometimes as tahu). Tofu is found in the refrigerators but the rest of the shops are full of intrigue and delights for me.

I spent a very happy nine months in south-east Asia in the early 80s and formed a love for street food from the many different countries I stayed in (Thailand, Burma (now Myanmar), Malaysia and Sumatra, and Bali (both being very different sized islands within the massive state of Indonesia) and the mix of their cuisines. 

At first on my return to Europe it wasn't easy to find the ingredients especially fresh tofu and vegetables, (I was a vegetarian in those days) but I was lucky to be living in London. There I could find many local communities which supplied their own people with their favourite things. But as time has passed and the world has shrunk Asian supplies have become more available.

In Gloucester I was introduced to a predominantly Indian food supplier catering to many different religious groups and their diets. A bonus was that a group of young Chinese people opened their business on a trading estate supplying various south-east Asian food supplies. Helena told me last week that this business had been bought up by a larger company from Bristol and that they had opened a second store, which was in a brand new purpose built building easily accessed by car on the edge of Gloucester. I decided to try it out.

It had all that I wanted, and much more. I bought my tofu, rice noodles, fresh lemon grass, garlic and ginger, as well as some Chinese coffee flavoured sweets which Helena has been searching for for some months. Once I loaded everything in the car I picked up my camera from the boot, went back into the shop and asked the staff if I could take some pictures. Here is just one of several aisles which give you an idea of the potential for spending money and eating very well. The shop is called 'Konbini'.