Waitrose to roll out supper clubs to 42 more shops
The Waitrose supermarket chain is to roll out its supper club concept to a further 42 shops following a successful trial.
Working with social dining platform WeFiFo, the retailer is expecting to serve a total of 1,300 people across the events which will be held between now and the end of March next year.
WeFiFo entered John Lewis Partnership’s JLAB retail tech innovation programme last year and was subsequently awarded a £100,000 investment after fighting off competition from over 200 start-ups. Since then Waitrose has trialled seven supper clubs in its shops where more than 150 guests were served over the course of seven evenings.
WeFiFo organises and host the events on behalf of chefs who develop menus using products available from Waitrose. Wines to accompany the food are chosen by the supermarket’s wine specialists. Menus this year have included African and Thai themes and future events will include vegan and vegetarian supper clubs as well as ‘free from’ events.
Waitrose & Partners head of hospitality Rebecca Hemsley said: “Our supper clubs are one of the many ways we’re bringing innovative and unique services to our customers which aren’t provided by other supermarkets. These events not only showcase the talented chefs we have here in the UK, but also what’s available in our shops. It’s a fantastic opportunity for guests to enjoy new dishes and be inspired to recreate them using ingredients they may not have tried before.”
