In a world grappling with a seemingly endless cost of living crisis, we’re all looking for ways to save money. But step into Harrods Food Hall, and you’ll quickly realize that some people are living in a different financial reality.
Food blogger Harrison Webb recently ventured into this opulent grocery haven, and his experience was nothing short of eye-opening. He found himself in a world where a single melon can set you back a staggering £150, and even the receipts feel expensive. “This is upmarket,” Webb observes. “I feel out of place.”
The sheer extravagance of the place is immediately apparent. A simple chocolate-dipped strawberry costs a sobering £4, and a kilo of cherries is priced at a jaw-dropping £175. For comparison, you can buy a 250g punnet of cherries at Sainsbury’s for £3, making the price for a kilogram a mere £12.
Webb’s journey through the Food Hall is a whirlwind of exorbitant prices. He encounters a “handful” of French white Rainier cherries selling for £17.50, a staff member explaining their premium quality and slightly tart flavor. Despite the astronomical prices, the shop is bustling with customers, suggesting that a certain segment of the population has no shortage of funds.
But the true shock comes in the meat section. Webb marvels at the sight of a ham shoulder priced at £425, a price he claims to have never seen before in his life. He finds streaky bacon at £18.50 per kilo, a price that might just turn even the most ardent carnivore into a vegan. And then there’s a chicken with no price tag attached, leading Webb to conclude: “If you can’t see the price, it’s probably going to cost a lot.”
This exorbitant pricing comes with a certain level of quality, however. Forget about thin plastic bags, at Harrods, you’ll find a sturdy canvas tote bag that will set you back a crisp fiver. As Webb puts it, “You know how you go into a supermarket and you get plastic bags and you pay about 5p or 10p? Not here – they’re five pound bags …but we just have to buy one.”
Armed with his pricey Harrods tote, Webb assembles a picnic. He picks up a couple of salads, some Japanese dumplings, and a generous curry wrap, ultimately spending a whopping £114. It’s a treat, undoubtedly, but not something you’d do every day.
Harrods Food Hall is a stark reminder of the vast wealth disparity in our society. It’s a world where a melon can cost more than most people’s weekly grocery budget, and where even the bags are expensive. It’s a glimpse into a world of extravagance, where the cost of living is a mere inconvenience for some, while for others, it’s a daily struggle.
