Central England Co-operative has officially opens its new store in Calow, Derbyshire, following an investment of over £1m and the creation of 20 new jobs.
The Food Store, which is based in Top Road, offers shoppers an expansive range of products and is fitted out with pioneering new energy efficient refrigeration technologies to minimise environmental impact, LED lighting and a lifesaving defibrillator.
The store serves up fresh and local fruit and vegetables, an in-store bakery offering breads and pastries, chilled beers and wines, fresh and frozen product, Irresistible product ranges, and a great selection of food to go. Other features include a Costa Coffee machine and a free cash machine.
To mark the opening, colleagues were joined by representatives from the neighbouring Chesterfield Royal Hospital to cut the ribbon and declare the store open for business.
Deputy Director of Nursing and Patient Care at Chesterfield Royal Hospital Sarah Ward, as well as the hospital’s Charity Director Ken Godber were presented with £100 in vouchers for the hospital by Store Manager Gary Bonsall who said his team were delighted to start building a relationship with their neighbours.
Bonsall said, “It was fantastic to be able to welcome Sarah and Ken to the opening. The team and I all live locally and are passionate about supporting the hospital and look forward to building a great relationship with them.
“All of us here at Calow Food Store are proud to be part of such a great community and are delighted to welcome everyone to come and enjoy our new store.
“I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank local residents for their patience. It has been long-awaited, but hopefully everyone will enjoy the store as much as we do.”
Royal Chesterfield NHS Foundation Trust Charity Director, Ken Godber said, “Myself and Sarah were delighted to be invited to open the new store and the vouchers will be used to raise money for the Charity.
“We look forward to linking up with the team. The Co-op has a real sense of community and like us, is keen to see great local causes bring benefits to local people. We look forward to exploring potential ideas for support.”
The Calow Co-operative Food Store is open from 7am to 10pm, Monday to Sunday. The store offers a wide range of products from everyday necessities to something a little more special.
The new store also offers Lottery, Paypoint, Collect Plus and foreign currency, as well as outdoor seating and picnic areas. Customers will also be able to support local good causes as a specialist collection point has been installed for Living Hope Food Bank.
The new Food Store includes a free car park with a maximum stay of one hour. This is designed to ensure our customers visiting the store can always find somewhere to park.