A Foody Day

Posted on 2007/06/10 23:53:47 (June 2007).

[Saturday 9th June]
Got up really late this morning - it's quite unusual for me to sleep past 10 recently - but then I suppose I was working late the previous evening.

We had originally planned to go out and visit a castle or something today, but given that the weather didn't look so great, and we'd already lost a fair chunk of the day, we decided to put that off until tomorrow.

So we lolled around the flat for a large part of the day, until we finally decided to head out late afternoon for a spot of shopping. We'd heard in the news recently about the US store Whole Foods Market opening its first store in the UK. I think we have been to these stores in the US - or at least Chie definitely had, I can't quite remember as I get this place confused with another similar concept store called Trader Joe's.

Personally I'm of a cynical persuasion when it comes to new shops and that sort of thing - I'm not quite sure what the word for it is, but I'm at the opposite end of the spectrum to the end where people will camp over night to be the first people into a new store. I remember being in Hiroshima when the first Starbuck's opened there, and the sense of embarassment and pity I felt when I saw hoardes of peoples queuing up to welcome the fact that their town had suddenly got a bit closer to being exactly the bloody same as everywhere else in the world.

Despite my hesitation, Chie was quite keen to see what the new Whole Foods store was like, and as I couldn't come up with a convincing enough argument of why we shouldn't I gave in and complied.

When we first arrived, around 6, there was a big queue outside, which I was far too proud to join, so instead we went for a wander round Holland Park. It has a little Japanese themed garden which is very pleasant.

After this we went back for another look at Whole Foods, and by this time the queue had vanished. It was fairly busy inside, but not unbearably so.

I guess it is quite a nice shop - certainly good to have all that space. It is split over three floors, the top floor being a sort of upmarket foodcourt. It even had a DJ, which I found a little embarassing frankly - some things that work in the US don't necessarily work here in stuffy old Blighty. As for the actual food, overall it was OK, but there wasn't really anything that we couldn't get in a decent Waitrose or the food halls of Fortnum and Mason or Harrods. At least for the sorts of things I would be interested in buying - obviously I can't really comment on meat etc.

We did buy a few bits and pieces though, and when we got home we assembled an interesting and eclectic supper - a plum tomato and caperberry salad, with Sharpham cheese, followed by a pie (potato and rosemary for me, something meaty for Chie) served with mange tout and whisky gravy, and then a fresh artichoke with a vinaigrette dipping sauce.

Not quite as busy as the Co-op this Friday then? We had 180,000 fans for Download 2007 here, and 179,999 must have been in Co-op as same time as I was. Incredibly polite, the chap in front suggested I went in front of him nad he tapped a few others on the shoulder as well.

Posted by Mum at 2007/06/11 09:13:00.

Was the other 1 attendee keeping an eye on everyone's tent for them then?

Posted by John at 2007/06/11 10:17:08.

Dunno, just didn't want to exagerate the number in the Co-po.

Posted by Mum at 2007/06/11 15:19:14.

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