Sainsbury's taste grow for foodies

SAINSBURY'S today opens its second specialist 'foodie' store in London, following the success of its market-style shop at the Bluebird Gastrodome in Chelsea, which it took over from Sir Terence Conran.

'Market at Pimlico' in Wilton Road has 10 specialist food counters, including a master butcher, cheesemonger, fishmonger and charcuterie. It also caters for the lunchtime crowd, with a stone bake oven providing hot pizzas and a hot carvery for tailor-made sandwiches.

Sainsbury's push into specialist food outlets comes amid the growing popularity of foodhalls and farmers' markets.

The group's Diana Hunter said: 'Following many months of research into the shopping habits of Londoners, we have developed a store that combines the abundance of fresh seasonal foods and personal service of a market with the specialist gourmet offering of a foodhall.'

Sainsbury's took over the food shop at Conran's Bluebird restaurant earlier this year and the new store has proved a hit with King's Road shoppers.