Waitrose

Waitrose is a British supermarket chain, founded in 1904 in Acton, West London, with an own-label range of alcohol-free wines and cocktail-style drinks. Wallace Waite, Arthur Rose and David Taylor established the business as a small grocery, Waite, Rose & Taylor; it adopted the Waitrose name in 1908 and joined the John Lewis Partnership in 1937. The head office is in Bracknell, Berkshire, and as of April 2023 the chain operates 329 shops.

Waitrose holds a royal warrant to supply groceries, wine, and spirits to King Charles III. In 1983 it became the first major supermarket chain to sell organic food. The Waitrose Foundation, established in 2005, supports farming communities in the supply chain. The chain opened its first convenience shop in Nottingham in December 2008 and introduced the myWaitrose loyalty programme in late 2011. Its Essential Waitrose own-label range launched in March 2009. A dedicated low and no alcohol buyer, Sarah Holland, oversees the alcohol-free and low-alcohol category.

The own-label alcohol-free range spans still and sparkling wines alongside cocktail-inspired serves, stocked exclusively through Waitrose shops.

At a Glance