Of course, none of this is cheap. The “bespoke tea experience” costs £30 ($41). Personalizing bread costs £4, on top of the £5 loaf. The cakes are absolutely beautiful (and delicious)—as they should be: Some cost £50.
Having said that, few enter Harrods looking for a bargain.
Alex Dower, Harrods director of food and restaurants, says his aim is to entice more Londoners into the store, a noble goal. Even a pop-up restaurant in 2011 by the revered American chef Thomas Keller—the French Laundry at Harrods—failed to set the world alight.
The store’s website lists 24 restaurants, and I don’t know if many people could name a single one. I have been writing about restaurants for Bloomberg since 2004 and have never dined at the flagship Georgian. (It dates to 1911 and was named after the then-newly crowned King George V.)
I took some persuading to visit the new Roastery and Bake Hall, mostly because I’d rather support small retailers and local markets than a big business catering to the super-rich and curious tourists. I have changed my mind. The Food Halls are worth the trip.
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.