Raise your game Whole Foods boss tells rivals

John Mackey, the founder and chief executive of the world's biggest organic chain, was speaking to the Evening Standard in his only UK interview ahead of the opening of Europe's first Whole Foods Market in Kensington.

The shop, which opened today, is an 80,000-sq ft, three-storey giant in the building formerly occupied by the Barkers department store.

A launch party on Monday night was attended by the photographer Mary McCartney. Her late mother Linda's range of vegetarian ready-meals is now owned by another American organic produce firm, Hain Celestial Group.

Mr Mackey had an tough message for local small shops and markets such as Portobello: Whole Foods Market is "not muscling anybody" but no London business has a right to stay open for ever.

Mr Mackey said: "An economy is dynamic, constantly innovating - you might as well say Apple shouldn't have invented the iPod because that's going to be bad for business.

"Every time someone comes into a market someone, somewhere is going to get hurt but I believe in a dynamic, capitalistic economy because customers will benefit."

Mr Mackey, a vegan who founded the £3billion-a-year business in a garage in Texas in 1978, praised London's "incredibly sophisticated" restaurant scene but said the quality was not matched by the shops and supermarkets.

He said there was less competition in the UK than the US because food retailing was dominated by the "Big Four" supermarkets and Marks & Spencer. The store will be the biggest food outlet in central London, with sales of up to £40 million a year. It is expected to be followed 20 or more Whole Food Markets in Britain, with others planned for Europe.

Mr Mackey refuted claims that the company, which has been dubbed "Whole Pay Cheque", only offers overpriced food for the well-off.

He said: "Journalists made up that Whole Pay Cheque thing and journalists keep feeding the myth.

"A person on a budget can shop at Whole Foods Market but they need to shop strategically. If they want a £200 bottle of wine they can find it but they can find a £3 bottle too."

There is no parking but shoppers who spend more than £100 will be offered two hours free at a nearby car park.