Waitrose set to open on Shrewsbury’s Pride Hill
Wednesday 12th January 2011, 1:00PM GMT.
Upmarket retailer Waitrose will open its first Shrewsbury store at two empty town centre sites in a move which will create 40 jobs, bosses said today.
The former Burger King in Pride Hill and the old Post Office site in St Mary’s Street, which have both been empty for several years, will be converted into a new store.
Shrewsbury Town Centre Residents’ Association has campaigned for a supermarket in the town centre for a number of years.
The supermarket chain has submitted an application for a new premises licence at the store to include the sale of alcohol and the playing of recorded music between 7am and 11pm Monday to Sunday.
A spokesman for Waitrose said: “I can confirm that Waitrose is proposing to open its first store in Shrewsbury in the currently vacant Post Office and Burger King units.
“While the proposal is still subject to alcohol licensing and planning permission, it is expected to create up to 40 jobs and open in late spring 2011.”
Sheila Sagar, co-chairman of the STCRA, gave the news a cautious welcome.
She said: “It will add to the whole package of Shrewsbury and the mix of shops we have.
“But we already have a very dynamic market and I would hate to think it would affect that.”
Simon Airey, president of Shrewsbury Business Chamber, today said: “I am delighted that a quality brand like Waitrose wants to locate to Shrewsbury, although I am not surprised.
“I would hope that they are open in the evenings because we have got an ever rising town centre population and very few places for them to buy groceries at night.”
All jobs will be advertised online at www.waitrose jobs.com when available.
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About time too. Good to see that building being put to use as well.
Now, since we live in the age of the ipod, would someone please persuade Apple to move into town.
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You are joking, right?
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agree with that !
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Good to see the return of smaller food stores to the high street. Just need more independents now please
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Think of the negative trade impact on all those small independent food retailers ‘within the loop’. Hang all large retailers and give us free parking or else the town centre will be dead within 6 months and I will have to move to Chester to stroke my middle class ego whilst shopping.
Oh hang on a minute, it appears I was suddendly taken over by Shrewsbury Resident Syndrome. It clouds your judgement and ability to be reasonable. My apologies but I have been under a large amount of stress recently worrying about the proposed extension to Sainsburys at Meole Brace.
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Don’t worry about it. Sainsburys will build it regardless and then hold the planners to ransom.
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Waitrose is too upmarket for Shrewsbury. Surely Aldi or Netto would be better on that site?
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Well it won’t be Netto because their store in Abbey Foregate is to be taken over by Asda allegedly so come on in Waitrose !!!!
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Waitrose is too upmarket for Shrewsbury, are you joking? where do you think we live?
Excellent news and another reson for people to shop in town!
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I do think a lower-spec retailer would do better in that location. Pride Hill is a very down-market shopping location. Waitrose doesn’t fit with that or the culture.
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So the shops in St Mary’s and Dogpole are specifically for those on limited income are they?
I must get my eyes and my wallet checked then.
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I think this is fantastic news and about time. Shrewsbury is hardly down market….and it is stores like this that will make other good retailers look at the town.
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Well said ZZ! I welcome Waitrose to Shrewsbury, great news!
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H. St. John Peasbody, do you actually live in Shrewsbury? If so, perhaps you should move as it sounds as though you are unhappy here.
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Agree with you totally Steve as the town need more shops of the Waitrose calibre !!!
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Ha Ha you are a Telford man no doubt.
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Too upmarket? I think we should disregard that last absurd comment. Shrewsbury is one of the best preserved Tudor towns in the country and slowly but surely improving with new niche restaurants, clubs and of course the theatre.
It has been crying out for a decent sized supermarket within the loop. I don’t think it will harm independent stores as it will attract more people into the town who will shop in a variety of stores including the independents. All we need now is a John Lewis or House of Fraser to replace the outdated and overpriced Rackhams Dept store.
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Shrewsbury has been gutted since the 1960s. Having a handful of buildings remaining, while hideous 60′s, 70′s and 80′s building spring up does not mean “best preserves”.
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Yes Shrewsbury has lost an awfull lot but is still THE best preserved Tudor town in the country with its street plan still intact and over 300 listed buildings as well as a number of ancient monuments. Many buildings that appear modern in shrewsbury have ancient cores and basements. Chester is not a patch. Most of the “Tudor” buildings are late 19th early 20th century copies.
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Erm, I believe Somerfield is a decent sized supermarket and is in the town centre. and I don’t see Waitrose being much bigger as it will be a smaller unit.
