T & A Stores is better than Tesco

There’s a legendary shop that has been serving the students of Cathays for over 30 years. This is T & A Stores and hero Akeel Akbar tells us his family also own T&A Kebabs, 4LET, Chicken Cottage and the legendary…wait for it…Family Fish Bar. They dominate Salisbury Road. They are the dream Team.

So what’s so good about T & A? Firstly, 40p for two toilet rolls. Yes, it is like wiping your arse with sandpaper but you’re a student, you’re poor and frankly you deserve no better so pipe down and quit your whining.

You can practically taste the innocence of childhood when you discover that your lunch box favourite, Wagon Wheels, don the shelves of T&A. And for £1.29, you just can’t go wrong.

You’ve lived in Wales long enough to know that the number one rule is not to go anywhere without an umbrella.

If you are stupid enough to buck this trend, never fear because T&A have got your back with umbrellas for £2.49. That’s £2.50 less than tesco.

The Akbar’s also pride themselves on being a whole £1.05 cheaper than Tesco when it comes to the renowned American luxury, Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups.

And Tesco’s alcohol range pales in comparison. Mr T&A knows his customers like he knows a good price; I couldn’t find a bottle of wine for more than £6.

In addition, his spirit collection surpasses Tesco’s including the likes of Kahlua and Midori.

And finally, a mention has to be made for the fab customer service the Akbar’s provide. If you ask nicely they are more than happy to order a product to be delivered into store for you the next day. Anything and everything, just ask. Beat that!

While I admit you might not be able to do your entire weekly shop at T&A, you can certainly get some banging deals.

So follow in the steps of Ozzy Flowers, a 2nd Year Philosophy student who has vowed to only shop in independent businesses and support the “health of both the community and the economy as a whole”.

After all the Akbar’s have been here for 30 years and, given that Cathays is your new home now, you should pay them some respect and at least buy a bottle of Merlot every now and again. It would be rude not to.