I’ve been going to The General Store for a long while now and it’s always been great, up until the recent weeks where the service was as cold as the weather. This morning Anderson’s coffee machine broke down which meant the General Store was a lot busier than usual, but I still wanted to pop in to grab a coffee and sweet treat. I ordered and proceeded to wait by the main desk, like I usually do. The lady who served me was great and started to serve other customers while I waited. One of the baristas then turned around, asked me what I wanted, and when she found out I had already paid proceeded to to tell me with a condescending voice and smile that if I was done I needed wait outside as they were very busy. The tone was rude, snooty and made me feel very embarrassed. If the cashier had told me after I ordered that I should wait outside, I would have happily done so. I wanted to buy various other things but I just waited outside for my coffee and left without going back in. You are selling premium products and I really expect to shop in your store without being told to wait outside in a tone as if you were talking to your badly behaved child. Update: Thanks for you’re reply, just as condescending as the staff member who served me that day. With this level of bitterness and child like responses, I really don’t know how you keep your business open. Keep up the terrible service and the gentrification! It seems to be working.

A beautiful shop full of excellent food, presented with love and no doubt chosen with care. I’m surprised by such great reviews here, however. Clearly, they're bringing to market the best of the best and should rightly be held in high regard for that. But the half dozen times I’ve dropped by the atmosphere has been more akin to that of a private contemporary art gallery: lots of focus on curation, but not much interest in creating a friendly welcome, particularly not for those who are ‘just looking’ or kind of browsing aimlessly as I tend to. For example, once when asking a question about a cheese and waving my hand through the air about 30cm above it, I was asked not to. Why? No idea, and no explanation was forthcoming, but I suspect it wasn’t to protect me from rogue, airborne lactobacilli. At other times staff have been outright rude: e.g. I once ventured a dull but innocuous question about opening hours and the response offered was delivered in a manner that made me feel like a silly child. I scurried out, embarrassed. I’m not exactly sure what psychology is at play here, but if its part of a broader effort to maintain an aura of sanctity around whats on display (to help justify the high prices), I think thats a shame.

This is a great little shop, offering some very high quality products at a price that unfortunately makes regular visits a non-option and places it in the "special occasions" type of shopping visit. I was delighted to find what looked like good quality nduja (although on sale at 30% higher price than where I normally source it from), some great cured meats from Italy, Spain and France (the finocchiona and tuscan salami looked great, I bought the first and it also tastes great), great bread, a decent selection of (expensive) wines, vegetables, pasta, Kernel beers (including a few varieties I had never seen), good looking cheese (although no Italian cheese, a bit of a disappointment) and more. We recently moved to the area and having this kind of shop at a 3 minute bike ride from home is great so I hope they'll manage to ramp up business enough to be able to lower prices: we'll visit almost daily then!

Another example of style of substance. The produce is great and although expensive, you can see why. But what let’s this place down is the awful service and by reading other people’s reviews, the arrogance and condescending tone of the owners reply, makes me really wonder why you are still open. The last few times I have been in, the staff care more about what is happening in each others lives then helping the customers. And when you try and mention this to them, you get a cold judging stare, that just makes you feel like you want to be swallowed up by the ground and transported else where. Yes buy local, help local businesses, but maybe head next door and help them, these privileged folk clearly do not need your business.

Some great items, some of which are ludicrously overpriced. My main reason for reviewing, however, is the awful way they treat customers. Buy one item and it's like they can barely be bothered to serve you, particularly if they're busy chatting up someone who's filling a shopping bag. A friend staying with us in the neighbourhood recently went in and said of the staff reaction, "I might as well have been a dog that wandered in off the street." A good description of how I often feel when I gird my loins and buy the occasional item.

Home delivery service was very polite and very well communicated. Order was kindly tailored. If anything was out of stock, alternatives were offered based on what I described I was after. Payment for home delivery was straight forward. Only place for improvement could be to give an estimated time slot for delivery but that's being pernickety. The price of the items reflects the high quality so can't argue with that. All in all, can't fault it really and would visit soon in person as lockdown eases.

I usually hold back from going in to little grocery shops for fear that I'll send £20 on 3 items. In fact, I did, but it was so worth it at the General Store. The stock here feels like a lovingly curated exhibition. Everything is so carefully selected. Some things are pretty expensive, but for obvious reasons, some not so much. I replaced my broken Aeropress coffee maker for a couple of quid more than online prices.

Design and food lovers will be besotted with this deli... everything here is beautifully thought out, from the huge urn of olive oil (so you can bring your own bottle to fill up) to the gorgeous packaging and the cute notes on the fruit and veg. Yes, it's more expensive that your local high street supermarket but it's worth coming here for that something special or a weekend treat.

Descobri esse lugar único em um guia local de Londres. Apesar da longa viagem de metrô e trem até o local, a viagem valeu muito a pena. Uma das melhores lojas na cidade para garimpar produtos frescos de diferentes países europeus (na minha visita tinha limão siciliano orgânico direto da Sicilia, laranjas da Calábria, chocolate de Madagascar). Ótimo lugar para foodies.

Duped! This place markets itself as an artisan and humble community shop. Don't be fooled. Service is aloof and borderline offensive. I haven't seen this sort of price inflation since the Weimar Republic. What a complete waste of an opportunity. Simply cannot understand how they survive...

