A counterfeit Waitrose outlet bewildered local residents when it materialized in Corsham, a market town situated in Wiltshire adjacent to Oxfordshire.
The establishment recently opened its doors in the Wiltshire town, though members of the public found they were unable to purchase any items.
It quickly emerged that the premises had been constructed specifically for the popular Disney+ drama Rivals, incorporating the retailer’s signature brown and white colour scheme reminiscent of the 1980s.
Graphic designer Rosie Carmichael, who worked on the production, explained that customers had been thrilled at the prospect of a new Waitrose arriving, but the team had to disappoint numerous visitors.
The show, which draws from Dame Jilly Cooper’s provocative novels, is set in a fictional Cotswold village. In the latest series, Conservative MP Rupert Campbell-Black, portrayed by Alex Hassell, is depicted inaugurating a new Waitrose branch in Stroud, Gloucestershire, where he declared it was the ideal spot to purchase a nice portion of Cotswold blue.
To mark the release of Rivals’ second season, currently available for streaming on Disney+, Waitrose has introduced its own collection of retro-style food products.
The lineup includes a scotch egg sandwich priced at four pounds and a Thousand Island prawn sandwich costing four pounds ten.
Meanwhile, customers at Waitrose’s Botley Road branch experienced frustration this week when the coffee machine remained unusable after an entire week of being out of service.
Patrons holding a Waitrose account can obtain a complimentary coffee using their loyalty card, without needing to make any additional purchases.
Engineers were summoned to repair one of the beverage dispensers, though a second unit continues to be non-functional.
The series takes place in an imaginary Cotswold setting, and its cast members attended the season two premiere earlier this month.
The award-winning Disney+ programme adapts Dame Jilly Cooper’s bestselling novel series. Dame Jilly Cooper passed away unexpectedly last October at the age of 88. The show explores the competitive realm of British television against the backdrop of the Cotswolds countryside.
Emily Atack, who portrays the provocative character Sarah Stratton in the series, was among the notable personalities gathered at the Soho Hotel in London for the glamorous screening event.
She was accompanied on the pink carpet by fellow cast members, including Alex Hassell, who chose to wear a black suede jacket layered over a navy satin shirt.