When we planned our route between two oceans there were several factors that determined where we stopped. Of course we wanted to see some sights, stay in nice places, but we also wanted to eat well. So we picked a route following (as closely as we could) where Whole Foods has stores.
I'm sure that my American friends will already be very familiar with Whole Foods, but they are still a rarity in the UK having only one store in up-market Kensington (plus a few Fresh & Wild stores across London).
If you've not been to a Whole Foods before and you care about what you feed your face, walk five steps inside and you know that you're in somewhere that is a lot different from your average supermarket. Think Harrods or Selfridges food hall but with everything that you need for your weekly shop and at non-astronomical prices and you won't go far wrong. There simply is nothing like it across the UK.
I won't forget when Glenda first drove us to the company's first store in Austin, Texas. Our mouths fell open (but were soon filled with yummy, organic grub from their deli counter.
According to the Whole Foods web site:
We obtain our products locally and from all over the world, often from small, uniquely dedicated food artisans. We strive to offer the highest quality, least processed, most flavorful and naturally preserved foods. Why? Because food in its purest state — unadulterated by artificial additives, sweeteners, colorings and preservatives — is the best tasting and most nutritious food available.
So far we've shopped to fill our faces in Whole Foods stores in Phoenix, Flagstaff, Albuquerque, Santa Fe and today in Colorado Springs (where there are two of these havens of good taste) and tonight's dinner included:
- Organic pork chops marinated in olive oil, lemon juice and fresh tyme
- Potato cakes
- Wilted dandelion leaves (a bit too bitter for my taste)
Next will be Denver, where we would shop in all five stores if we could and where we'll stock up the cupboards to hopefully see us through the rest of our time in the RV.
After Denver we're trusting to luck and will most likely need to eat out a little more as there are no Whole Foods stops for us in Wyoming or South Dakota. Nor for that matter are there any outside London when we get back to the UK.
I feel certain that if Whole Foods were to expand their operations up North in the UK, maybe by opening at the Trafford Center or in Liverpool, we would shop there every week. Driving an hour for such amazing mouthfuls would certainly be worth every mile.
Photo credit: sea turtle / Jim.
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