Is Waitrose posh? (Oh yes, here is why)
We write a lot about supermarkets on our blog because we feel like here in the UK, we're obsessed with supermarkets, despite the fact that most of them don't seem to vary much. Turn on the TV and it won't be long before you see an advert for a supermarket like Tesco, Asda, or Lidl, all advertising similar products at similar prices.
Waitrose is a UK supermarket chain that bucks this trend - you rarely see them advertising on television, and when you enter a Waitrose it doesn't really feel like a Tesco or Asda. Everything feels a bit more....posh.
Some regular Waitrose shoppers seem to push back on the idea that Waitrose is a posh supermarket, but is it true or not? We wanted to answer this question, let's see what our research uncovered:
Firstly, what do we mean by posh?
In simple terms, we think that a posh supermarket is one which is expensive compared to the likes of Tesco, and one which contains a high percentage of luxury products. Does Waitrose fit that description? Absolutely, we'll explore why in the rest of this article.
Let's start with that symbol on the Waitrose van
If you look carefully at the image of the Waitrose van at the top of this page, you'll see a symbol next to the Waitrose logo. This symbol is there because Waitrose is the only UK supermarket to hold a Royal Warrant, and has done since 2002. Definitely posh!
But we think what really makes Waitrose posh compared to other UK supermarkets is the little differences which make Waitrose unique let's take a look:
Sandwiches
Sandwiches are a staple of UK supermarkets, and every supermarket has their own take on the lunch meal deal with a sandwich- except for Waitrose. In fact, a roast chicken and sweetcorn sandwich from Waitrose will cost you £3.75 as you can see in the image. You could buy a Chicken & Sweetcorn Sandwich from Sainsbury's with a drink and a bag of crisps for £3.50, without noticing much of a difference in quality between the 2 sandwiches. Very posh and expensive!
Granola
As we mentioned in our introduction, we feel like a real indicator of the poshness of a supermarket is how extensive their ranges are of certain luxury items. To us, granola is one of those very middle class things which for some reason, people of a certain social status seem to love. When we walked into our local Waitrose, we couldn't believe the number of granola options (pictured).
Hot chocolate
Hot chocolate is another of those products which feel very middle class, and your average Tesco or Asda will have a pretty solid selection of hot chocolate brands to choose from. But the selection of hot chocolate at our local Waitrose felt really extensive - everything was expensive too, even their own brand stuff.
The booze range
If any element of Waitrose made it worthy of the "posh" label, we think it would have to be their selection of alcohol. And it's not just cheap drinks they have stocked - it's really expensive alcohol, like this £135 15-year-old MacAllan whisky we found in our local Waitrose, which you wouldn't find in any other major UK supermarket.
The selection of alcoholic drinks at Waitrose is as good as you'd find in any off-license, particularly the wine selection, and we think that definitely makes Waitrose posh.
So as you can see, we feel pretty passionately that Waitrose definitely is a posh supermarket, but there is nothing wrong with that! In fact, it actually makes Waitrose a great place to visit if you like a bargain from the reduced section. Let us know what you think of Waitrose in the comments!
Finn H
Finn is the editor of You Well and has been writing about travel, health, and more for over 10 years.
2 Comments
Gavin Davies
If you go to Waitrose at the end of the day, then you can get some “high quality” food for cheap if it’s going out of date. This is why I go shopping every day: you never know what deals you can find in the reduced section!
Lord Chad Chadson of The Republic Of Chad
Dear You Well,
I love Waitrose, it is one of my favourite supermarkets. However, it isn’t exactly posh. Last time I sent my servant in my Range Rover down there, he couldn’t find and gold leaf steak or top shelf wine, and it ruined my day. The food there is cheap though, my weekly shop only costs me around £200. Ocado is much more expensive, and the food’s rubbish.
Yours sincerely, Lord Chad Chadson LXIX