Very nice store with some high quality groceries. Their staff is incredibly helpful and friendly. But the best thing about it is their salted caramel chocolate bar - without question it’s the best I’ve ever had in my life. My boyfriend and I get it every so often as a nice treat!

Leave with an empty wallet but a brown paper bag full of foodie goodies- try a small lump of Nduja and some outrageous pommodoro or in-season girolles and wild garlic. DO NOT enter this place hungry though; if you're anything like me, you'll part with at least 30 quid.

A much loved local and London business run and staffed by clever, talented and deserving people. I have enjoyed many years of excellent produce and various delicious items. I recommend this shop to any person seeking a special food shopping experience. Keep it up!

Such a lovely store. It's small but they seem to sell a lot of things. You can buy freshly baked bread, veggies, fruit, soft serve ice cream, coffee and pastries. They have a bench in the front so you can buy a coffee or ice cream and sit outside to consume it.

The perfect place for an espresso and a croissant on a Sunday Morning. Superb selection of delis across the UK and the continent yet prices range from a bit overpriced to highly overpriced. Probably best to buy here for those ones special occasions.

Lovely little local deli. Have a really nice selection of delicious grub and store cupboard goodies to buy from. Looks beautiful inside and I love that they’ve added some benches so you can now enjoy a coffee and pastel de nata in the sunshine!

I'll give it a 5 star. But never been there to shop. Reason why I give it a 5 star its because they are always busy, meaning they got what the customers come for and good quality on bread etc. Got to support your local shops :)

Very nice selection of products, from cheese and fresh milk to artisan vinegars, maple syrup, teas, coffee, vegetables, bread, and many other things that come in handy when planning some cooking. Friendly staff.

This is simply one of the most fantastic little stores in this area. Everything they stock has been carefully and lovingly selected. You can see this place is an extension of self from the owners. A must visit.

Good coffee. Bit pricey but then they don't charge more for oat milk. Good selection of products inside including lots of great fresh veg. Fresh pesto sold here is really excellent too.

Really good coffee and perfect pastries. Now my go-to on Bellenden Rd. Lots of great looking sweet and savoury treats in the store too, and a good looking wine selection.

I have tried to support this business many times and the quality of the produce is great but every time it is hands down the worst customer service I have ever recieved.

Stocks the best kimchi in London...and other absolutely top quality foodstuffs :) staff are friendly and know what they are selling - ask and ye shall be enlightened!

It's a general store with a suprise coffee shop inside. The people were nice and friendly. The coffee was quite nice. I really liked the cup. I got an iced latte.

Staff are fantastic here. Some wonderful items on sale as treats or gifts. Always a good experience seeing what is on the shelves etc. Coffee is delicious too.

Katherine was super helpful with ordering online, with all orders being sent out straight away. Such a lovely store with lovely selection. Thank you !

Very lovely store with fresh produce. Friendly staff and clean store floor. The only criticism is some items are over priced, for me personally.

Love this place, seriously the best coffee and a great selection of breads and pastries, love there fresh produce and there olive oil is divine.

Nice organic store, good selection, fruits from Natoora, cheese from Neals Yard, biological biodynamic Wine from France. …

Carefully selected fine foods. Not cheap but great quality for those special ingredients or weekend treats. Some wonderful local products.

Delicious fresh baked goods. A nice variety of sourdough breads, fresh croissant and some gourmet meats, cheeses and grocery items.

This MIGHT be (in all seriousness) the most expensive shop in the UK. 2 stars, because today… the staff were nice.

The croissant loaf is now referred to by us as crack it's so good! Lots of tasty things and great coffee.

Like a carefully curated food collection. Decent choice if a little expensive for everyday shopping.

Unbelievable that most morning by 9.30 all pastries are gone! Stock more, you're losing money!

Great food. Staff are horrendously rude, every time I go in I regret giving them my business.

Great selection of items and good coffee too! This is a go to for great freshly baked bread.

if you can afford it...and the smell of freshly applied gentrification doesn't put you off

Lovely store - great selection of quality produce and brands, including Postcard Teas!

This is a beautiful little shop that carries only the best. It's a treat to shop here.

Wonderfully stylish and very well stocked. Small but very well selected cheeses.

Amazing shop - we are very privileged to have it in the neighbourhood

Nice store, friendly staff. Too expensive for us to use regularly

If you dont mind spending a bit of cash its great for food

nice bread and pastries. Good place to buy coffee.

Nice but could do with some revised opening hours

It's expensive, but the produce is very very good

Really friendly. Interesting mix of ingredients

Good stuff but quite pricey. Not that friendly

Such a lovely place, great produce I love it!

I wouldn't live here if General store didn't.

Love this store. Friendly owner and staff.

Way overpriced. £5.90 for a loaf of bread.

Great stuff. Too expensive for what it is.

Stock levels are good at this store.

Love it. Awesome quality of produce.

Premium products (at premium prices)

Great produce and tasty coffees

Love this place and staff :)

Overpriced. Way overpriced.

Pleasure working with them

Todella viihtyisä kauppa!

Good selection as ever

Expensive but fun

Top posh nosh !

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Over priced

Just wow!

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Good

Ok