Luxury department store Harrods has recently implemented a ban on eating within its renowned food hall, following an influx of visitors, particularly TikTok creators and influencers, filming and consuming food on site. The store, located on Brompton Road in Knightsbridge, London, has installed signs stating: "Polite notice. Please refrain from consuming purchased food within the store."
This decision comes amid growing popularity of various food items from Harrods' food hall on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. Videos showcasing rare and expensive delicacies—from a £150 melon and a £75 bunch of grapes to a £180 box of Japanese strawberries encased in chocolate-style packaging—have attracted thousands of food enthusiasts eager to sample these offerings.
Harrods' food hall experiences significant foot traffic, with approximately 100,000 people passing through daily. Store management has cited concerns over potential crowd congestion and maintaining cleanliness as factors behind the new policy. The area is noted for its extensive selection of delicacies and freshly prepared meals, ranging from affordable options like naanwiches and rotisserie boxes to luxurious gourmet items.
London food blogger Libb Bites, who shares content with her 13,000 TikTok followers, recounted being reprimanded by Harrods staff for filming and eating a £10 chicken mac 'n' cheese box within the hall. Speaking to the Daily Mail, she said she "completely understands from a retail and hospitality point of view" why the ban was introduced. She added, "That part of the food hall isn't the best place for hot food consumption, you know how busy it gets in the food hall, imagine the addition of having people stopping to eat, clogging up passways and potentially dropping food on the floor. It's deffo not Harrods vibes."
Libb Bites also suggested that the store could consider creating a designated area for consuming hot food, separate from the main restaurant spaces, acknowledging the variety of ready-to-eat items sold. She described the experience of being monitored by management while trying to record a video of her meal within the hall.
Other influencers have adapted by filming in the food hall but consuming their purchases elsewhere, such as in parked cars outside the store.
The Harrods food halls are a key feature of the department store, offering fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables, a juice bar, chocolate hall, roastery, bake hall, and fine wine and spirits section. The venue also boasts a tea area where visitors can blend and purchase some of the most expensive teas in the UK. The meat and fish hall first opened in 1903, and the roastery and bake hall underwent a significant refurbishment in 2017—the first in 30 years.
Among the viral food items featured on social media are Britain's most expensive sandwich, the £28 wagyu steak affair, and the £10 rotisserie boxes, both of which have attracted substantial online attention.
Harrods has been approached for comment but has not provided a response at the time of writing. The Daily Mail is reporting on this new development within the iconic London department store.
Source: Noah Wire Services