‘On the front foot’: Waitrose boss confident chain is getting its mojo back

James Bailey in the newly reopened Waitrose on Finchley Road, north London. The group aims to revamp half its stores in the next four years. Photograph: Sarah M Lee/The Guardian

Waitrose is getting its mojo back, according to the boss of the upmarket supermarket chain, with shoppers treating themselves more often to pricier items such as green harissa paste and organic beef fillet steak as the cost of living crisis subsides for them.

James Bailey says Waitrose is selling nearly double the amount expected of its range of branded ingredients for recipes by the celebrity chef Yotam Ottolenghi, which launched in April, while sales of its Duchy Organic range are up more than 10%, as are those for its premium No 1 own label range, while sales of its budget Essentials range are falling back.