Call them what you will - gourmet delis, premium grocers, speciality food stores - food retailers are tailoring their businesses to meet the demand for niche category foods from organic farmers and boutique producers. With new stores opening and more on the way, shopping for fine foods has never been easier - or quite so much fun. Geoffrey Eu reports on three choice stores.

JONES THE GROCER
Block 9 Dempsey Road, #01-12.
www.jonesthegrocer.com

IT is not open for business yet but when Jones the Grocer jumps into the culinary fray at the end of this month, it will no doubt make a big impression on the speciality food scene. With an expansive 6,200 sq ft of dedicated space in Dempsey Hill - the first of a few stores around Singapore - it could hardly fail to do so.

The Jones concept, which originated over a decade ago in an affluent Sydney suburb, encompasses several key characteristics, including a walk-in cheese room, an exhaustive range of meats and charcuterie and preservative-free and organic grocery items from artisanal producers. According to John Manos, director of the Jones Group Australia, about half of the products will be from Australia and the rest will come from around the world.

'The plan was to build a flagship store to represent the full range of Jones offerings,' says Mr Manos, who adds that the idea is to open four or five smaller stores in neighbourhoods that have 'the right demographics'. While Jones the Grocer may target an upscale market and is similar in concept to, say, Dean & DeLuca in the US, Peck in Italy, and Fauchon or Hediard in France, it will also offer a large variety of products at multiple price points.

Among the unique products available will be Di Lorenzo coffee; Setaro, a speciality pasta brand from Naples; olive oils and vinegars by Terra Bormane, the same company that packages products for Alain Ducasse; and Kshocolate, a speciality brand of chocolates.

The Singapore store is a joint venture between Jones and local franchisee Michael Sawyer, a currency dealer who has decided to go into the food retailing business. 'We just loved the concept and we know that it's good - I thought that Singapore would love to see a food concept like this.' There are currently 11 stores in Australia and New Zealand, with Singapore the strategic launch pad for stores in Asia and beyond, in places like Dubai and Hong Kong.

Adds Mr Manos: 'There is a lot of supermarket-style retailing here but nothing that takes it to the next level. Singaporeans are affluent and well travelled, so it is a logical choice to open here. We are not just pitching at the top 2 per cent of people but also looking at the middle to high end of the market - we are pitching at people who want something beyond regular supermarkets.'

The Singapore store is designed by Landini Associates, a brand consultant that includes Harrods and Harvey Nichols among it clients. Mr Manos describes its design as minimalist, with rustic undertones. 'We are looking to make a design statement about the way that food retailing should be conducted,' he says.

Apart from fresh meats, seafood and grocery products, Jones the Grocer will feature a central counter with a 10-seat bar area serving coffee and tapas-style meals. It will also offer an area where large slabs of home-made sweets such as Turkish delight and Rocky Road will be displayed and cut to order. A separate section will incorporate an 80-seat cafe, serving casual all-day meals at reasonable price points. Within six months of opening, the store will offer home delivery, catering, hampers and cooking classes.