Whole Foods Market (for that is, indeed, its full name) will open next Wednesday (25th March 25), marking the American company’s first new location in the UK since 2014.

The new 21,800-square-foot store – opposite Royal Avenue at No.120 – will open at 9am on opening day. Regular hours after that will be 8am–9pm, Monday to Saturday, and 12p-6pm on Sundays. The store will feature new and exclusive products in its King’s Road branch.

“Whole Foods Market has roots deeply planted in the U.K., 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.”

On the opening morning, Whole Foods organisers are expecting a queue to form at 7.30am in Royal Avenue for those wanting to be first in. After that customers will enjoy complimentary coffee from Old Spike and morning snacks from Whole Foods Market suppliers. The first 200 customers across the threshold will receive a custom tote bag and Secret Saver discount coupon.

The Felix Project will receive a food donation on the opening day as part of Whole Foods’ ‘Nourishing Our Neighbourhoods Program’. Whole Foods is also donating funds to community-based organisations in Chelsea including the Kensington & Chelsea Foundation.

Features of the new King’s Road store include:

• Full-service seafood counter featuring only sustainable wild-caught or Responsibly Farmed seafood and a large selection of ready-to-cook seafood. Local seafood options with fresh catches four days per week including dover sole and Shetland scallops.
• An array of certified organic and conventional fresh produce. Local items include Merit Mushrooms, Wye Valley asparagus from Mudwalls with a King’s Road exclusive of Crate-to-Plate herbs and lettuce that use 95% less water than traditional farming, no pesticides or herbicides and no importing.
• Speciality department dedicated to celebrating cheesemakers and artisan producers. A wide local cheese selection from Neal’s Yard Dairy, European cheeses from Mons, and Whole Foods Market exclusive Goudas. The cheese counter is overseen by trained cheesemongers who can offer recommendations for any occasion.
• Curated grocery section filled with exclusives from XOXO, Joe & Seph’s, Old Spike Roastery, Good Phats and Ice Cream Union, and local products from over 80 brands.
• Full-service meat counter, with butchers available to cut steaks and poultry to order. Features include dry-aged beef, selection of marinated-in-house meats, beef from Ashdale Farm and pork from local supplier Dingley Dell.
• Extensive selection of more than 400 wines, and a range of local beers including an exclusive from Battersea based Mondo Brewing. A new and exclusive to Whole Foods Market King’s Road rosé wine from Mirabeau, from the first vineyard in France to achieve both Regenerative Organic Certified and Certified Regenerative, setting a benchmark for climate positive viticulture.
• Prepared Foods department featuring a hot food bar, salad bar with new condiment station and made-in-house hot pizza with an exclusive flavour curated by a King’s Road Team Member. Customers can also shop for sushi made fresh daily in store from Genji Sushi.
• Full-service coffee bar brewing a variety of roasts and serving made-to-order seasonal and everyday tea and coffee beverages.
• Bakery department offering fresh bread daily as well as everyday favourites, such as Whole Foods Market’s Berry Chantilly Cake and brown butter cookies. The department also carries a wide variety of special diet items, including vegan brownies, cakes and chocolate chip cookies along with several gluten-free selections. Exclusives for the store include floral-inspired decorated cupcakes and party cakes, as well as local items from Celtic Bakers and Pourtoi.
• Wellness & Beauty department with a large assortment of wellness, beauty, and lifestyle items, including an assortment of local products. The store will also have an exclusive scented candle from Toorak Candle Co. named the Chelsea candle, products from Ayeya Soaps and a limited-edition Whole Foods Market beauty bag.

Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods has 535 stores in the America, Canada and the UK and has 90 more stores in the pipeline. For more information, wild supermarket enthusiasts can visit www.wholefoodsmarket.co.uk.

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