Shoppers queued up this morning for the opening of the new M&S foodhall in Abingdon.
Work has been taking place for months at the former Homebase unit at Fairacres Retail Park to prepare for the big day.
Staff – and a giant inflatable Colin the Caterpillar – were there to welcome customers at 8am.
The retail site spans more than 18,000 sq ft and the foodhall comes as part of the ongoing M&S “rotation and renewal programme”.
M&S staff with store manager Paddy Sunderland (Image: Andy Ffrench)
Store manager Paddy Sunderland, a former pupil of Wallingford School, said it was a proud moment for him as he opened the new store.
He added: “It’s very exciting to be open – we now have 75 new staff, and we are looking forward to welcoming customers from Abingdon and the surrounding towns and villages.
“I grew up in Benson, and I’m very proud to be the manager of a store in my own county.”
Olivia Redmond from M&S with a Colin the Caterpillar cake (Image: Andy Ffrench)
The store will offer the full M&S Food range, from everyday essentials to household must-haves and the latest new product launches.
Customers can look forward to an in-store bakery and coffee counter, offering a selection of freshly baked breads and pastries, as well as a range of barista-made takeaway drinks and a hot chicken counter, serving BBQ and butter-basted flavour British rotisserie chicken.
The bakery at the new M&S foodhall in Abingdon (Image: Andy Ffrench)
Mr Sunderland added: “With the full range of M&S Food products, we have everything for customers’ weekly shop but also something for everyone, whether grabbing lunch on the go or wanting to try our latest seasonal launches.”
Jo Clarke, one of the first customers at the new M&S foodhall (Image: Andy Ffrench)
Jo Clarke, a web developer from Abingdon, was one of the first customers and bought some pastries for breakfast.
She said: “M&S opening here means more choice for shoppers in the area.
“M&S will be a big draw and the car park is going to get busier. I cycled here and people should definitely walk or cycle if they can.”
The checkouts at the new M&S foodhall (Image: Andy Ffrench)
Denise Asim, who visited the new store, said she was impressed, and added: “There’s an excellent range of gluten-free products.”
Suzanne Henwood, from Abingdon, who has worked at M&S for 24 years, is one of the new employees at the foodhall.
She said: “I have worked in Oxford and in Didcot M&S stores but this is ideal for me.
“I think the new foodhall is very impressive – the size of it blows you away when you walk in.”
The store will also offer fresh produce from M&S’ Select Farm partners – over 60 of which are based in Oxfordshire – and M&S’ Remarkable Value and family-friendly Bigger Pack Better Value ranges will be available across the foodhall.
A dedicated Click and Collect point will also make collecting online fashion, home and beauty orders easy.
When the plans for the new store were approved last year, Abingdon shoppers said they were looking forward to the new foodhall as it meant they would no longer have to travel to Didcot or Oxford to shop at M&S.