Whole Foods Market

The Barkers Building on Kensington High Street used to house an entire department store so you can imagine how much fresh, good-for-you food you can fit into this 80,000 square foot site. Whole Foods Market is a big hit in the US and has been cleverly canvassing its UK audience for some time, advertising on the brown paper bags that organic-conscious shoppers take away from Fresh and Wild (which they have also owned since 2004). While they do prioritise organic produce, not all of it can be categorized as such. Where organic isn't possible, the emphasis is on locally sourced foods that are fresh, wholesome and healthy; this means that all foods are free from artificial preservatives, colours, flavours, sweeteners and hydrogenated fats. The emphasis here is on choice with more than 100 different olive oils, 40 types of sausage and 50 fresh juices for starters. There's an upstairs market where you can choose from 11 different food venues: oven-baked pizza, dim sum, sushi, a trattoria and a juice bar serve freshly prepared food rustled up by a team of 40 chefs. It's not just a food shop, you can also get holistic treatments, homeopathic remedies and practise some yoga here. If the trend for all things organic continues at its current level this vast temple to healthy living is sure to be a huge success and we wouldn't be surprised if Whole Foods Markets began cropping up all over the capital.