Ever thought about what happens to food at Harrods that is close to going out of date (well best before anyway)? It’s not like Tesco where there’s a reduced sticker section (with vultures pushing and shoving to get a 20p quiche). Wandering around the Harrods food hall I thought I would investigate and corner the manager. And yes! It’s Harrods policy to reduce all food that is close to going out of date.
Its manager told me that they hate to waste food so reduces everything. I had (wrongly) thought that Harrods might be so posh, it would rather throw out food than sell it off cheap – so it was a nice surprise!
What is reduced at Harrods? When? And by how much?
If you haven’t been to the Harrods food hall before, it covers a massive chunk of the ground floor and has a few different rooms. Every single department reduces its perishable items, but some more often than others. For example, the fish and meats section reduces food every day, while chocolates take a bit more time to go off, so are reduced less often.
Some items will be reduced by 25% for a while, but two hours before closing (usually 8pm), items that are going out of date will have 50% off. Some food such as charcuterie items will be reduced a couple of days in advance.
You won’t see any yellow stickers or a reduced section as such, but you do have to keep an eye out for white signs with 50% off written on them (they do blend in), as well as small red stickers that may have a new price on them, but then again, some don’t.
What did I find?
I went in at 4pm, which wasn’t the ideal time but did spot a few beauties. I found a half price coconut macaron (it was a bit crumbly), half priced chocolate fudge as well as fancy salmon, meat and super expensive tea (which is for people with more money than sense).
Should you bother going?
Yes, yes, yes! Sure, it’s not a cheap shop, but what it does sell is amazing. For example, I had my eye on a lovely steak and ale ready made pie. It was £4.70, so a bit too pricey for me, but you know it would be one of the best pies you’d have ever eaten. However, if you could get it for £2.35, you’re getting a proper bargain! Ooohh, get you, you’ll be eaten swans next!
Scoffed that coconut macaron down before I even left the shop.
Oooffff reduced caviar. It don’t get posher than that!
Is there a more beautiful sight than reduced fudge?
Well, it beats a fish finger doesn’t it?
Is it just me, but I don’t trust sausage that pale?
LOL at those prices. Not heard of Tetley tea guys?
I like Harrods Food Hall very much indeed and find the staff exceptionally friendly, courteous, knowledgeable and pro-actively helpful. They are, however, very sharply tuned into liggers and you’ll get no quarter from them if you plead poverty! Shoplifters are also routinely prosecuted to the full extent of the law, so, don’t even think about stealing. Eating any food before you checkout IS considered theft so don’t do it. You may feel as though you’re getting you own back on the establishment by nibbling on something without the intent to pay, but you’d be so very wrong, for hard as you surely might try, you cannot buy class, breeding, status or taste!
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