One of the biggest things you miss when you move abroad is being able to buy your favourite grocery brands – and that includes everything you might need if you’re entertaining at home for Christmas, New Year’s Eve or Chinese New Year. In fact, there’s a huge range of imported brands available in Hong Kong. Just get used to the idea that your groceries may have to be sourced from several different outlets and may include some online deliveries.
Supermarkets
There are two main supermarket chains, Wellcome and ParknShop. Both offer online shopping and delivery (in certain areas), which is useful for the weekly shop and bulky items.
Wellcome has been around since 1945 and has somewhere in the vicinity of 280 stores across Hong Kong.
It also operates two other noteworthy stores: Oliver’s The Delicatessen in the Prince’s Building is an upmarket supermarket with a good selection of imported fruit and vegetables, meat and branded goods; ThreeSixty located in Elements, Kowloon, offers possibly the largest range of organic and natural products in the city.
A smaller chain, Market Place by Jason, also offers a decent range of Asian and Western products.
ParknShop opened its first store in Stanley in 1973, and, like Wellcome, has a few hundred stores made up of its main chain and some sub-branches. Of the latter, Fusion, Taste and International cater more for expats, with a larger range of imported and familiar brands from the US, the UK and Australia.
ParknShop’s flagship food hall GREAT in Pacific Place is a foodie paradise, with possibly the largest range of gourmet produce in HK.
Other options
Other supermarkets include City’Super, with branches in Causeway Bay, Harbour City, Sha Tin and IFC, stocking a range of imported brands and speciality Japanese food.
For American families, many popular brands can be found at A&M stores (Central and Stanley) and Gateway. For those from the UK, U Select is operated by China Resources Vanguard in partnership with Tesco; about one-third of its stock is Tesco products. The Marks & Spencer food halls are also great for British groceries, and the M&S Hong Kong delivery app has become popular in the wake of COVID-19. Aeon is a supermarket chain offering well-priced products.
You will also see a brand called 759 Store around Hong Kong, which offers competitive prices on select products, and another called Best Mart 360.
Online Grocers & Specialty Stores
It’s hard to find too many silver linings to 2020, but it was certainly a bumper year for the online shopping industry! Here are some websites to browse for packing the pantry with goodies.
iHerb: There’s a lot of buzz about this online grocery retailer from the US. It has a large range of natural and organic food products, as well as health and baby items. hk.iherb.com
British Essentials: This is the official online retailer of Morrison’s own label groceries in Hong Kong, but offers other popular UK brands. britishessentials.hk
Regency Spices: For all your cooking needs around herbs and spices, this company is seriously excellent, having been in the spice industry since the mid-20th century. regencyspices.hk
Jou Sun: This website stocks groceries from quality retailers, farmers and importers all over Hong Kong, and includes household items such as sustainable cleaning products. jousun.com
Green Common: This store’s mission is to empower the community with wholesome and sustainable plant based choices. There are five shops across HK and an e-shop offering delivery. greencommon.com
Farmer’s Market: This company ships top-quality Australian meats direct from a farm to Hong Kong and delivers them to your door. farmersmarket.com.hk
Pacific Gourmet: Specialises in fresh meat and fish from Australia, New Zealand and also Norway. pacificgourmet.com.hk
Fresh Grower: Stocks seasonal fresh veg from Perfect Produce Farm in NZ. Online and two stores, at Wan Chai and Sai Wan. freshgrower.com.hk
Spicebox Organics: Find a wide range of organic products and numerous gluten-free items here, along with some traditional Eastern medicines. spiceboxorganics.com
Jett Foods: Online delivery of gourmet meat, fish, sausages and vegetables. jettfoods.com
South Stream Market: Stocks a great range of fresh and frozen meat, seafood, bread, dairy, baby food, pantry items and eggs, plus organic fruit and veg. southstreammarket.com
Zero Waste Supermarkets
Live Zero: We’re recent converts to Live Zero, for its two physical stores and its online delivery of package-free food, daily essentials and other products. livezero.hk
Slowood: This is a huge store in Kennedy Town with everything you need to go zero waste. slowood.hk
Edgar: If you’re around the Wan Chai area, try Edgar at 5 Moon Street. edgar.hk
Wet Markets
For a very local shopping experience, head to one of Hong Kong’s wet markets. These sell fruit and vegetables, as well as fresh poultry, seafood, pork and beef. Some of the markets are open-air, such as the Bowrington Road markets, on the border of Causeway Bay and Wan Chai. Others are indoors in government buildings, sometimes with a cooked food centre where you can buy cheap local food. The indoor markets often house other small businesses, such as in Happy Valley, where you’ll find a seamstress who does mending.
Quality meat suppliers
Farmer’s Market: If you’re looking for Australian meats, this retailer sells them direct from an Aussie farm to Hong Kong and delivers them to your door. farmersmarket.com.hk
Pacific Gourmet: Specialises in fresh meat and fish from Australia, New Zealand and Norway. pacificgourmet.com.hk
Jett Foods: Online delivery of gourmet meat, fish, sausages and vegetables. jettfoods.com
South Stream Market: This brand stocks a great range of fresh and frozen meat, seafood and other groceries. You’ll find everything from bread, dairy, baby food, pantry items and eggs. It also has organic fruit and veg. southstreammarket.com
Feather & Bone: This butcher and delicatessen is hugely popular with expats because it offers premium meats, artisanal preserves, seasonal cheeses and quality kitchen wares. With locations in Central, Happy Valley, Sai Ying Pun, Wanchai and Clearwater Bay. You can even pick up grab-and-go meals. featherandbone.com.hk
Read on to find out more about the city’s food scene:
Where to eat out in Hong Kong
Best places for Sunday brunch
This article first appeared in the City Guide 2020 issue of Expat Living magazine. Subscribe now so you never miss an issue.
