$19 for a Single Strawberry!? Erewhon Catches Heat for Absurd Price

Even during a time when grocery prices are rising across the country, it can be hard to believe that anyone would be willing to pay $19 for a single strawberry. But, believe it or not, that's exactly what is happening in Erewhon, a high-end grocery store in California. And, the store isn't just selling over-priced strawberries, it's also packaging them in large, single-use plastic containers.

People have a lot of thoughts about Erewhon's $19 strawberry after a video of a woman eating one has gone viral, sparking a massive social commentary about what it means to charge nearly $20 for a single piece of fresh fruit that can typically be purchased by the pint for a fraction of the price.

Keep reading to see what folks have to say, including some of the funny shade they're throwing on the influencer celebrating the swanky strawberry.

For those not familiar with the West Cost boutique grocery retailer, Erewhon a small chain with stores located across Southern California, in uber expensive areas like Calabasas, Santa Monica, and Beverly Hills.

So, knowing the store's demographic mostly skews wealthy, it may not come as such a shock that the store has started carrying a single-serve strawberry container that goes for $19 a pop.

According to Today, the strawberry is sold at such an unbelievable markup because it's grown in Tochigi, Japan, a prefecture where strawberries are only farmed for the six months between December and June. As such, these strawberries are deemed a bit more special than your standard berry, and they even belong to something known as "Japanese luxury fruit culture."

TikTok personality Alyssa Antocci, who happens to be the niece of Erewhon's owners, according to Today, is part of the reason why the strawberry is getting so much attention. She posted a clip of herself chowing down on the berry on the social media platform, raving that it was the "best strawberry" she'd ever eaten.

But not everyone is as excited about the bougie berry as she is. In fact, most people are calling the wealthy woman out and mocking the purchase.

"This is so dystopian," one commenter wrote about the berry.

Meanwhile, other people are creating TikTok videos recreating Alyssa's video, poking fun at Alyssa and the berry. Comedian Mister Preda donned a wig and some fake nails to spoof the influencer's original video.

But, not everyone is having fun with the berry bit, and some people are sounding the alarm about what this means for the future of accessible fresh foods.

One person posted their take to X, the website formally known as Twitter, writing about how fresh food was quickly becoming something only the rich can have.

"That one influencer that predicted fresh food would become part of fashion in 2025, because groceries are too expensive, and it’s a status symbol to waste fresh produce ate so bad," user kirajin captioned a photo of Hailey Bieber modeling with groceries.

Kirajin even shared a video from the of said influencer, kfesteryga, who was making her prediction based off an Instagram story posted by Kim Kardashian. In the since expired story, Kardashian was showing off her home, which featured tablescapes full of fresh produce that was never intended to be eaten, but instead was just used for show.

While selling a single strawberry for $19 and using fresh food as decor does seem to be something that only the wealthy can afford, it also speaks to a level of waste that the planet cannot continue to support as the affects of climate change keep accelerating around the world.

Hopefully the pendulum starts swinging back the other way soon, and people start treating fresh food as a necessity instead of a status symbol so that it can remain accessible to all.