When I think of Waitrose, I think of Heston Blumenthal and King Charles.
And after my first ever visit to the supermarket, that hasn't changed, only now I also know where I can pick up some venison and caviar when I am in a culinary bind.
When I first walked into Merseyside's only branch in Formby, I was struck by how quiet it was. I am unsure if this is a feature of Waitrose or just the time of the week I chose to visit - a Wednesday evening, if you want to avoid the crowds.
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There were no announcements over the speaker system and it was also very quiet visually, with limited signage boasting about offers and low prices. It felt like a European supermarket, if you have ever had the pleasure.
Other supermarkets in comparison can be a complete assault on the eyes with their bright lights and boards everywhere telling us what a great deal two-for-one Ritz crackers is, as it builds into the frantic energy of the weekly shop. But not at Waitrose. It felt very calm as if to say, there is food there and you can buy it, but you don't have to - you will want to, it is Waitrose after all.
Snooping at the shelves, I did feel a bit like a food tourist, 'Oooh look veal', I said to my less-than-impressed teenage son. I have never seen or eaten veal so looking at the price tag of £4.83 for a 'bone-in sirloin steak', I have no frame of reference as to whether this is good or not.
I was impressed with the wide variety of food on offer, it is definitely a supermarket for "foodies". I felt like I had stepped into the larder of BBC's MasterChef and wondered what on earth I would make with artichokes, caviar and three different types of crab meat.
I was also transfixed by the oils. They looked beautiful, in fancy bottles, with promise of deep, fresh flavours and price tags to rival a well-aged single malt whiskey. I was tempted to buy one, but was persuaded otherwise by the husband who reminded me it would be wasted on my toddler who flat-out refuses most meals I put in front of him.
But the produce feels curated and, to me, it feels like it is in keeping with its humble beginnings as a small grocery in West London in 1904, founded by Wallace Waite, Arthur Rose and David Taylor. I felt like I could still imagine the same conversations going on at Waitrose HQ about which apples are best, as the three grocers had on the streets of the capital city. With more than 330 stores country-wide, it can't be easy.
There were many items I had only ever seen on TV, spices I had never heard of, and while customers at the big four supermarkets reach for their Gu puddings in the little ramekins and feel fancy, Waitrose has mini soufflés, because of course they do. They also had quite an extensive vegan range including mushroom sausages, vegan bacon and plant-based chicken calzones.
I will admit, I had preconceptions of Waitrose being super expensive and adding items to its essentials range that someone like me might scoff at (which they did in 2017 and many times since). But I was surprised that compared to my normal shop at ASDA, some items were not as expensive as I had thought. Although the Duchy Organics range, set up by King Charles III when he was Prince of Wales, was considerably more expensive, as you would imagine.
A big bag of 'less than perfect' potatoes was £1.25, bread was available for 75p and, while it was an offer, £3 for 100 Twinings teabags is great value (according to me, a self-confessed tea snob). Four pints of milk was only 5p more expensive than ASDA and there were plenty of yellow stickers, which I of course had a good browse through.
I picked up some reduced hummus and coleslaw as I feel they are great indicators of quality. I do have a ranking for coleslaw in particular - third place is M&S, second place is Morrisons, and first place is always ASDA's extra special. Waitrose's was nice, but unlikely to topple the top three however the hummus was lovely and zesty.
We also picked up some earl grey tea (see, I told you, tea snob), pistachio granola, some reduced focaccia bread, a pretzel and sourdough bread. It all came to £11.60 and I feel like that is reasonable given what I bought.
Will I go back? Probably not, but not because I didn't like it or I thought there was anything particularly bad about it. It is just not my local, I find other supermarkets have a great deal of variety and choice now at cheaper prices and it is rare, if ever, that I find myself in need of fresh oysters at 6pm on a Wednesday.
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