Central England Co-operative officially opens its new store in Leicestershire following an investment of £1.8 million and the creation of 20 new jobs

Posted by rob smyth | Published: 11/10/2019

Central England Co-op has officially opened its new store in Leicestershire – creating 20 new jobs and investing £1.8 million in the area.

The Food Store, which is based in Grantham 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.

To mark the opening in Bottesford, colleagues were joined by Bottesford Primary School, Grantham Food Bank and good cause The Family Bench to cut the ribbon and declare the store open.

The good causes were presented with £25 in vouchers each by Store Manager Tom Watson who said his team were delighted to start building a relationship with their neighbours.

Tom said: “It was fantastic to be able to welcome Bottesford Primary School, Grantham Food Bank and The Family Bench to be our guests of honour at the opening of our brand new store.

 “All of us here at Grantham Road 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.”

The Grantham Road 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 store offer includes 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.

It 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 Grantham Food Bank.

Notes to editors

Picture captions:

1

Pupils from Bottesford Primary School, David Payne, from Grantham Food Bank and Lyndsay Young, from The Family Bench, joined Grantham Road Food Store Manager Tom Watson to cut the ribbon and open the new site.

2

New imagery showcasing a map of Bottesford outside the store at Grantham Road.

About Central England Co-operative

Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK. 

It is a modern, forward-looking organisation employing over 8,000 staff, with the Society’s principal areas of activity being food, funeral services, travel shops, and property investment.

Central England Co-operative has over 400 trading outlets across 16 counties including; West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.  The Society has an ambitious food store development programme for 2019.

Central England Co-operative is proud of its reputation for ethical business practices and corporate responsibility.  It is a member of Business in the Community, the membership organisation that stands for responsible business, and has also won many business awards for excellence.  The Society supports a number of charities including Dementia UK and invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities.

Becoming a member of Central England Co-operative offers a whole host of benefits ranging from collecting points every time you spend in store to earn a share of the profits, access to members activities and community initiatives including the Community Dividend Fund, which hands out grants of up to £5,000 to charities and good causes across the Society’s trading estate.

Find out how to become a Central England Co-operative member by calling 0800 0501 601, emailing members@centralengland.coop or visiting https://www.members.coop

For more information visit www.centralengland.coop, follow Central England Co-operative on Twitter: @mycoopfood, and on Facebook: facebook.com/centralenglandcooperative

Rob Smyth and James Brindle at Central England Co-operative on 01543 421390

Email – publicrelations@centralengland.coop