And also I think you will find that Rackhams IS a House of Fraser store.
I suggest you do some research before you make yourself look stupid on the web!!
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Yes you are correct Rackhams is a House of Fraser store but it’s one that is very old fashioned and not comparable to other House of Fraser stores such as those in Telford and Birmingham – that was the point I was making which I thought was obvious. And with regards to Somerfield (Cooperative) it is also in a poor state at the moment and Waitrose offers a different shopping experience that will attract a different range of shoppers. Hope this clarifies my earlier comments for you :) Lets hope it opens after 6:30!!
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In what way is it old fashioned? It sells exactly the same range of products as any other House of Fraser? Telford just has a newer building.
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At least Somerfield is next door to the multi-storey car park. There is no car park anywhere near the top of Pride Hill. Customers buying any quantity of goods from Waitrose will be trundling trolleys all the way through the town, and possibly abandoning them, or else clogging up the Park and Ride with loads of bags. Supermarkets are not like other shops, because of the way we use them they have no place in town centres.
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I doubt Waitrose customers are the type to be dumping trolleys in town centres.
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“I doubt Waitrose customers are the type to be dumping trolleys in town centres”.
I agree – they’ll probably send their chauffeurs to collect the shopping.
In fact that’s what Shrewsbury centre needs – a “limousines only lane” to cater for the “carriage trade”…..
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Agreed but I do like Rackhams.
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“Best preserved Tudor towns”?
It’s hardly Chester, is it? There’s more 60s concrete than anything else or hadn’t you noticed the Pride Hill Centre, The Charles Darwin Centre, The Market Hall. And as for the theatre! Dear boy – open your eyes!
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Perhaps a Waitrose store in the town centre would encourage similarly prestigious names to set up shop and restore Shrewsbury to it’s former bustling glory.
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i seem to recall town centre residents being OPPOSED to this plan in the past this shop has sat derelict for years whilst several proposals for bars/mini markets and resteraunts have been thrown out because the town centre residents objected to them all!
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Great, just what we need i the town centre, another expensive over priced shop selling organic rubbish in cheap packaging.
Shop lifters will love that being there… and you know that there will be the odd trolley dumped down pride hill somewhere.
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I just love ‘positive’ people !…What exactly DO you want then?
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I agree, just what DO Shrewsbury residents want. I visit, shop, enjoy the theatre, music hall cinema, market, restaurants etc. regularly even though I live near Cosford. Just be grateful you have a lovely and attractive town that people want to visit. Just for info. I shop at Waitrose in Wolverhampton and I don’t have a chauffeur, far from it
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You need a rinse Daz
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IT WILL ALWAYS BE MORE EXPENSIVE IN THE TOWN CENTRE BUT YOU CAN GET ALL THE DAY TO DAY STUFF THERE AND JUST STILL DO A BIG SHOP OUT OF TOWN ONCE A MONTH THIS WILL BE JUST TOPPING UP THE FRIDGE
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You’d hate the organic overpriced rubbish (?) that I sell, it comes in REALLY cheap packaging – the soil it was grown in and paper bags.
What do you want – cheap rubbish (imported, sprayed with pesticides, fungicides, chilled within an inch of its life, stored for ages and driven round the UK to be washed) in really expensive shiny packaging?
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brilliant news thats just what the town needs
i hope they redecorate the building a bit in the process though!
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Brilliant News, about time. Who cares if they are pricey those that moan can still shop at their usual shops so what are they making a fuss about
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John Lewis AND Apple! Bring it on!!!
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H&M was a real coup last year, ive heard rumours of debenhams in the mall soon and primark, though there not exactly A list, John Lewis would be OK, but I would prefer to get Ikea to come here, that said waitrose is amazing though, im very pleased they are interested in little shrewsbury, i can assure them i will loyaly make their tills ring in return
welcome to shrewsbury mr waitrose, to you the door is truly open
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Yes Waitrose you are welcome in Shrewsbury, but please, NOT in the town centre. I want to be able to park, shop, and get my stuff home. I don’t want to lug loads of groceries all through the town or clog up a bus with it. Shrewsbury centre is quaint and fine for clothes, books, jewellery and so-on but not for big items.
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I think this is great news! Waitrose are an anchor tenant who will increase the footfall around that end of Pride Hill so surely most local shops will see a benefit!? M&S are the only company I can see affected by this, and we don’t need to worry about them too much! (Its a shame they haven’t decided to knock down the building and re-develop it in my opinion!)
