Food feedback
Published: 28 August, 2008
Whiteleys has seen numerous changes over the last 20 years, since the building opened as a shopping centre in 1989, not least the foodservice offer. The last year has seen the opening of Rowley Leigh's acclaimed Le Café Anglais at Level 2 of the centre, in addition to the existing offers including Yo! Sushi, Café Rouge, ASK and Bella Italia, all supporting, and supported by, the Odeon cinema.
As part of the centre's refurbishment, June 2008 saw the opening of Food Inc, selling a wide selection of wine, bakery goods, meat and fish, deli goods, artisan cheese and ice cream - a 'microcosm' of the high street. Five years ago, epicurean food halls were only found in elite department stores, but there is a growing trend in the UK for greater accessibility to products based on provenance and quality, not on price. This trend can be seen with the openings of the Whole Foods Market in Kensington, the John Lewis Food Hall in Oxford Street, and now Food Inc. Prominently located on the ground floor of the centre, the offer is visually appealing, convenient and placed to test the resolve of even the most non-spontaneous food purchaser.
Food Inc, created by successful restaurant entrepreneurs Dominic Ford and Patrick McDonald, consists of nine distinct food and drink areas. The food hall combines a range of own label products such as meat from Ford's restaurant, Butcher & Grill, with concession counters such as Cranberry, Crussh and Oddono's Ice Cream. All counters are designed 'open plan', resembling a contemporary market offer, allowing the food to sell itself.
Unfortunately, on a hot July Wednesday, there was an understandable lack of passing shoppers, but the food on display looked fabulous. We had a good chat with each 'stall-holder' who knew a great deal about the products they were selling - much different from a normal supermarket experience. We bought into their passion and ended up buying over £30-worth of cakes, pies and chocolates for the office. Judging by the speed of consumption, food quality and taste were exceptional.
It's still early days for Food Inc, with a café offer yet to open, which will provide seats for up to 120 customers. However, it is a step change to see foodservice given such a prominent presence in a shopping centre, placed directly in the highest level of footfall. The thought that has gone into the design and the quality of product ensures a natural fit at ground floor level.
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