The ex-Top Gear presenter was horrified by the prices at an upscale US supermarket, with a single strawberry being sold for an eye-watering £14 as he declared the store’s bosses “need a slap”
While many of us are bagging deals with Tesco’s Clubcard or making the most of Aldi’s Super Six, a US supermarket has grabbed attention for doing the complete opposite – charging an eye-watering £14 for a single strawberry and a whopping £15 for a basic smoothie.
Erewhon is the culprit behind these baffling prices. This luxury supermarket chain, which boasts 10 stores all situated in California, specialises in organic, sustainably sourced and health-conscious grub.
They’ve amassed a cult-like following, with LA’s wealthy and well-known often seen browsing its aisles. The wallet-busting prices have sparked chatter online – with weekly shopping bills easily hitting the hundreds and even thousands of dollars, leading many to dub it the ‘world’s most out of touch’ supermarket.
Despite typically being frequented by affluent young Americans kitted out in pricey yoga attire, Erewhon recently found themselves playing host to a very different kind of shopper.
Taking to his James May Gin TikTok page, the former Top Gear presenter explored the store, guessing the prices of some of its products, reports the Express.
May, who runs a YouTube channel where he whips up spam sandwiches and corned beef hashes, may not be the typical kale smoothie-sipping customer Erewhon aims for. But much to his fans’ delight, he still made the trip to see what was on offer first hand.
In a jaw-dropping discovery, the former Grand Tour star was gobsmacked to find organic pistachios with a sky-high price of $19.99 (around £15) – a whopping five times more than their humble £2.40 Tesco counterpart.
His amazement continued as he roamed the aisles, making wild guesses at prices from a $25 (£18) packet of acai powder to a $7.50 (£5.50) bag of crisps and an eye-popping $65 (£48) bottle of vanilla extract powder.
But it was the “hydrogen-infused water” and an outrageously expensive jar of hazelnut spread priced at $27 (£20) that really knocked him for six.
This led the flabbergasted 62 year old to blurt out in disbelief: “Isn’t that water? I mean water’s pretty simple compound, it’s pure super water… this is a con.”
Annoyed by the ludicrous price tags, May couldn’t resist ranting: “It’s not $27, that can’t possibly be $27. Nobody would ever pay $27 for that! Why is it $27… Everybody needs a slap.”
The video has since racked up 1.5 million views, leaving viewers in stitches and thoroughly entertained.
This could very well spark an idea for a quirky segment in his ‘Our Man’ series, much to the excitement of fans craving more.
One enthusiast commented: “I’d happily watch a show where this is all James does, at this store.”
Unfortunately, James missed out on trying the shop’s most talked-about item – a $19 (£14) strawberry. Countless shoppers have posted clips tasting the berry, which works out at over $9 per nibble.
The hefty price tag seems to be warranted as the fruit originates from Japan’s ‘Strawberry Kingdom’, which prides itself on their unique variety being perfectly sweet with absolutely no tartness.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
