Setting out for the weekly food shop can be a slog at the best of times. The vastness of the supermarket can feel overwhelming. The bright overhead lights leave you with a headache by the end of the shop. And long queues for the self checkout tills put you in a bad mood for the rest of the morning.

Superettes – smaller supermarkets and convenience shops – offer an alternative, giving shoppers a slower and more curated experience. Selling items ranging from fresh fruit and veg to posh candles, these superettes have been popping up more and more over the past five years. The latest, Auld Hag’s The Shoap, is set to be London’s first Scottish deli and will be opening its doors in Angel later this year.

The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the superette’s ascension. “A lot of shuttered coffee shops, farms, restaurants, pubs and bars turned into small curated delis, farm shops and grocery shops pivoting to an essential shop after countless confusing Covid restrictions,” explains food writer and author of Takeaway, Angela Hui.

The several lockdowns saw big supermarket chains experience staff shortages, customer panic buying, food shortages and issues with supply lines, so people turned to their local delis and grocery shops. But the cult love of superettes goes beyond practicalities.

“It was so important to have that human connection that they became a lifeline and friendly face while you went out to buy bread and milk, and those attitudes have carried on into post-lockdown life,” Hui notes. “It’s a less is more kind of approach and it feels a lot more like a personal and curated shopping experience compared to the big, rich companies.”

Plus, there’s the cachet that comes with shopping at an independent deli over a chain. Rachel Yon Choi, a behavioural analyst at research company Canvas8, tells Stylist: “People are finding a sense of identity through what and where they consume things. So, each superette or deli has a carefully selected and presented range of items that fit a certain vibe, whether that’s locally sourced goods, artisanal offerings or foods from different cultures.” Each superette does the tastemaking for us, offering up a carefully created selection of the ‘in’ items to choose from. In short: shopping at a superette has become cool; a world away from the bog standard bustle of popping to your local Tesco.

If you’re curious about the slower, gentler and more curated world of superettes, read on. We’ve rounded up the 10 best across the UK.

Superettes are the chicest way to do your food shop – these are the 10 best to visit