Food Halls At Harrods - London!

I'm not dead - hooray! After two exhilirating months in Europe and China, I bring you my food adventures from all corners of the Globe aaaand first stop: London. Though London isn't known for it's amazing food (bangers and mash, anyone?) we went to visit the food halls at Harvey Nichols and Harrods.

One word.

Amazing. A-MA-ZING!

I'd like to think it was what Food Heaven would look like. They had everything you could think of- seafood bar, oyster bar, bakery, patisserie, chocolatier. . .etc, and we were there just in time for everyone's Christmas Shopping. To get some idea of the sheer mindblowingness of Harrods food hall, think of our pitiful imitation; the David Jones food hall in the city, but times a thousand, and mixed with a cocktail of steriods and pure luxury. Below, was a chocolatier carefully glueing on chocolate stars to a chocolate ball in the midst of hundreds of bustling Christmas shoppers - now that is some killer concentration.

So I was wandering around, awestruck, and feasting with my eyes and not my stomach (since the price range was something ludicrous) when I stumbled across this jar of vegemite. Though excited to see Australian Food being represented, the price made me very very sad. Yes. $7 for a jar of vegemite.

And now that I'm back in Australia, I'm feeling pretty good with myself for buying a $3 jar of vegemite twice this size, as opposed to $7 dollars for some salty goodness (great with western star butter and cruskits .... In fact, I'm eating one right now :) )

In addition to ridiculously priced vegemite, there was also the debut of $10 Arnotts Cheese and Bacon Shapes (another favourite munchie), starring alongisde the $8 packet of TimTams. And honey, not surprisingly is expensive all over the world. So moral of the story: bring your own timtams, shapes and vegemites overseas - especially China, where you can't actually find them.

Also, in danger of being extremely blasphemus, the food halls did give me pause for thought. As you may have gathered, I am a foodie. Possibly even a food whore. I know, shocking, considering I'm writing a food blog :). But I felt like these food halls were so luxurious, possibly even too luxurious, because even though I am deeply in love with food (yes, we have a torrid relationship and often argue about whether of not it has a place in my life - namely, my hips), it almost seemed like it was such a waste. That people with too much money were spending so much on delicious, granted, but expensive and unnecessary food - which lets, face it, is consumed and later forgotten about. Though to be unashamedly honest, I remember almost everything I eat.

You may be shaken at the thought, but if we could take all the money and wastage that this insanely luxurious food hall was generating - we could even stop world hunger. Yes, I'm a bleeding heart. But isn't it better to have children eat food in destitute countries, then have 20 different kinds of handmade chocolate counters?

... and let me tell you, this is huge, because I LOVE my chocolate.

Oh, and as a disclaimer; this could be stemming from the fact that I wasn't able to eat/afford any of the food and was thus, unconciously bitter. Had I actually tasted the food, I may very well be singing a completely different tune, something along the lines of ... 'wow.'

Anyhow, barring all that, if you do happen to visit London and even if you aren't a foodie, definitely go visit the Food Halls in of Harrods, and in Harvey Nichols, Fortnum and Masons and even Selfridges. You won't regret it :)