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Anyone who ever lived in town will tell you there is no where to even get a pint of milk after about 6pm – this is crazy if you dont get home from work til then you have to drive out to north shrewsbury to get food, so i would welcome any supermarket but especially such a prestigious one as Waitrose its the best thing to come to Shrewsbury since the Old Market Hall Cinema was opened it will be awesome.
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BRILLIANT NEWS !
What a load of negative comments there are.
Waitrose has a budget range which is no more expensive than Tesco.
Yeah we need a John Lewis as the nearest are Touchwood at Solihull and Cheadle in Cheshire.
Why cant we have one in the Shropshire/Mid Wales area?
By the way what do others think about the roadway onto the Meole Brace retail park – POTHOLES or what ? It really should be repaired its putting me off shopping there.
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I totally agree, I have to shop at sainsburys as the other half prefers the foodstuff, those pot holes onto the retail park are like craters!! doesn’t do any good for your suspension or your car! what do we pay our road tax for??
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I’d hope none of our taxes are used for the upkeep of private roads.
It’s up to the owners of Meole Brace Retail Park to repair their roads.
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Waitrose is great! Apart from ranking very highly in ethical supermarket surveys (along with Co-Op and M&S), it’s the only place I know where you can pop in for a loaf of bread and come out £50 worse off… but with loads of great food you can’t find anywhere else!
Not a good place for the easily tempted…
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Well, I suppose a small Waitrose is better than none. The people of Shrewsbury were cheated by John Lewis management when they didn’t take up the Safeway Store in Old Potts Way folowing the Morrison’s take-over. But with a mini-market, I expect I’ll still be driving to Wolverhampton or Newport.
And as for a John Lewis department store near town, we can only dream…..
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ikea would be good there
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And what a delightful old building its going in……Is that real Tudor..
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….no, early Elizabeth(II)an, i.e. 1960s…..
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Its funny how many people simply pass off Waitrose as expensive. If you’ve ever shopped in one you’ll realise that there’s a good value range of products.
And unlike the Wal-Mart owned ASDA or the annoying ‘Tescopoly’, Waitrose focuses on selling FOOD and DRINK allowing other retailers to sell the non-food products and thus creating a much happier and vibrant high-street…Tesco take note!
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At last. We lived down south for about ten years and always used to shop at Waitrose. We now use Ocado. Now before we all go jumping to conclusions. I’m not a wealthy person, I happen to be a Gardener. My wife and I have always, always found Waitrose to be cheaper than the ‘others’ especially Tesco. And if you still think Tesco is cheaper, waitrose always compare their prices with them.
So bring it on, I won’t be first in the queue but I’ll be there on the opening day.
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this is great, i often go into the one in Newport and love it, its lovely and one in shrewsbury although clearly going to be smaller, it will be nice to have one in shrewsbury
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Do grocery shop at waitrose in newport when there on a tuesday twice a month, may I ask what is so up market about it? it is a super market for god sake . I would also add with regards to price it is rather reasonable . Sainsbury is supposed to be one of the dearest supermarkets but they built the one in shrewsbury next to the biggest council estate in the town and most of its residents shop there.
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It’ll never be as good as Wimpy. Fact.
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I think its fab, somerfield is the other end of town so it will be good to have the shop on pride hill.
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Peasbody is talking perfect sense. I would go as far to suggest market trader’s with knock off gear should be encouraged to the town centre. It would lend an updated Dickensian feel to the town. Lovely…
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What fantastic news it’s about time that waitrose came to shrewsbury just a shame its not going to be a bigger store and give sainsburys a run for their money.!!!!! Can’t wait for it to open.
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You know what, I might actually shop in Shrewsbury a bit more often. Which means that I’ll probably spend more money in the other shops. So a positive move.
I sometimes shop at Waitrose in Newport, it’s not necessarily more expensive than the other supermarkets and to be honest I’d prefer to spend the little hard-earned cash that I have with a business that actually treats me like a grown-up and that does some good – it gives a much fairer deal to the producers it buys from, it feels like an old fashioned shop with helpful staff, it gives a proportion of its profit to charity (and the customers decide which one) and it’s owned by the people that work there, not some faceless conglomerate plc. No snooping loyalty card scheme that gives them my shopping history for free.
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EXCELLENT NEWS! BUT WHERE WILL WE PARK?
