El Cheap ‘OU

There are so many little discount shops on Deptford High Street that it’s hard to stand out, but somehow El Cheap ‘Ou does. The store stocks a somewhat random selection of groceries at fairly cheap prices, mostly nuts and dried fruit, canned goods, biscuits, tea, chocolate and baked items. Some of the stock is kind of dodgy looking but that’s part of the fun. The selection is always a little different. Sometimes they’ll have tonnes of ravioli for 50p a package. Other times they’ll have massive stacks of Easter chocolate or panettone or yule logs.
My favourite thing to buy here is cheap cheese. On most days you can get a cheese board for £2.50, which is great value for what you get. Make sure you eat it fast though — they never seem to keep for long.
This place has character and characters. There are a couple of guys who work there who sit around chatting and filling in betting forms. Sometimes I’ve gotten drawn into a conversation on politics, or singing ‘I Never Promised You a Rose Garden’. Other times I’ve been the butt of some sort of inside joke. The first thing you will notice on entering this shop is that the walls and ceiling are covered with pictures of their clientele, people from the neighbourhood. If you look closely, you might be able to spot a few of them outside. If they ever decide to put me up on the wall, I’ll revise this review to five stars, because it’s pretty nearly the best place ever.