A brand new 3,000 sq ft Spar store and Shell forecourt has just opened in Thropton, a hamlet in Northumberland, after a transformation of the village’s former West End Garage.
Owned by James Hall & Co. Ltd, Spar UK’s primary wholesaler and distributor for the North of England, the new store's opening hours are 6am-9pm seven days a week, and store features include a Graham Eyes butchers counter and a Clayton Park Deli, as well as Cheeky Coffee and Tango Ice Blast machines for refreshment options.
Spar Thropton’s also serves up a comprehensive range of fresh foods, Food To Go, major branded products, and beers, wines and spirits.
Local producers are a key theme to the store range too with Coquet Chocolate, biscuits from the Northumbrian Bakehouse, eggs and honey from Bainbridge Farms, jams and relishes from the Northumbrian Pantry, and sweet treats from Canny Candy Gadgies.
There is also Mocha Mondo coffee, tea from the Northumberland Tea Company, Hepple Spirits, and beers from both the First & Last Brewery and Hadrian Border Brewery all stocked at the Spar.
Fiona Drummond, Company Stores Director at James Hall & Co, said, “We are looking forward to serving this rural community in Thropton with our latest company-owned store.
“We have been so warmly received in the village, and the enthusiasm for the opening of our Spar store has been incredible.
“We have a comprehensive offer with a local flavour that will provide Thropton and the surrounding area with everything it needs, and we cannot wait to open our doors and give local residents a friendly Spar and James Hall welcome.”
Small touches have also been considered to the environment during construction, with solar panels in the roof of the Spar store and bird and bat boxes on site to encourage wildlife to flourish.
As well as the four fuel pumps, the Shell forecourt also features water, air and vacuum machines, an ATM, customer toilets, and 17 customer parking spaces. Two EV charge points are installed but may not be operational in time for the opening.
There is also a designated area for dog walkers to leave their dogs while they shop inside the store.
NHS staff can enjoy free coffee for the first six months, and MOD staff with valid ID based at the nearby Otterburn Ranges will receive 10% off their shop, also for the first six months.
James Hall & Co. Ltd serves a network of 600 independent SPAR retailers and company-owned SPAR stores across Northern England six days a week from its base in Preston, Lancashire. For further information about the company, please visit www.jameshall.co.uk