Scores reflect the Overall AI Score for each category
Based on recent customer reviews, Food Lovers Market is described through a dominant pattern of spoiled meat and produce, till prices that differ from shelf prices, and complaints that receive an apology but no follow through. Isolated branches and named cashiers earn genuine praise for warmth and problem solving, but these bright spots sit inside a broadly negative customer experience picture across stores.
Top Strengths:
- •Customer Service & Support: Named staff such as Portia Koester, Seliminah, Ilse Goldmen and Mbali Ndlovu are celebrated for warmth and going beyond duty, and some store and head office managers resolve issues personally. These moments are the strongest part of the experience, though they are inconsistent between branches.
TrustIndex
3.3
NPS Score
-50
Recommended: Unlikely
Nov '25 - Oct '26
Frequently Asked Questions About Food Lovers Market
What do customers say about Food Lovers Market?
Based on recent customer reviews, Food Lovers Market is described through a dominant pattern of spoiled meat and produce, till prices that differ from shelf prices, and complaints that receive an apology but no follow through. Isolated branches and named cashiers earn genuine praise for warmth and problem solving, but these bright spots sit inside a broadly negative customer experience picture across stores.
What is Food Lovers Market's biggest strength?
Food Lovers Market's biggest strength, according to Hellopeter's AI analysis, is Customer Service & Support. Named staff such as Portia Koester, Seliminah, Ilse Goldmen and Mbali Ndlovu are celebrated for warmth and going beyond duty, and some store and head office managers resolve issues personally. These moments are the strongest part of the experience, though they are inconsistent between branches.
What are the most common complaints about Food Lovers Market?
The most common complaint about Food Lovers Market, based on Hellopeter's AI analysis of recent customer reviews, is Product Quality & Value. Customers repeatedly describe rotten meat within date, expired deli and dairy on shelves, spoiling fruit and vegetables, and illness after eating prepared meals or bakery items. Value complaints centre on bone heavy meat packs and specials that do not match the advertised offer.
Is Food Lovers Market trustworthy?
Food Lovers Market has a TrustIndex of 3.3 out of 10 on Hellopeter, based on 204 reviews in the last 12 months. They reply to 92% of negative reviews, typically within 40 hours 58 min. Hellopeter has tracked Food Lovers Market across 2,772 total reviews. How is the TrustIndex calculated? →
Recent reviews (204)
Used this business recently? Share your experience to help others decide.
Used this business recently? Share your experience to help others decide.
Share Your Experience1 reviews | Active since May 2022
Good customer service
Bought 2 loafs of bread that was stale. Online team contacted the branch and clayton sorted me out. Happy that they look after their customers after running into issues!! Keep it up
1 reviews | Active since May 2022
Good customer service
Bought 2 loafs of bread that was stale. Online team contacted the branch and clayton sorted me out. Happy that they look after their customers after running into issues!! Keep it up
1 reviews | Active since Mar 2020
Very bad customer support at Foodlovers Market
At River Quarter, Bottelary Road branch ,I had terrible ordeal with one of the untrained tellers...The lady, who I would rather leave anonymous for POPI act violation ********ly and carelessly double deducted from my bank account when I purchase groceries and paid at the card machine they use... It's very upsetting to think,now I must wait for my own money to reflect back in my account again after the lady teller made a huge blunder. The resulted in me now having to phone my own bank to confirm the double deduction and have to painstakingly wait for almost 3 weeks for my own money to reflect back in my bank account. It's pathetic and sad to think if I had purchased R5000 worth of groceries and have to wait and phone for the mistakes other people (tellers,cashiers etc) make with a card machine. Watch out ...you might fall victim to be double deducted without your knowing. I'm still waiting for a response or support from Food lovers...super bad customer support
1 reviews | Active since Mar 2020
Very bad customer support at Foodlovers Market
At River Quarter, Bottelary Road branch ,I had terrible ordeal with one of the untrained tellers...The lady, who I would rather leave anonymous for POPI act violation ********ly and carelessly double deducted from my bank account when I purchase groceries and paid at the card machine they use... It's very upsetting to think,now I must wait for my own money to reflect back in my account again after the lady teller made a huge blunder. The resulted in me now having to phone my own bank to confirm the double deduction and have to painstakingly wait for almost 3 weeks for my own money to reflect back in my bank account. It's pathetic and sad to think if I had purchased R5000 worth of groceries and have to wait and phone for the mistakes other people (tellers,cashiers etc) make with a card machine. Watch out ...you might fall victim to be double deducted without your knowing. I'm still waiting for a response or support from Food lovers...super bad customer support
1 reviews | Active since Jul 2020
URGENT FORMAL COMPLAINT: Alleged Overcharging of a 73-Year-Old Pensioner – Westgate Shopping Centre
