Some may argue that the last time style and grocery shopping were mentioned in the same breath was seven years ago when the Chanel erected a giant supermarket set in the Grand Palais for its Fall/Winter 2014 show.
Grocery shopping is back in vogue this time with a particular focus on the gourmet grocer where hard-to-find ingredients and speciality brands is the name of the game. In the past eight months, we’ve counted four new establishments popping up on the scene, adding to the list of household names like Providore and Little Farms, drawing customers with their hip interiors and focus on fresh produce.
Chanel created a supermarket set for its Fall/Winter 2014 fashion show.
In December 2020, Alimentari General Store set up camp in the hip Joo Chiat area, stocking artisanal produce from all around Italy. Bootle’s, a grocer featuring numerous organic products and an in-house farm & kitchen, also joined the party that month with its outpost at Havelock Road.
Plant-based eatery and grocery concept store Green Common was launched in January this year, supplying all things vegan and vegetarian. Then came East Coast Grocers, which popped up in April and boasts a robust network of over 300 suppliers.
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“There is a charm in shopping at such independent speciality stores, which often stock products not available in regular supermarkets,” observes Abbie Stavroff, Alimentari General Store’s marketing & communications manager. “A large supermarket chain would most likely never stock coffee from a boutique roaster in a small town in Tuscany.”
Cindy Henwood, co-founder of e-retailer Limwood Gourmet, adds that more people are becoming conscious of where their food comes from. This boosts the popularity of gourmet grocers, who are open about the producers they work with.
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“Just as the farm-to-table concept took off years ago, we are seeing an increasing number of consumers who are more curious and knowledgeable about quality artisanal produce and the heritage and provenance of these producers,” she says.
With that in mind, we’ve rounded up six gourmet grocers to check out, as well as the speciality items to put on your shopping list.
Address: 180 East Coast Road
Opening hours: 8am to 8pm daily
Tel: 9017-3701
What it’s about: One of the newest kids on the block, East Coast Grocers was set up in April this year. The store stocks both produce and non-fresh products from over 300 sources worldwide, depending on seasonalities. Expect items like fresh berries from Holland or Japanese apple juice from the Aomori Prefecture.
Who’s behind it: The team running it (who prefer to remain anonymous) are veterans in the FMCG business, and founded the store as a passion project to serve the community in the east coast and beyond.
Why go: The grocer prides itself on being community-focused − with the aim of creating a space for patrons to conversate and enjoy comfortable grocery runs. It also rewards patrons by offering great value: Customers can sign up for free and enjoy 5 per cent cashback on all purchases, as well as 10 per cent cashback on their first purchase. Kerbside pick-up and free islandwide deliveries available as well.
Speciality items: Apart from produce, East Coast Grocers is known among fans for its in-house creations like housemade jams and the Uber Ripe Banana & French Dark Chocolate Pistoles loaf. Pre-orders for the loaf are often sold out the minute sales open, with slots for September to be released soon.
Address: 733 Havelock Road
Opening hours: 8:30 am to 6:30 pm on Sunday to Friday; 7:30 am to 7:30 pm on Saturday
Tel: 9875-2091
What it’s about: A green grocer set up in December last year. Its sustainability-sourced produce includes heirloom vegetable varieties, hormone and antibiotic-free salmon from the waters of Faroe Island and dry-aged Irish beef. Bootle’s also has its own kitchen which cooks up items like smoked salmon, dumplings, muffins, dips and pizzas, and an instore farm growing nutrient dense-microgreens like purple rambo radish and sunflower.
Who’s behind it: Co-founders include UK native Ben Scott, who stems from a family of bakers and farmers in Belfast and Liverpool. His great grandfather started the family bakery in the English town of Bootle (hence the store’s name). The other co-founders are Mo Melwani, who previously headed food service Indoguna Singapore, and butchery director Angharad Onions – who has worked for the award-winning HG Walter butchery in London.
Why go: Priding itself on full transparency, Bootle’s is open about the source of its products and clearly labels them in categories like ‘chemical-free’, ‘organic’ and ‘conventional’. It also stocks organic produce that’s hard to find, such as Chioggia beetroot and zebra tomatoes. The store is known for its competitive prices too, selling Australian Hass avocados for as low as $1.50 each, $6 for five pieces, or $60 for 60 pieces.
Speciality items: Heirloom chemical-free beefsteak tomatoes, free-range xiao long bao (made in-house), Faroe Island antibiotic and hormone-free salmon, and dry-aged, grass-fed Irish Beef.
Address: 201 Joo Chiat Road, #01-02
Opening hours: 11:30am to 7:30pm on Tuesday to Friday; 10:30 am to 7:30 pm on Saturday and Sunday. Closed Monday.
Tel: 8826-1657
What it’s about: Carrying some of the finest produce from Italy, Alimentari General Store was founded in December last year. Reminiscent of a typical Italian neighbourhood grocery store, you’ll find artisanal cheeses and wines from small regional wineries, cured meat, sweet treats, chocolate, traditional coffee and gelato.
