Luxury department store Harrods has banned people from eating in its famous food hall – after being deluged by TikTokkers and influencers filming themselves and uploading the videos online.
The Brompton Road store has put up signs that read: ‘Polite notice. Please refrain from consuming purchased food within the store.’
It comes after several items from the hall went viral on TikTok and Instagram, prompting thousands of foodies to try them out.
They often stop in the food hall to video the product and some even eat it there, with the deli counters in the background.
But with some 100,000 people a day passing through the area, it can get very busy and store managers will clearly want to avoid traffic jams as well as mess.
The British staple is well known for its food hall that sells all sorts of delicacies, as well as freshly prepared meals – from naanwiches to full roast dinners.
While there are affordable foods and meals available, the hall has previously made a name for itself due to rare and expensive goods.
In the past, Tiktokkers have filmed reviews of them trying items such as a £150 melon, £75 bunch of grapes and even a box of Japanese strawberries for £180 that come in individual chocolate-style cases.
Items from the hall have gone viral on TikTok and Instagram, prompting thousands of foodies coming to try them out
But with some 100,000 people a day passing through the area, it can get very busy and store managers clearly want to avoid traffic jams as well as mess
Some food reviewers target Harrods for their expensive luxury products, while others give tips on how to get affordable meals
Others give top tips on how to come away with affordable meals that don’t break the bank.
Now though they could be forced to change how they go about their content making due to the new rules.
London food blogger Libb Bites says she was told off by staff at the store for filming when she purchased a £10 chicken mac ‘n’ cheese box to try for her 13,000 TikTok fans.
She said she actually ‘completely understands from a retail and hospitality point of view’ why the signs would be needed.
She added: ‘That part of the food hall isn’t the best place for hot food consumption, you know how busy it gets in the food hall, imagine the addition of having people stopping to eat, clogging up passways and potentially dropping food on the floor. It’s deffo not Harrods vibes.
‘I do however think it would be fab if they created a space for hot food consumption that’s not in their actual restaurants, considering they sell it.
‘I did also get told off for eating in there. I had to record super quick, I felt the management’s eyes on me.’
Many other bloggers buy the food, take a quick video in the food hall and then eat it in their cars parked outside.
An influencer reviews the £180 box of strawberries from Japan that are on sale in Harrods
There are thousands of TikTok videos, with millions of views, showing people eating famous items
The Harrods food halls are a mainstay of the Knightsbridge department store, with fresh seasonal fruit and veg, a juice bar, chocolate hall, roastery and bake hall and fine wine and spirit section
There are thousands of TikTok videos, with millions of views, showing people eating famous items, including Britain’s most expensive sandwich, the £28 wagyu steak affair which went viral in 2023, as well as the much-loved £10 rotisserie boxes.
The Harrods food halls are a mainstay of the Knightsbridge department store, with fresh seasonal fruit and veg, a juice bar, chocolate hall, roastery and bake hall and fine wine and spirit section.
A large tea area even allows visitors to create their own blend and sells some of the most expensive teas in Britain.
Harrods meat and fish hall first opened in 1903.
It revamped its roastery and bake hall for the first time in 30 years in 2017.
Harrods has been contacted for comment.
