If you are one of the many people who think, "wouldn't it be great if Tesco could insinuate itself even further into every aspect of British life", then I have fantastic news for you. At the Tesco Extra in Osterley, west London, Paul Goodale (a former restaurant director at Harrods, no less) has just launched Fred's Food Construction, a very on-trend diner selling New York deli-style subs and US "French dip" sandwiches. If it goes well, you can expect to see Fred's, in which Tesco has made a "small investment", rolled out in-store nationally.
It isn't the first time that supermarkets have tried to break into eating out, and Tesco has been more energetic than most. It part-owns coffee chain Harris + Hoole, and last year bought Giraffe, which now has four in-store restaurants at Tesco sites, with more to come. Apparently, its introduction of places to eat, drink and hang out after the Friday night shop is all part of a bid to make Tesco stores "warmer and less clinical". In an attempt to squeeze a few more quid out of its captive audience, of course.
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