Antigua might be a small island,
but it has a great choice of supermarkets.
The prices are probably slightly higher than at home, but keep in mind, that pretty much everything is imported.
The good news is – you’ll find an impressive variety of goodies. Grocery shopping has become easy.
Gone are the times when, in the 1990s, you could only find white bread, blocks of cheddar or canned cheese in the supermarkets, and we had to fly with LIAT airline to Guadeloupe to treat ourselves to fresh croissants and yoghurts in “Mammoth Supermarket” close to the airport.
Now, we have some very presentable supermarkets ourselves! 😊
There are the large supermarkets with international goods, the local supermarkets and the tiny grocery stores, you’ll find in every village. Just in case you have forgotten something in “town” (in St. John’s), they’ll have a few basics on offer.
Most supermarkets are open from Monday to Sunday and
you can shop until late in the evening.
Supermarkets and Grocery Shopping
in and around St. John’s, Antigua
The first supermarket, you are going to see is on your way from the airport to your Long Bay cottage is
Gourmet Basket
at airport road, Piggotts
They have a nice selection of everything you need to start out in an empty kitchen. Their fruit and vegetable display looks very colorful and tempting. You’ll find all the basics you need to stock up the pantry in your cottage or villa for the first couple of days.
Tip: Right next to Gourmet Basket you’ll find Best Cellars, a well-assorted wines and spirits shop.
The largest supermarket in Antigua is the
Epicurean Supermarket
It’s located at the outskirts of St. Johns, close to Woods Center.
(There is a smaller version of the Epicurean supermarket in Jolly Harbour.)
At big EPI 😊, as the locals call it, you can get everything your heart desires.
From gluten free pasta to Sushi.
There’s a bakery, shelves and shelves of fresh produce, household items, a pharmacy and a wide range of international food items from England to India.
Tip: Wines and other alcoholic beverages are less pricey than in other supermarkets.
Just across the block, at Woods Center, you’ll find two more supermarkets.
IGA
a small outlet of the American brand grocery stores chain
and
Cost Pro
owned locally, and located right next to Woods Pharmacy and very popular with the locals.
The products are good and the prices are even better.
Tip: At Woods Center, you’ll also find two banks, a pharmacy, doctors and an emergency clinic and FLOW,
one of our telephone companies.
In the same area, a five minute ride away on Anchorage Road, you’ll find
First Choice
At First Choice, they have a good choice of international brands, and they always have a nice selection of local fruits and vegetables on offer.
These are the big ones.
Tip: Antigua has no factories and there are only a few small farms that cannot provide for the entire island.
We import pretty much everything we need.
Groceries arrive by container ships, it’s helpful to know that: the boats are cleared by customs on a Monday,
are unloaded on Tuesdays and fresh goods are in the supermarket shelves on Wednesdays … the latest…
If you’re more of a “buy locally” person, here are a few of my favorite places to get fresh vegetables and fish.
The best place to find fresh fish and produce is the main market in St. John’s.
There is the fruit and vegetable market, running over with juicy, colorful, ripe fruit and vegetables. Especially on a Saturday, early in the morning, it’s fun to visit. The country side farmers meet here to sell their goods, there’s lots of traffic and noise and it feels very “Caribbean” 😊
You will know it’s either Friday or Saturday, because everybody sets up their BBQ at the road side and the delicious aroma of grilled chicken or ribs follows you everywhere….
Across from the vegetable and fruit market is the main bus station and to it the the a building that hosts the meat market and the fish market.
If you are looking for fresh fish, go early. The fresh catch on ice only lasts until the last fish has been sold.
Another insider tip is CMC, the Caribbean Marketing Cooperation. While it’s hosted in a building that does not look very inviting, you can find fish and other groceries at a very good price here.
If you are back in Long Bay, looking for garden fresh vegetables, there is no better place then
Colesome’s Farmer Market
(A 12 minutes drive away)
At Colesome’s on Jonas Road you can point out your favorite lettuce head right from the vegetable patch.
They grow herbs, they have fruit trees and fresh eggs.
There is lovely shop with open windows and lots of light and a few steps away, you can even sit at the small bar and order a drink. Heaven!
They are open from 7am – 6pm Monday to Saturday.
And if you want to try the famous Antiguan Black Pineapple first hand, visit the
Claremont Pineapple Farm on Fig Tree Drive.
Make sure you contact Grant, the owner, before you visit and he might invite you for a tour of his farm.
These are the places I think of when I need to shop, but if you have a special request, please – don’t hesitate to ask!
There are also a few fishermen in the Long Bay area and if you don’t want to make the long trip to St. John’s, we can arrange for you to get you some fresh fish, right here on the beach…