Ocado to launch pop up shops across the UK?

Ocado has opened its debut pop up shop in London’s One New Change shopping centre.  Representing the first physical high street presence for the online retailer, the shop is opening from 26th August to 1st September to coincide with the launch Ocado’s ‘On The Go’ iPhone app.

Ocado

The pop up shop will feature a window display showing the retailer’s most popular products and their barcodes.  Consumers with the Ocado iPhone app can visit the window display to order items by scanning their barcodes and booking a delivery time.  This new way of grocery shopping certainly sounds more interesting than a trip to the supermarket.

If the trial run in London proves to be a success with their customers, Ocado plans to roll out similar pop up shop displays across the country.

Top restaurant The French Laundry pops up at Harrods

California’s The French Laundry, an internationally acclaimed restaurant serving a fusion of French and American cuisine, is to have a temporary home at London’s Harrods from 1st to 10th October 2011.

Head Chef Thomas Keller
Head Chef Thomas Keller

Head chef Thomas Keller will be based at Harrods’ fourth-floor Georgian Restaurant for the duration of the pop up – accompanied by 14 members of his Californian restaurant staff.  Fittings and dinnerware will also be flown over from the original restaurant to replicate the famous The French Laundry dining experience as closely as possible.

Nine-course tasting menus will be served.  In line with the US restaurant’s policy, no single ingredient is ever repeated throughout the meal and a new menu will be devised for each day the pop up is open.  Diners will pay the price for such an amazing dining experience, with lunch and dinner menus both being charged at £250.

Getting a table at The French Laundry in California is notoriously tricky, and prospective London diners will need to act quickly from 1st September in phoning the number on the Harrods website to reserve a table.