Who’s behind it: Andrea Iotti, who hails from the Italian city of Modena. He previously worked in fashion but made the jump to F&B in 2011, starting up a business importing artisanal Italian food and wine in Hong Kong. His next project was a speciality food store in his hometown, after which he came to Singapore to start Alimentari.
Why go: If you’re looking for variety, Alimentari has got you covered with its wide selection including wines, spirits, unique chocolate varieties and even Italian breakfast cereal. Staff are extremely knowledgeable about the products sold too and can assist customers with food selection and wine pairing.
Speciality items: Parma ham aged over 35 months (freshly sliced in-house), rare tomato varieties from Mount Vesuvio in Campania and a selection of premium olive oil including Quattrociocch (producers of premium extra virgin olive oil).
Address: 306 Tanglin Road, #01-02
Opening hours: 10am to 4pm on Monday, Tuesday and Friday; 12pm to 4pm on Saturday. Closed on Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday and public holidays.
What it’s about: If you’ve got a penchant for the finer things in life, Fave Fine Food is your go-to premium grocer. Established in 2019, products here are of the highest quality and meticulously curated from all around the world – thanks to founder Valandra Sutanto’s travels to gourmet destinations like France and Italy.
Who’s behind it: Sutanto, along with co-founder and managing partner Kenneth Ng. The former is a chef who has worked for Michelin-starred kitchen La Cabro d’Or in France, as well as luxury establishments like Hotel de Crillon Paris and The Ritz Paris. She’s now an in-flight chef for VVIPs in private aviation.
Why go: Fave Fine Food is all about respecting artisanal ingredients, particular their flavours, the traditions behind them and the people who created them. And if you’re hosting a celebration, you’ll love the store’s gourmet feast items like the classic roast chicken kit or cheese platters. It’s also the perfect place for gift-hunting, with thoughtfully wrapped baskets featuring wine and premium ingredients.
Speciality items: Le Beurre Bordier, also known as the “Rolls Royce” of butter. Also, fresh truffles from Alba in Italy, Sturia caviar from France and the multi-award-winning Castillo de Canena premium olive oil.
Address of warehouse/tasting venue: 128 Joo Seng Road, #05-02
Opening hours: Contact the team for tastings (currently on hold due to Covid restrictions).
Tel: 6962-2906
What it’s about: Limwood Gourmet offers wines, spirits and a pantry selection of olive oils, jams, vinegar and salts from boutique gourmet producers. The retailer doesn’t have a physical store as of yet, with items available via its e-commerce platform and various online marketplaces like Lazada, Shopee and OpenTaste. However, it does have a well-appointed warehouse cum tasting venue, including a cosy bar where private wine tastings are conducted.
Who’s behind it: Founders Phil and Cindy Henwood, both of whom have prior experience in the F&B industry. The duo started Limwood Gourmet in 2018 with just two producers from Australia, and have steadily grown the brand’s portfolio to include producers from countries like Spain, the UK and Japan.
Why buy: The Henwoods are passionate about representing producers from multi-generational, family-owned businesses, so you can be assured that all products are time-honoured and of the best quality. Limwood Gourmet is also a finalist in the World Gourmet Awards 2021 (for gourmet distributor of the year). The brand runs a newly-launched lifestyle publication as well, featuring food, drink, travel tips, recipe ideas and stories on passionate producers.
Speciality items: Spirits from Gin Kitchen, a specialty gin distillery where each bottle is filled, labelled and numbered by hand in a 170-year-old barn in the English Surrey Hills. Also, fruity and honey-infused gins, vodkas and rums from Keeper’s Spirits.
Address: #01-15 Safra Tampines, 1A Tampines Street 92
Opening hours: 8am to 8pm on Monday to Friday; 10:30am to 5:30pm on Saturday and Sunday
Tel: 8713-7037
What it’s about: Set up in 2015 as an online store, Renew Snacks Garage specialises in homemade, minimally-processed healthy snacks like cashews, almonds, soy crisps and nut butter. After receiving positive consumer responses from pop-up roadshows and farmers’ markets, a physical store was set up in 2017. It also has a deli that serves nut butter toasts and smoothies, made from its very own tree nut butter.
Who’s behind it: Founder Adelene Soh, who started experimenting with healthy snacks at home for family and friends. Her brand is inspired by the idea of finding new ways to “renew one’s way of living”, with snacks that provide nourishment and energy to people always on the go.
Why go: Renew’s artisanal products are all handcrafted in small batches, using low glycemic ingredients such as gula melaka and herbs. The store also allows for the customisation of its products. Patrons can mix and match items to their liking or based on diet constraints. You can check out their subscription boxes too, containing a variety of snacks that can be customised as gift packages.
Speciality items: The Gusto pack, consisting of a flavourful bunch of cinnamon pecans and topped off with dried cranberries. The lavender pistachio nut butters are popular with customers as well, thanks to their rich aromatic taste.