US grocery chain with ‘exquisite’ food is opening brand new UK store

The UK has experienced somewhat of an American invasion of late, with numerous fast food chains from over the pond looking to set up shop here.

From Dave’s Hot Chicken, to Carl’s Jr, Chick-fil-A and Chuck E. Cheese, we’re getting it all, but it’s not just fast food – did you know we’ve also got an American grocery chain in the UK?

Whole Foods Market, which has been owned by Amazon since 2017, currently has five locations across London, in places such as Piccadilly, High Street Kensington and Clapham Junction, and it’s about to open its sixth store on King’s Road, Chelsea.

This will be the premium retailer’s first new location in the UK in 10 years, and there are plans for more shops to open nationwide in the future, as part of an international expansion.

There are currently more than 535 Whole Food stores in the US, Canada and the UK, with nearly 90 more locations in the pipeline (although it’s not yet been confirmed where these will be).

The new King’s Road store will be a whopping 21,800 square feet, and offer new and exclusive products only available at that location, including food and drink made by local London brands, as well as a hot food counter, salad bars, and a pizzeria.

Inside you can also expect to find a seafood counter featuring sustainable wild-caught or responsibly farmed seafood, a selection of organic and fresh produce, artisan cheeses from producers such as Neal’s Yard Dairy, a full-service meat counter, a selection of more than 400 wines, a curated grocery section with over 80 brands, as well as a coffee bar, bakery, and wellness and beauty department.

All of the food you come across in store will have been rigorously checked to ensure it meets the company’s strict quality standards, as the retailer doesn’t sell anything that contains hydrogenated fats, high-fructose corn syrup or more than 300 flavours, colours or sweeteners.

Similarly, all of the beauty and body care products they offer must meet their body care standards, which ban more than 240 commonly used ingredients, such as phthalates, parabens and microbeads.

‘Whole Foods Market has roots deeply planted in the UK, and we are thrilled to be bringing more natural and organic food to this market with the opening of our new King’s Road store this March,’ said Vice President of Amazon’s Worldwide Grocery Stores and Whole Foods Market CEO Jason Buechel.

‘Continuing our expansion outside of the U.S. enables us to extend our reach to more customers while advancing our higher purpose to nourish people and the planet.’

Christina Minardi, Executive Vice President Growth & Development, Whole Foods Market & Amazon, added: ‘We know customers in the UK are seeking high quality natural and organic products. As we plan for the future, we are actively looking at this market and opportunities to bring Whole Foods Market to more customers there.’

The new King’s Road store will open on March 25 from 9am and the first 200 customers in line will receive a custom tote bag and Secret Saver coupon. Guests can also enjoy complimentary coffee from Old Spikes and snacks throughout the opening morning.

What do shoppers really think of Whole Foods Market? 

On Tripadvisor, the Piccadilly store in London has mixed reviews, with some shoppers hailing it as ‘excellent’ with a ‘large variety’ of food, and others claiming it’s ‘overpriced’.

A user known as Abovethclouds wrote: ‘Good for healthy produce, but expensive. They have a big selection of healthy food (different from the average supermarket) catering for various dietary requirements. They also have a fresh food and drinks counter.’

Meanwhile thezine71 described the shop as an ‘organic wonderland’, with ‘an epic series of unique cuisines and continental delights’.

Roger M claimed it had ‘exquisite fresh food’, saying it was a ‘wonderful place’ with ‘enormous choices’. However, GF_Gavin thought it was ‘very overpriced’, adding: ‘I only go there for certain things which I can’t get anywhere else – the Just gluten-free bread for instance, which is delicious, and which is not available elsewhere. Definitely don’t buy anything there which is available in other shops, as everything has a huge mark-up on the price.’

Similarly mixed reviews can be found for the High Street Kensington store, and Camden location, with some loving it and others thinking it’s ‘awful’.

So it seems it might be one of those places that you’ll have to try for yourself to see if it’s for you or not.

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