London Épicerie’s Design Makes Food a “Central Part of Life”
Living in London is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the British capital puts anything, from world-class theaters and music venues to award-winning restaurants, at your fingertips. On the other, everything — even simply daring the long-dreaded North-to-South of the River commute to spend the night at some friends’ — comes at an increasingly high financial and time cost.
But what if basic actions like socializing or shopping at our go-to spots didn’t have to feel like yet another commitment on our ever-busy agendas? Would life in London suddenly feel a little more quality-oriented and intentional? That’s what Jared Wybrow and Raissa van Dijk are trying to find out with London Épicerie, the grocery shop they have just launched on Ebury Street.
Step inside, and you’ll find the most aesthetically arranged shelves as the defining feature of the design, not only showcasing the products to their very best, but making a case for open shelving, love it or hate it, as a way to display the best of what you bring into your kitchen.
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“The idea for London Épicerie came after years of conversations with our customers, independent producers, and each other,” say the co-founders of the concept store. They add that those recurring discussions all led to the same conclusion: “the modern food system has normalized compromise.”
The shop’s co-founders, Jared Wybrow and Raissa van Dijk, photographed in front of it ahead of its August opening.
(Image credit: London Épicerie)
For Wybrow and van Dijk, flavor, nutrition, biodiversity, and provenance have been sacrificed for industrial scale and efficiency. “On one end, you have fast, soulless supermarket runs, and on the other, hyper-niche specialty shops. Neither really solves people’s everyday needs or offers a viable long-term future for small-scale farmers.”
From that realization came a whole new business plan: “we understood that to help change the food system, we had to create a viable channel for the producers fighting for it; those practicing regenerative agriculture, preserving traditional skills, and prioritizing soil health,” they explain. “London, and especially Belgravia, needed a true anchor that connects these growers directly to the community.”
That’s what they hope the city will find in London Épicerie. More than a luxury delicatessen for rare occasions, the address wants to be “a shop for everyday life: a place where picking up your daily bread, milk, seasonal produce, and pantry staples actively supports a fairer, more sustainable food model, one producer at a time.” It’s a mission Wybrow and van Dijk have set out to pursue in no small part through design, as the two recount below.
Tell Us About the Original Design Brief for London Épicerie: What Functions and Principles Were Key?
“The key principles were two: simplicity and flow. Avoiding retail bottlenecks and ensuring every section felt connected was crucial to us,” the two say of the original brief for London Épicerie.
“The brief was born out of collective dialogue between Jared and me and interior designer Deidra Hodgson, who helped shape it before executing it. We brought our operational experience, knowing how a cheese room functions, how foot traffic flows, and how produce needs to breathe, and Deidra brought the architectural clarity to make those functions feel natural and visually harmonious.
“The key principles were two: simplicity and flow. Avoiding retail bottlenecks and ensuring every section felt connected was crucial to us. The brief required integrating distinct functional environments, from the high-sensory produce section at the front to the temperature-controlled cheese room and counter, through to the central pantry shelves, and down to the destination bakery at the back. Every space had to serve a practical purpose for daily shopping while encouraging exploration.”
How Does Deidra Hodgson’s Creative Vision Match and Expand Yours for This New Grocery Store?
Designer Deidra Hodgson was picked for this because of her ability to design spaces “that feel grounded, honest, and stripped of excess”, and that’s evident in the layout of the newly opened food destination.
“Deidra Hodgson’s work is defined by a deep respect for materials, spatial harmony, and craftsmanship. She doesn’t rely on decorative trends or overt retail gimmicks; instead, her aesthetic focuses on tactile textures, considered lighting, and clean, architectural proportions that create a sense of calm and permanence.
“What made her the ideal partner for London Épicerie is how perfectly her design language aligns with our approach to food. Just as we believe food should be unpretentious, high-integrity, and rooted in good agriculture, Deidra designs spaces that feel grounded, honest, and stripped of excess. Her layout doesn’t distract from what’s on the shelves; it gives the produce, wine, cheese, and bread the spatial dignity they deserve while making the act of daily shopping feel calm and meaningful.”
London Épicerie Is Distinctively European-Inspired. What Finishes, Materials, and Accents Helped You Capture That Atmosphere?
Inspired by the timelessness and inherently social atmosphere of European food shops, London Épicerie relies on light oak joinery, natural stone finishes, and a clean, structural grid expressed through custom shelving to craft a sense of place.
“The European way of shopping treats food as a central part of daily life, not a chore to rush through. In traditional French épiceries or Italian alimentari, there’s a seamless rhythm between necessity and pleasure. You buy what you need for today, talk to the shopkeeper, and trust the quality implicitly.
“To bring that atmosphere to Ebury Street, Deidra used a palette of honest, enduring materials: light oak joinery, natural stone finishes, and a clean, structural grid expressed through custom shelving. The materials feel grounded, tactile, and understated. There are no synthetic surfaces or glossy gimmicks just simple, high-quality finishes that age gracefully and put the focus back on the food.”
The Custom Open Shelving of the Store Turns Groceries Into Its Greatest Design Accent Yet. What Does This Bring to the Interior?
The open shelving of the address highlights that “every single product earned its spot through quality and integrity, not because a big brand paid for prime shelf space,” Wybrow and van Dijk suggest.
“A lot of independent food products feature beautiful, considered packaging, but open shelving ensures that what stands out isn’t just a pretty label: it’s the substance behind it. By using simple, open joinery throughout Deidra’s layout, the focus remains entirely on what’s in store. You can see the care that went into every item, whether it’s a beautifully designed jar or a simple brown paper bag of stoneground flour. It communicates that every single product earned its spot through quality and integrity, not because a big brand paid for prime shelf space.
“The best part of shopping at London Épicerie is that the space steps back and lets you engage directly with the food. The open sightlines and generous layout mean you aren’t forced down narrow aisles or rushed toward a self-checkout. It gives you room to pick up a product, read the label, ask our team about the producer, and choose your food based on genuine quality rather than retail pressure.”
Could the Same Layout Work in Your Home?
Melbourne-based designer Kim Kneipp might have solved the dilemma for us.
(Image credit: Martina Gemmola. Design: Kim Kneipp)
While open shelving has enjoyed significant popularity among home renovators and interior designers alike in recent years, the debate on whether or not this type of storage is better — more functional, clutter-resistant, and aesthetic — than wall cabinets has recently been settled by our in-house designer Maya Glantz.
To keep it short, a kitchen equipped with open shelves instead of concealed storage is ideal for: smaller rooms that can benefit from their ‘airiness’ and lighter architectural footprint; style-leaning hosts with plenty of beautiful collectibles to show off, but not so many they end up covering up every inch of the space; and open-plan kitchens where visible shelves can give the area a look that’s more structured, distinctive, and cohesive.
The pale wood-clad one featured above offers a great example of how one can still get inspired by Hodgson’s London Épicerie design for their own home, balancing traditional cabinets with a handful of aesthetically curated shelves. Clean lines and soft curves, artisanal finishes, and tactile detailing make the space grounding, familiar, and welcoming — much like the newly opened Belgravia store does with its Pantry Promenade, Bakery & Drinks Corner, and Cheese and Charcuterie Area.
How to Do It
Serbal
Marble and Acacia Wood Cheese Board Set With 3 Knives
Argos
Home Metal 6 Tier Shelving Unit – Chrome
Ferm Living
Single Large Lager Wall Shelf in Aluminium
Form & Refine
Beam Wall Shelf 5, Deep Brown Pine
ZARA
Vincent Van Duysen Collection CABINET 01
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