WHSmith has launched its own brand cafe format as part of its UK travel business.

The first Smith’s Kitchen has opened in princess Anne Hospital in Southampton and offers seating for 26 people in a 495 square foot cafe.

The retailer said the menu has been designed for hospital customers including NHS staff, offering a range of coffee and food items to eat in the cafe and to take away.

In May WHSmith launched a food brand available across 300 of its UK travel stores. The retailer said that food is one of the “key reasons” that customers shop at WHSmith when travelling, with over 11 million meal deals sold each year.

WHSmith said the range has performed ahead of expectations, with around 420.000 BLT sandwiches sold since it launched.

UK Travel is the largest division in WHSmith operating 590 stores across the UK in airports, hospitals and railway stations.

WHSmith said it plans to roll out more stores combining food to go with cades across travel locations in the UK.

Hospitals are one of the fastest growing areas for the retailer and it currently operates over 140 stores and franchises in the country. It aims to expand to around 200 hospitals and opened four new locations in the past eight weeks.

“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,” said Andrew Harrison, UK travel managing director. “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.”

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