I get more fun from shopping for gourmet products and kitchen must-haves than I do clothes shopping. This is probably why my wardrobe is half-empty and my kitchen cupboards full to bursting! Palma has some great shops, if you’re like me, and these are three of my favourite . . .

Cocinaria

I’ve been surprised at the number of friends who hadn’t heard of Cocinaria, one of my favourite shops, located very close to the Avenidas’ branch of El Corte Inglés.

The place is a treasure trove for foodies and keen cooks, selling everything from specialist ingredients (such as those used in molecular gastronomy, Japanese, and Thai cooking) to wines and beers, and from cookbooks to all the goodies an enthusiastic cake or sweet-maker could possibly need. The Boss breaks out in a cold sweat when I steer him towards this elegant emporium – but his fears about my splurging on more kitchen-cupboard-clogging must-haves wane as he studies the wines and beers section. The store also hosts occasional cooking workshops, although I haven’t attended any of these.

Kitchen area for demonstrations and workshops

Opening hours: Monday to Friday – 10:30-14:00 & 17:00-20:30h; Saturday – 10:30-14:00h

Tel +34 971 911 891

http://www.cocinaria.es

Catavinos

We tend to drink mostly Mallorcan wines these days, buying them locally in our nearest town, or sometimes directly from the respective bodega. But this Palma wine store, on the Can Valero trading estate, is well worth a visit if you’re looking for less-common Mallorcan wines or labels from around the world.

The store recently expanded its display space and incorporated a gourmet section. We attended the relaunch event and would have bought quite a bit of wine – but they weren’t selling anything on that occasion! It’s very easy to spend quite a bit of time in here, just browsing the shelves for interesting wines to try. We’re always  interested in finding unusual wine names and attractive labels too, and Catavinos comes up trumps every time in this respect!

There’s nothing fishy about this wine from Menorca.

Proudly Mallorcan.

A cheeky little French number

Who could resist this label?

Catavinos also sells spirits and other liquors. This is a small selection of the gins . . .

Great name for a gin . . .

Opening hours: Monday to Friday – 09:00-14:00h & Saturday 11:00-14:00h.

Tel +34 971 760 058

C/ Poima, 6

Can Valero

Palma de Mallorca

http://www.islacatavinos.com

Comercial Vera

This gourmet store is also in the same road as Catavinos. It’s not a huge shop, but sells a wealth of delicious and all-too-tempting foods. If you enjoy a good steak, check out their butchery counter, where you’ll find beef from Ireland, Australia, and the USA. There’s also lamb from New Zealand. The store has a small section for wines and spirits; confectionery, wide range of condiments, good deli counter, and more.

British preserves

Say cheese!

C/Poima, 28

Palma de Mallorca

Tel +34 900 707 808

http://www.comercialvera.eu

©Jan Edwards 2015