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All this guff reminds me of the retailers’ mantra: Q “What is Sainsbury’s for?” A “To keep the riffraff out of Waitrose”!
This will be a small Waitrose. It won’t touch Tesco, Sainsbury or Asda. It will attract quality retailers into the loop, will contribute to the vibrancy of the retail scenen and will provide quality employment.
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Like Newport’s Waitrose attracted in quality? All Newport’s got is Waitrose, a Co-op and a load of charity shops, sandwich bars and fast food outlets.
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And a Greggs..
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Have you got a sub for that?
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no but we got a sub way
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pukka, best grub of all the main chains adding to the food offer in town
lets get shrewsbury a michelen star restaurant next build the foodie reputation to match ludlow
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waitrose for shrewsbury fab i will certainly shop there,plenty of variety as well,im sure they will do well,and creating more jobs,its all good.
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A brilliant opportunity to have another dig at the Residents Association. So here goes;
A fantastic move to get Waitrose into the town centre. This will probably spur on the Association in their quest to shut down every pub, ban every car and close every independant shop within the town centre area.
Upon completion of this, they plan to move on towards banning any human being, animal or plant life from the town.
Finally, a huge wall will be built around Shrewsbury town centre allowing the Association to live safely in the knowledge they can fill themselves on Waitrose produce without the bother of any normal members of society.
I feel much better now.
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Dear CW, I am sorry I cannot address you personally as you have chosen not to show your name. However, I have to tell you that your comments about the aims of STCRA are seriously misinformed.
All members of STCRA live within the town centre, and some of them even have cars, pets and gardens so would hardly want to ‘move towards banning any human being, animal or plant life from the town.’
Similarly, STCRA members drink in the local pubs, drive cars and own some of the independent shops (Sheila Sager my co-chair is one such owner), so neither are they ‘on a quest to shut down every pub, ban every car and close every independent shop within the town centre area’.
We would be delighted to talk to you about the real aims of the STCRA so you can make informed comments in future. Just pop into the Shrewsbury Bakehouse (independent shop) on Castle Street and ask for Sheila or myself.
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aww man, you sunk the “funny ship”!
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I think you may be right there Corbet. As well as promoting the town centre for their own use, they also do not appear to recognise tongue in cheek comments. O well!
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Sorry, but all quite normal, no webbed feet or two heads!
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This will make an eyesore into something positive and enhance the shops and outlets at the top of Pride Hill and into Castle Gates. The park and ride stops quite close by for those with heavy shopping. Surely it is good news to see such a large plot being developed into something useful? It is far enough from the market not to create a negative impact and I am sure be an asset. Yet another good reason for us to come to Shrewsbury to shop
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I hope they will tart the shop up a bit and give it a lick of paint atleast it sure is the ugliest building in our loverly town
still i will go there for the yummy food not the architecture!!
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How can their be 30 replies over this news article?? it’s a supermarket for goodness sake! ‘get out more’ springs to mind…
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Says the person that has taken time out to comment on something you’re not even interested in just to make you appear more interesting.
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I thought STCRA had managed to put a stop to this.
I hope for the sake of the disney aspects of Shrewsbury some fake mediaeval timbers are stuck on the front of the building.
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Dear Eva, Please see my reply to CW, comment 30. Your perception that STCRA are an organisation who just put a stop to things is incorrect. I would like to extend the same invitation to you as to CW to meet us and get to know the real people and the real facts.
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We’re in a recession. Presumably all of you in favour of this can afford to pay £3.99 for a pack of four apples, but personally, I think that’s a bit much.
I’m all for having a supermarket in town to encourage people to use the other shops at the same time, but for the wealthier food shoppers, there’s already the M&S food hall in the shopping centre. Why do we need a Waitrose?
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More choice. Simple.
If you want to shop at Aldi or Netto you can. If you want to shop at Sainsbury’s, you can.
And soon, if you want to shop at Waitrose, you can. Its got win all over it.
Its all about choice. Consumer demand, if Waitrose thinks it can sell us beans and bread, then why not let them?
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Gosh I can’t wait.Do you think they will let one park one’s horse outside?
Failing that we could send the Daimler.
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I have to say that if you must resort to arranging your own shopping you’re probably not the sort of person who would be welcome in that shop.
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I sincerely hope I can leave my trusty mount outside while I pop in for some gentlemen’s relish.
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This gentlemen’s relish, does she have a name?
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nice one!
