Lean times as Whiteleys gourmet food hall goes bust

The food hall at Whiteleys shopping centre in Bayswater has become the latest victim of the recession and gone into liquidation, it was disclosed today.

Food Inc - founded jointly by Dominic Ford, who was responsible for the food hall and restaurants at Harvey Nichols, and chef Patrick McDonald - described itself as a farmers' market, contemporary food hall and gourmet take-away.

It claimed to have a "fresh, innovative and enjoyable" approach to food shopping and was "not especially interested in tins, packets and buy-one-get-one-free". It also includes a wine shop and delicatessen.

A spokesman said that stalls rented out to individual operators as concessions were still trading - "selling bread, cheese, vegetables and other foods" - but that the company as a whole was now looking for a buyer.

The food hall's troubles follow the closure of Tom Aikens's restaurant company. Four restaurants run by celebrity chef Antony Worrall Thompson, including two in west London and another two in the Thames Valley, have also shut. It will increase concerns about the vulnerability of shops, markets and restaurants in the present economic climate.

However, fast-food companies such as Subway, Dominos Pizza and KFC are expanding and recruiting.

Creditors of Food Inc, which went into liquidation on Monday, are worried about getting their money back.

Vittorio Maschio has a shop in Battersea and is regarded as the best fresh pasta supplier in London, with clients that include chefs Giorgio Locatelli and Martin Lam of Ransome's Dock.

Until recently he also supplied Food Inc and Tom Aikens.

Mr Maschio told the Standard he is owed money. "It's less than £700. But it comes after a few hundred pounds lost to Tom Aikens. I am a very small business. What can I say? I'm a bit disappointed.

"Suppliers to these restaurants ultimately pay the price. It's very, very unfair. The restaurant never closes -they always stay open and we're the ones who have to foot the bill."

Food Inc is one of a range of food halls which have opened in London in the last couple of years. The American-owned Whole Foods Market opened in Kensington High Street in June 2007, while a vast new food hall at John Lewis in Oxford Street, designed as a rival to Harrods, opened last summer.

In 2007, Fortnum and Mason in Piccadilly spent £24 million refurbishing its food hall.