Marks and Spencer Foodhall is a veritable temple to all that is yummy. M&S as a retailer has…read moretraditionally focused on clothing, home goods, and luxury food items at its stores. It wasn't until relatively recently in its over 130 year history that food became of special concern. While most of their retail stores dedicate a space to food under the simply food banner, or through their cafes, the M&S Foodhall is their concept solely dedicated as a supermarket.
Competition in the grocery market is very tight in the UK. While Asda, Tesco, Aldi, and Lidl fight it out in the discount arena, M&S faces these down market pressures while also fending off Waitrose et al. Foodhall offers a unique value proposition normally only found from German food retailers, in that nearly all products on the shelf are under the M&S private label. In fact, beer and wines are pretty much the only non M&S items you'll find on the shelf.
This M&S Foodhall serves with a substantial square footage, typical of its suburban location. The car park is large and free for the first three hours, and is a convenient drive to New Oscott for anyone in the Sutton Coldfield/Erdington area. It offers everything you would expect from a food retailer such as fresh produce, packaged goods, special items (like an entire gluten-free section), and an enormous amount of refrigerated/frozen foods. Most produce I purchase at other grocery stores will last 2-3 days before it starts to spoil. M&S's fruits and veg are not only of a very high quality, but they typically keep for a good week. The tomatoes in particular, are some of the best I have found from a chain food retailer in the UK. Their refrigerated and frozen foods are a big focus at this location, and provide an excellent value for those nights when you don't want to cook for yourself. The items are in a refrigerated cold case (ready to be cooked in an oven) and run the gamut of cuisine types, such as Italian, British, and pan-Asian. Most are also on rotating specials each week. For example, recently the Foodhall offered a £10 meal deal special, which included one of their Italian entrees (Pizza, lasagna, pasta, etc), two sides (salad, olives, focaccia, frites, or garlic bread), and a bottle of Italian wine (Montepulciano d'abruzzo a standout). The vegetable lasagna was large enough for three meals, and the sides of garlic bread and salad provided four portions each. The wine MSRP was £7, making this meal deal a real steal. Another example is their running special of three sides for £5, which can easily become two meals. While M&S has traditionally held an upmarket image, these special provide outstanding value and taste that cannot be found from other supermarkets in the area.
If you are a fan of fresh foods that are worth every penny, this M&S Foodhall is definitely worth a look.