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good news
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The Gentleman’s Relish selection is better than the frois gras but one still comes away with an overriding sense of disappointment from supermarkets.
I believe we need a Fortnum & Mason to fully meet a gentleman’s requirements. I am sure they would provide adequate stabling for one’s mount,what!
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it will be great, people in the town centre are forced to live off ready meals and take away at the moment, this will improve health and well being by giving crucial access to fresh fruit and veg in the town, i think it will be great, but agree with the comments about it being very similar to M&S across the road, the crucial thing for me, it needs to open early on Sundays and later into the evening ideally not til the pubs kick out (for anti social behavioure reasons) but til atleast 8 or 9 pm in the evening, that would really help residents and breathe life into that part of town and the whole evening economy generally, so generally caveate about evening opening times, i think its good
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It doesn’t matter who is in the town centre when you can’t get to it.
Trying to do any shopping in Shrewsbury town centre is a nightmare I try to avoid.
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agree the parking issue needs to be looked at here though too
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agree parking will be an issue here thats why M&S want to move to Meole Brace Retail Park (with its pot holed roads)
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No potholes on Pridehill! Meole Brace retail park is a like test for the advanced driver. Can you get around those botched up, patched up potholes without ruining your suspension.
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Aside from aprking issues at the new Waitrose I welcome them to the town. But the issue of the roads around the Meole Brace retail park is one we should all be up in arms about. How long are we expecred to put up with dodging them (if you can) I have a very small car and it’s almost an impossibility, some of them are so big/deep that if I went into one I might possibly have to call out a recovery vehicle. Who’s responsible for the roads around there? They should be made to get it sorted.
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i like waitrose more than most supermarkets but i still stock up on basics like tins and potatoes from Aldi, im not to proud or posh to say that, i think if you can its best to shop around, waitrose is best for deserts, treats, dinner party food, foreign foods and the like but a potato is a potato so i get them from a cheap place. i also use the market in town too its great for veg but i think that all these places are needed and can peacefully co-exist in harmony as people shop around and such
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“And when I tell them how wonderful it was, they’ll never believe me, no they’ll never believe me.”
I remember an old PUB with wonderful armchairs that I would ‘LORD IT’ in when I was young and the RAVEN was down the street towards the Castle on the other side of the road.
Aah, but we were Shropshire Lads then with acorns in our pockets.
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brilliant beautifulproducts for beautiful people in a beautiful town shop there folks and you will find fun fun fun in those isles of shopping mecca heaven on earth will lovely ladies on the checkouts too
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43 replies….. supermarket…. why??????
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It would only be 41 if you weren’t telling us about your lack of interest…..
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I think Redpool’s lack of interest is important.
Tell us Redpool, why do you show such interest in a subject your are clearly not interested in?
yeah …. ah huh …… oooo that’s interesting
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Well done, Waitrose! I thought Shrewsbury was on the slide when Austin Reed and Ronald Beck pulled out but it will be great to have a quality retailer at the top of Pride Hill. Stallholders in the Market needn’t worry too much; just keep selling that wonderfully fresh and tasty stuff ….
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what a bunch of snobs some foke are its healthy for a town like shrewsbury to have a waitrose , if you dont like it dont shop there and stop moaning x
LIFE IS TOO SHORT !!!
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Shrewsbury one will be a poor relation to the Newport one. “Why?” I hear you ask.
Becasue it won’t have the lovely Zoe working there. Ahh Zoe on the ciggy counter; how I’ve loved you from afar.
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Jesus and Rob
The STORY interests me greatly but how can anyone posting all these replies about it saying ‘great’ ‘fab’ ‘excellent’ be of any interest???
I was staggered by the first lot of replies and on my 2nd visit to the ‘most commented article’ it was up to over 40!!!
completely unreal, i repeat my comment…
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Waitrose will have a member of staff who they won’t want to have on their books – in fact he’s there already! It is reputed that the ghost of a second world war soldier can be seen in the cellar of the old Burger King shop where they kept buns etc. Staff would only go down in two’s whist another kept the door at the top of the stairs open.
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“Staff would only go down in two’s whist another kept the door at the top of the stairs open”
A likely story – and they were down there for quite a while? I think you’ll find the other one was only keeping watch in case they were disturbed by the management.
This could be the origin of the saying “a bun in the oven”?
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chavs from telford shoudnt comment here, they dont appreciate the virtues of a quality shop like waitrose which belongs to true salopians, get your self down to asda in telford Rob,
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Funny that Freddy – the only Waitrose in Shropshire at the moment is the one in Newport – Telford & Wrekin.
