Farnham residents were among the first to explore M&S’s new 18,600 sq ft food store this morning, with eager shoppers lining up to step inside.

Customers braved the rain on Wednesday, March 25, queuing outside an inflatable Percy Pig that towered over the M&S car park.

M&S Farnham is one of 12 Homebase sites redeveloped across the UK, and one of three new larger-format food halls to open in the past two weeks. The store has also created more than 60 local jobs since plans were first announced in May last year.

Store manager Joe Bentley, joined by new recruit Lucy Rogers, Percy Pig and Farnham town crier Michael Stephens, cut the ribbon this morning. Speaking at the opening, Mr Bentley said:

“We are thrilled to bring the best of M&S Food to Farnham. The response so far has been brilliant. Our new store has something for everyone – whether you’re doing your weekly shop or popping in for lunch – with our full range offering trusted M&S quality and value. I’m proud of the whole team for their hard work preparing the store, and we can’t wait to welcome customers in Farnham.”

One of the first customers in the queue was Louise Ralph, who said: “I’m very, very excited for it to come to Farnham. I actually texted my sister and said, ‘What’s the plan?’ as soon as I heard about it.

“I recently went to the big opening at Marks & Spencer in Bath, which is four storeys, and that was incredible, so we are hoping for the same here, even though it isn’t as big as Bath.”

M&S Farnham is at Unit A, Farnham Retail Park, GU9 9QJ. Opening hours are 8am to 9pm Monday to Saturday, and 10.30am to 4.30pm on Sundays.