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An Adelaide supermarket with its own sushi chefs, wood-fired pizza oven and walk-in cheese room has just been recognised among the best in the world.
Romeo’s Royal Park Foodland has taken out IGA International Retailer of the Year 2026. The family-owned supermarket, located in Adelaide’s western suburbs, has been turning the weekly grocery shop into something of a foodie experience since opening in May 2023.
Now, just over three years later, it’s celebrating one of the biggest achievements in independent grocery retailing, following its National Retailer of the Year win in 2025.
For the Romeo family, the international recognition is particularly special, marking the group’s fourth win of the prestigious award.
“To be recognised internationally is a great honour and an opportunity to represent Romeo’s, Foodland and South Australia on the world stage,” said Elizabeth Romeo.
Step inside Royal Park Foodland and you’ll find plenty to explore beyond the usual supermarket aisles.
Shoppers can browse an extensive selection of fresh produce, Asian and European specialties, a dedicated meat room and even an in-house florist.
“At Royal Park, we wanted to create a store where customers could do their weekly shop while also discovering something special for dinner or picking up a meal on the way home.”
And while there’s plenty to discover, the supermarket has been designed to make the experience easy, whether customers are exploring specialty ingredients, seeking personal service or grabbing something ready-made on a busy evening.
One of the store’s more interesting features is a nod to the site’s past.
Smallgoods were once manufactured at the Royal Park location, and the dedicated Standom Smallgoods area brings those familiar flavours back to where they began. For some shoppers, it’s a chance to rediscover products they grew up with, while the store’s European range celebrates food traditions that continue to be enjoyed across generations.
It’s this combination of quality, variety and attention to detail that helped Royal Park take out the international award, which recognises excellence in fresh food, innovation, store presentation and the overall shopping experience.
Of course, behind every great supermarket is a hardworking team, and Royal Park has more than 100 staff members working across its departments each week.
Following the excitement of its national win in 2025, the latest recognition has given the team even more reason to celebrate.
“Everyone puts so much into the store every day, and seeing that collective effort recognised on the world stage was a wonderful reward for the entire team.”
The win also arrives at a meaningful time for the family business, coinciding with IGA’s 100-year celebrations and coming ahead of the Romeo’s Group’s own 40th anniversary in 2027.
As for what’s next, the team has plans to keep things fresh, introducing new products and experiences while continuing to deliver quality, value and plenty of reasons for customers to return.
And for Adelaide shoppers, it’s a pretty good reason to feel proud of their local supermarket.
Romeo’s Royal Park Foodland
Where: 53-59 Tapleys Hill Rd, Hendon SA 5014
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