Waitrose will be housing Merchant Gourmet, the market-leading healthy pulses, grains, seeds and nuts brand, in Salisbury, to bring shoppers an exclusive healthy eating pop-up counter. The Waitrose Grain & Graze counter will be open for shoppers to visit Monday to Saturday from 7.30am to 7pm, and 9am to 4pm every Sunday.
“We know from the category research that Waitrose over indexes in sales of pulses and grains and that our customer base is getting more and more into making delicious and healthy food. The Grain & Graze pop up gives us an ideal opportunity to gauge their appetite for this cuisine in our Food Service operations. Balancing the desire for a treat and eating something healthy has traditionally been a challenge for us, so finding a solution is at the top of our aspirations when it comes to new product development,” commented Simon Burdess, Director of Food Service at Waitrose.
The Grain & Graze counter will offer foodies and fans of the brand healthy and delicious food, as well as step by step recipe cards with dishes such as Quinoa Porridge, Puy Lentil and Sausage Hot Pot, Smoky Spanish Grains and Chorizo Paella and the famous Beluga Lentil Brownie.
This partnership marks the first time Marchant Gourmet has started collaborating with an external brand to serve customers outside of its London store. The new venture aims to promote healthy eating to Waitrose customers with convenient and delicious food ready on the go.
“We’ve been told time and time again that one of the biggest struggles for busy workers and families on the go is trying to stay healthy whilst out and about. Fast food is always an option, but when we want to fuel our bodies quickly with nutritious ingredients and minimal fuss, what’s the option? That’s exactly how Grain & Graze in London was born last summer, and now we’re incredibly excited to bring this ethos to Salisbury. This brand new venture with Waitrose is such a natural fit and we can’t wait to see how customers react following the official opening at the end of the month,” said Clive Moxham at Merchant Gourmet.
The launch comes just seven months following the opening of Grain & Graze in Islington, Merchant Gourmet’s flagship pop-up store offering dining, cooking demonstrations and masterclasses to foodies in the capital, which has been an incredible success since its September launch.