Good day, I am writing to raise a formal complaint regarding a deeply concerning incident involving my 73-year-old mother, who purchased groceries at your Westgate Shopping Centre branch today. Upon reviewing her till slip, she discovered that she had been charged twice, and in some instances allegedly three times, for several items. My mother, a pensioner, had specifically gone to purchase groceries on special on a Tuesday, only to discover that she had been significantly overcharged. The cashier who processed her transaction was Sylvia Moholo. This is completely unacceptable and raises serious concerns about the accuracy and integrity of your point-of-sale processes. Customers, particularly elderly pensioners who carefully budget their limited income, should be able to shop at your stores with confidence that they will be charged correctly for the items they purchase. It is extremely distressing that my mother is only discovering these discrepancies after leaving the store. This has not only caused her financial prejudice but has also undermined our confidence in your company's commitment to fair and ethical customer service. I require the following: An urgent investigation into the transaction and the alleged duplicate and triplicate charges. A full reconciliation of the till slip against the items purchased and the applicable promotional prices. A refund of all amounts incorrectly charged, should the discrepancies be confirmed. A written explanation of how this occurred and what corrective action will be taken to prevent similar incidents. Given the seriousness of this matter, I expect it to receive immediate attention and to be resolved without unnecessary delays. Please acknowledge receipt of this complaint and advise me of the steps being taken to resolve it. Should this matter not be addressed promptly and satisfactorily, I will have no hesitation in escalating it to the relevant consumer protection authorities and the appropriate ombud for further intervention. I trust your company understands the seriousness of this complaint and will treat it with the urgency it deserves. I look forward to your urgent response. Kind regards, Nonku
1 reviews | Active since Jul 2020
URGENT FORMAL COMPLAINT: Alleged Overcharging of a 73-Year-Old Pensioner – Westgate Shopping Centre
Good day, I am writing to raise a formal complaint regarding a deeply concerning incident involving my 73-year-old mother, who purchased groceries at your Westgate Shopping Centre branch today. Upon reviewing her till slip, she discovered that she had been charged twice, and in some instances allegedly three times, for several items. My mother, a pensioner, had specifically gone to purchase groceries on special on a Tuesday, only to discover that she had been significantly overcharged. The cashier who processed her transaction was Sylvia Moholo. This is completely unacceptable and raises serious concerns about the accuracy and integrity of your point-of-sale processes. Customers, particularly elderly pensioners who carefully budget their limited income, should be able to shop at your stores with confidence that they will be charged correctly for the items they purchase. It is extremely distressing that my mother is only discovering these discrepancies after leaving the store. This has not only caused her financial prejudice but has also undermined our confidence in your company's commitment to fair and ethical customer service. I require the following: An urgent investigation into the transaction and the alleged duplicate and triplicate charges. A full reconciliation of the till slip against the items purchased and the applicable promotional prices. A refund of all amounts incorrectly charged, should the discrepancies be confirmed. A written explanation of how this occurred and what corrective action will be taken to prevent similar incidents. Given the seriousness of this matter, I expect it to receive immediate attention and to be resolved without unnecessary delays. Please acknowledge receipt of this complaint and advise me of the steps being taken to resolve it. Should this matter not be addressed promptly and satisfactorily, I will have no hesitation in escalating it to the relevant consumer protection authorities and the appropriate ombud for further intervention. I trust your company understands the seriousness of this complaint and will treat it with the urgency it deserves. I look forward to your urgent response. Kind regards, Nonku
1 reviews | Active since Oct 2026
Food *****'s Market / Santam Settlement Signed but Still Not Paid
Title: Food *****'s Market / Santam Settlement Signed but Still Not Paid Review: In 8th September 2025, I became ill after consuming expired apple juice purchased from Food *****'s Market Park meadows. The store acknowledged the product was expired, and a claim was lodged. After more than a year of delays, investigations, medical reports, food lab test and numerous follow-ups, I was finally offered a settlement of R7,000. Although the amount does not fully compensate for my losses and suffering, I accepted the offer because I am 79 years old and wanted the matter concluded and by end of November I will be 80. I signed the settlement agreement as requested over a month ago. Despite doing everything required of me, payment has still not been received, and no clear explanation has been provided. It is unacceptable that a pensioner has had to wait more than a year for resolution and is still waiting after signing the settlement documents. I request: • Immediate payment of the agreed R7,000 settlement • Written confirmation of the payment date • An explanation for the continued delay I hope Food *****'s Market and Santam will honour the agreement without any further delays. Mrs. Manga
1 reviews | Active since Oct 2026
Food *****'s Market / Santam Settlement Signed but Still Not Paid
Title: Food *****'s Market / Santam Settlement Signed but Still Not Paid Review: In 8th September 2025, I became ill after consuming expired apple juice purchased from Food *****'s Market Park meadows. The store acknowledged the product was expired, and a claim was lodged. After more than a year of delays, investigations, medical reports, food lab test and numerous follow-ups, I was finally offered a settlement of R7,000. Although the amount does not fully compensate for my losses and suffering, I accepted the offer because I am 79 years old and wanted the matter concluded and by end of November I will be 80. I signed the settlement agreement as requested over a month ago. Despite doing everything required of me, payment has still not been received, and no clear explanation has been provided. It is unacceptable that a pensioner has had to wait more than a year for resolution and is still waiting after signing the settlement documents. I request: • Immediate payment of the agreed R7,000 settlement • Written confirmation of the payment date • An explanation for the continued delay I hope Food *****'s Market and Santam will honour the agreement without any further delays. Mrs. Manga
1 reviews | Active since Sept 2023
Food*****s Pinehurst going the extra mile
I bought 4 tartlets on promotion. Did not check the price on the box which did not correlate with promotion. Not only did they apologise for the mistake, but delivered additional tartlets to my doorstep. Thanks food*****s Pinehurst, I appreciate the gesture. The tartlets are super delicious and I can really recommend them.
