WHSmith has expanded its footprint in the food and drink sector with the launch of Smith’s Kitchen, a brand-new café concept. The first of these cafés officially opened today at Princess Anne Hospital in Southampton, featuring a 495 sq ft space with seating for 26. Smith’s Kitchen is WHSmith’s first venture into its own-brand café format, catering to the needs of NHS staff, patients, and visitors with a variety of dine-in and takeaway options.
The Smith’s Kitchen menu includes popular items such as locally sourced coffee and freshly baked patisserie. Additionally, the café offers the Smith’s Family Kitchen range, which features over 30 products, including sandwiches, salads, baguettes, and wraps. Since its launch earlier this year, this range has seen considerable success, with over 420,000 of its bestselling BLT sandwiches sold.
Andrew Harrison, UK Travel Managing Director at WHSmith, spoke about the new initiative: “Whether it’s in a hospital or on their journeys, customers tell us that quality food and drink options are what they prioritise most in the different locations we serve. That’s why we have been doubling down on our food ranges and formats to ensure our customers don’t need to compromise on quality or value, as demonstrated today with the launch of Smith’s Kitchen. With the opening of our first ever own-brand café coming hot on the heels of our newly launched own-brand food range, this shows the pace of innovation across our business and commitment to delivering quality experiences and products at WHSmith for our customers and partners.”
This new concept is part of WHSmith’s broader strategy to enhance its food and drink offerings within its UK Travel division, which operates 590 stores across airports, hospitals, and railway stations. The Smith’s Kitchen at Princess Anne Hospital is the first location where WHSmith’s own-brand store and food-to-go range have been combined under one roof, with plans to extend this concept to more travel locations in the UK.
Matthew Hine, Commercial and Enterprise Development Manager at University Hospital Southampton, expressed his enthusiasm for the new addition: “UHS is delighted to have secured a long-standing partnership with WHSmith and is proud to welcome Smith’s Kitchen to our Princess Anne Hospital site where the team will be providing a new café and retail offer that can be enjoyed by patients, staff, and visitors.”
With the launch of Smith’s Kitchen, WHSmith continues to innovate and expand its offerings, ensuring that it meets the evolving needs of customers across travel and healthcare environments.
