Retail: Whole Foods Market Opens

“Whole Foods Market is committed to the goal of being the finest food shop in every community we serve, and our new London store will offer a fresh, vibrant choice,” said John Mackey, Whole Foods Market CEO and co-founder. “We want our shoppers to celebrate the joys of eating and living well. We hope Whole Foods Market will continue to prompt change in the way people think about and shop for food.”

The new store, which opened at 10am. following a bread-breaking ceremony, is spread across three floors within the historic Barkers building on High Street Kensington. Restored and updated, yet retaining its unique art deco styling, the space has been transformed to offer a fresh and distinctive approach to the UK grocery shopping experience with excellent customer service, food sampling and prepared foods selections mingling with thousands of fresh, organic and all natural ingredients. A vibrant food hall on the top floor features 13 dining venues with seating for more than 350 diners.

Over its nearly 27 year history, Whole Foods Market has helped to revolutionise the way Americans eat and think about food. Not only has the company worked since its founding to promote natural and organic foods, it is a leader in supporting small, local food artisans. With its store-based buying program, every Whole Foods Market store tailors itself to its community by seeking out and offering as many local culinary treasures as possible.

“Our Fresh & Wild stores have long been a part of the food community in London, and we have developed long-term, fruitful relationships with local growers and producers. The result is an exciting and plentiful array of organic and UK-grown food in an environment where we are eagerly waiting to satisfy and delight our shoppers,” said Rick Bonin, executive store team leader at Whole Foods Market, in London.

In the new store, many products are sourced from inside the UK. As with all Whole Foods Market stores, the new London store meets the company’s rigorous standards for customer service and food quality. More than 500 team members have joined the company at the new location to share their passion for food and customer service. “We have skilled butchers, scratch bakers and even our own store artists! We also have fishmongers, chefs, cheese artisans and knowledgeable Team Members handcrafting fresh foods right in front of our shoppers. We work to make food shopping fun because we believe food should be celebrated,” Mr Bonin said.

The ground level of the new store houses the Provision Hall, with its in-house bakery offering handmade breads, cakes, tarts and custards. An assortment of speciality items are also on offer such as olives, marinated artichokes and peppers, and other antipasti await shoppers. Whole Foods Market’s extensive wine department offers more than 1,000 different labels and at the adjoining wine and cheese bar, superior wines are paired with cheese, smoked meat and raclette.

Every day, a team of 55 in-store chefs will create a broad range of restaurant-quality prepared foods at Market Kitchen. With large salad, soup and hot food bars, as well as an expansive chef’s case, Whole Foods Market prepared foods options are abundant.

Market Hall will be on the lower level, offering a wide range of fresh fruit and vegetables, extensive meat and fish selections and more than 10,000 grocery items are available. Along the produce department is a large self-service bulk foods center where shoppers can select just the amount they desire from nearly 100 options including nuts, oats and grains. Shoppers can mix their own muesli and grind their own nut butters. The vast array of items in the grocery aisles include Whole Foods Market’s own UK house brands of pantry staples — Fresh & Wild Everyday Value and Fresh & Wild Organic Everyday Value — which adhere to the Company’s strict quality standards.

More than 40 varieties of house-made sausage and 20 varieties of meat pies and savory tarts are available and the store has an in-house dry aging case. Through extra humidity and time, cuts of Scottish beef are tenderised to perfection. At the new London store, Whole Foods Market is launching its new Five-Step Animal Welfare Rating Program, which allows shoppers to easily understand how the meats they are buying were raised and treated.

The expansive 12-meter seafood counter features options including fresh-cut and whole fish, crabs, shellfish and convenient oven-ready selections such as nori-wrapped miso salmon. Whole Foods Market promotes sustainable seafood practices by working with responsible fisheries and fishermen; many of the fish are hook-and-line caught off the shores of the UK.

Also within Market Hall is Whole Body, the company’s range of natural and organic body care and cosmetics. Customers can sample new lotions and other body care products or consult with staff on an expanded selection of yoga products and supplements. Organic cotton apparel for adults and children are featured alongside organic alternatives for home necessities, such as linens and towels.

On the first floor, ‘Upstairs at the Market’, customers can enjoy a wide selection of eateries, combining food and fun with 13 dining choices. From the sit-down experiences of the tapas bar, the champagne and oyster bar, the pub, and the sushi and dim sum eatery to the open format of the other venues, Whole Foods Market offers plenty of choices to satisfy every diner’s palate. Choices from Jamon Croquettes, gazpacho with saffron mussels and fresh salads to house-made gelato, fresh juices, soups, pizza, fresh oysters, vegan dishes and decadent desserts make Whole Foods Market a food lover’s paradise.