A NEW M&S food hall has opened its doors in Blandford Forum bringing 30 jobs to the area.

Store manager Matthew Stear was joined by the town Mayor, cllr Stephen Hitchens, to mark the occasion by cutting a ribbon and welcoming the shop's first customers.

The 9,000 sq ft site at Langton Road sells the usual food and drink items found at other food halls, and also features a 50-seat cafe and in-store bakery.

It also offers a Shop Your Way service which gives customers the option to buy online or in-store and collect their items for free.

Mr Stear said: “The Mayor and I were delighted to finally unveil the new food hall in Blandford Forum and welcome the first customers into store.

"M&S food hall Blandford Forum provides customers with a great new shopping experience, with a wide selection of quality meat, fish and poultry, and seasonal produce, as well as a 50-seat M&S café and in-store bakery. We’re expecting our Christmas food and drink range to be very popular, and look forward to welcoming local customers over the coming weeks.”

As part of M&S’s sustainability programme, Plan A, store staff will now choose a local charity to work in partnership with as its charity of the year. The team will undertake a variety of fundraising activities over the next 12 months to help raise money for the chosen local cause.

The food hall will be open Monday to Saturday 8am-8pm, and Sunday 10am-4pm.