As for “true Salopians”, my family have lived in this county for as long as anyone knows, with one branch of the family living in Shrewsbury.
PS I always thought a low standard of literacy (such as your complete inability to use capital letters where appropriate) was a classic characteristic of the chav…..
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To be fair, Newport isnt Telford, though sadly due to it being in T&W Council, though I do agree with you that people that think Shrewsbury is chav free clearly haven’t been to the Riverside Shopping centre
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Any news on the possibility of parking valets at the new Waitrose?
If one is unable to stable or tie up one’s steed then I think the least these chaps could do would be to park one’s Daimler.
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I think Waitrose would do well in Shrewsbury- but please NOT in the town centre!!! Worst possible place- no parking, nowhere for taxis to pick up old ladies with their shopping (it’s bad enough when they all order them from Marks and Somerfield), where will the delivery lorries park?
Not sterotyping or anything, but most of its customers will likely come from Belle Vue, Radbrook, Copthorne, The Mount areas so put it somewhere accessible to them. Coleham or Frankwell say.
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yes parking there will limit BIG shops but you can still nip in for a little shop you know just to pick up a bottle of wine and baguette on the bike, or get a sandwich at lunch time, they should just put some cycle hoops in there and it will be well frequented by the likes of me atleast
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well apart from some on the mount what is so upmarket about radbrook, bell vue,and copthorne? need to get out more me thinks, and come to think of it can a super market be up market?? only in good old blighty.
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Some of the comments re Waitrose beggar belief !
This is a quality company and just what we need more of in the town.
I find it very strange that the main worry is about parking. Buses to all parts of the town are just across the road so what’s the problem ?
All the streets nearby will be lined with even more free loading Blue Badge holders, so the rest of us will have to get on the bus anyway.
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Any new business into Pridehill is fantastic news. Only yesterday we read that Burton and Miss Selfridge were closing. Alot of the units in the two large centres are empty. We need new businesses and the jobs that they will bring. Also, Waitrose may give M & S foodhall – with its huge queues and lack of space a run for its money!
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I Thought that Waitrose used to have a shop where the present Netto is, in Abbey Forgate, back in the 80s, if not which Supermarket was that one then? It was certainly upmarket and I wonder why it closed, parking was there.
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that was Safeway.
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I have a photo of that site being a Safeway.
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just pleased to see that place re-used, its been sat idle for years now anything there would be better than nothing its the dead centre of town and its embarrasing for shrewsbury to have it empty, thank you waitrose
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ill go there! WKD!
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this is weird every other town in shropshire is COMPLAINING about new supermarkets Shrewsbury is celebrating them!!
Strangely I think its snobbery because if this was tesco or aldi people would be less pleased, its just Waitrose is nice
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excellent much needed in the town i feel
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Roadrunner
I think the store in Abbey foregate was Safeway. It used to be the posh place to go!!
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#22 Safeway was built and opened in 1964 in Abbey Foregate, roadrunner.
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I still remember it opening – the automatic doors were a source of wonder back then (mind you, I was only about eight at the time)!!!
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I live in the Wellington area and have often taken visiting friends and relatives to Shrewsbury rather than Wellington or Telford town centres should we fancy an afternoon out.
Be it a bit of shopping or a walk along the river, a look up at the some of the wonderful architecture or a coffee in the Rupert or in The Lion or a picnic in The Dingle, Shrewsbury is a great place to visit.
From an outsider’s point of view, a Waitrose can only be good for Shrewsbury.
Be grateful it’s not a charity shop. While I acknowledge the excellent work that charity shops do, their presence in number indicates that your town centre is on its last legs. Look at Wellington, sadly!
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hear hear i agree, more private sector is needed in shrewsbury not charity shops and public buildings galore
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Ok so too many charity shops not enough ‘higher market’ shops… at least the building is being used for something, instead of standing there empty. Waitrose is something different for Shrewsbury town centre, some people don’t like change, for these people I advise you not to shop there. Unfortunately there is no way you can please every one. If it isn’t a success we can all sit back and wait for it to close, then the selected people opposed can say ‘i told you so’.
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nice one – i hope this is the start of more shops opening in town, empty stores are an eyesore, attract crime, look bad and dont pay any taxes, we should make empty shops chepaer to reopen e.g. free of business rates for the first month or some such offers
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