1 reviews | Active since Sept 2023
Food*****s Pinehurst going the extra mile
I bought 4 tartlets on promotion. Did not check the price on the box which did not correlate with promotion. Not only did they apologise for the mistake, but delivered additional tartlets to my doorstep. Thanks food*****s Pinehurst, I appreciate the gesture. The tartlets are super delicious and I can really recommend them.
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
food safety concerns
Repeated Food Safety Concerns at Food *****'s Market, Westgate I am utterly disappointed with the repeated food safety issues at Food *****'s Market, Westgate. We purchased a chicken tikka pizza that is meant to be heated in the oven. At the till, the cashier remarked that the pizza did not smell right and advised me to exchange it for another one, which I did. However, when we got home and prepared the replacement pizza for supper, it still had an unusual smell. Upon closer inspection, we discovered visible mould. The fact that the replacement product was also mouldy is extremely concerning. We trusted that exchanging the pizza would resolve the issue, yet we were left with a product that was clearly unfit for consumption. What makes this even more disappointing is that this is the second time we have experienced a similar incident at the same branch. This raises serious questions about product quality control, stock inspection and the measures being taken to prevent such incidents from recurring. Customers should not have to worry about purchasing spoiled food, let alone discover mould on a product after being assured that the replacement is suitable. I expect Food *****'s Market, Westgate, to take this complaint seriously, investigate how spoiled products are reaching customers, and implement effective measures to prevent this from happening again. An apology alone is not enough; customers deserve accountability and meaningful corrective action.
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
food safety concerns
Repeated Food Safety Concerns at Food *****'s Market, Westgate I am utterly disappointed with the repeated food safety issues at Food *****'s Market, Westgate. We purchased a chicken tikka pizza that is meant to be heated in the oven. At the till, the cashier remarked that the pizza did not smell right and advised me to exchange it for another one, which I did. However, when we got home and prepared the replacement pizza for supper, it still had an unusual smell. Upon closer inspection, we discovered visible mould. The fact that the replacement product was also mouldy is extremely concerning. We trusted that exchanging the pizza would resolve the issue, yet we were left with a product that was clearly unfit for consumption. What makes this even more disappointing is that this is the second time we have experienced a similar incident at the same branch. This raises serious questions about product quality control, stock inspection and the measures being taken to prevent such incidents from recurring. Customers should not have to worry about purchasing spoiled food, let alone discover mould on a product after being assured that the replacement is suitable. I expect Food *****'s Market, Westgate, to take this complaint seriously, investigate how spoiled products are reaching customers, and implement effective measures to prevent this from happening again. An apology alone is not enough; customers deserve accountability and meaningful corrective action.
1 reviews | Active since Oct 2011
Outstanding 5-star customer service from Pule at Sandown branch!
I had an absolutely fantastic experience dealing with the team at Food *****'s Market Sandown! I was trying to confirm the price and stock of HEBA flour, and a staff member named Pule went completely above and beyond. He actually took the time to message me a photo of the shelf from his own personal number to help me verify the price. Truly exceptional, personalized customer service. Management, please ensure Pule is recognized for his outstanding care and initiative!
1 reviews | Active since Oct 2011
Outstanding 5-star customer service from Pule at Sandown branch!
I had an absolutely fantastic experience dealing with the team at Food *****'s Market Sandown! I was trying to confirm the price and stock of HEBA flour, and a staff member named Pule went completely above and beyond. He actually took the time to message me a photo of the shelf from his own personal number to help me verify the price. Truly exceptional, personalized customer service. Management, please ensure Pule is recognized for his outstanding care and initiative!