A brand-new M&S food hall has opened its doors in Sidcup, the News Shopper can reveal, with an exclusive first look.
The store, which is located under a new block of flats in Station Road, welcomed shoppers for the first time today (June 19).
More than 150 customers had queued ahead of the opening to get the first look inside the store.
They were greeted with a special appearance from DJ Brookie who performed live music for those visiting the venue.
The 7,200 square ft store offers a market-style shopping experience featuring a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables.
It also has an in-store bakery which will be providing freshly baked bread, cakes, and pastries throughout the day.
The store will be open from 7am until 10pm on Monday to Saturday and 10am until 4pm on Sunday.
Pictures taken by the News Shopper show the finalised look which has been in the works since 2022.
Shoppers are instantly greeted with a bright black and white sign at the front of the store, which reads: “M&S Food.”
Elaine Green, who has lived in Sidcup for over 60 years, said it’s “amazing” to see a food market being introduced to the area.
She added: “I’ve lived here for some time now and the closest store to me in Morrisons but that’s still a 20-minute walk away.
“It’s nice to have this store right at my doorstep.”
More than 50 local people have also been recruited to join the M&S Sidcup team.
Another shopper, who wishes to be kept anonymous, said that the store is a great addition for commuters going into London from Sidcup station.
He added: “I frequently travel from Sidcup station into London and there’s nowhere really to get a drink before I get on the train.
“So having this store next to the station is a great decision. It’s really added value to it.”
The Sidcup food hall, is one of nine new M&S food halls set to open across the UK this year, which forms part of a more than £30 million investment by the retail giant in its stores across London.
It has also implemented eco-friendly initiatives, including the installation of fridge doors to cut down on energy consumption and LED lighting on a clock timer.
Soaking up the opening day celebrations, store manager, Karen Black, who has worked at M&S for 20 years said: “We couldn’t be more excited to officially open our brand-new Sidcup Foodhall today.
“I’d like to thank the entire team for all their hard work to get everything ready for our customers and I can’t wait for our customers to explore all the new features that the store has to offer.
"The store is an exciting investment in the future of M&S in Sidcup and it’s brilliant to be joining the local community.
“With an amazing new, fresh market-style Foodhall, the perfect place to shop for your M&S favourites, we really do have the best of M&S here for everyone to enjoy.
“The atmosphere in the store has been electric today and we have loved welcoming new and familiar faces through the doors.
“We really do encourage local shoppers to come down and try the store out for themselves – they won’t be disappointed."
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