Published November 9th, 2022
A SPAR store in Gillingham has reopened after a substantial rebuild.
The new Hawtree & Sons Riverside Garage, located on the A30 at West Stour, features a 4,000-square-foot SPAR store and an upgraded fuel forecourt.
The team has focussed on increasing its support for local producers by stocking new lines from businesses in the area.
Sebastian Hawtree, one of the store owners, commented: “Our rebuild was about more than just increasing the space we have. We also wanted to explore which local producers we could start working with.
“The new store has a milk refill station, stocked by Dorset Dairy Co., which not only supports local but also reduces the reliance on plastic. We have Olive’s Kitchen frozen meals, which are produced locally, as well as Purbeck Dorset Ice Cream.
“Where possible, our fresh meat and vegetables come from local suppliers, and we have increased the amount of local alcoholic drinks on sale in the store.”
Additional facilities include a Fwip ice cream machine, takeaway coffee machines, and an external laundrette.
The new building, adjacent to the former SPAR store, is now fully accessible.
Rachel Bennett, business development manager at Appleby Westward, the organisation which manages all SPAR stores in the south-west, added: “The Hawtree family are fantastic to work with. They had an ambition to develop a vastly improved space in Gillingham, and we were pleased to support them in this process.
“It is wonderful to see the store now open, as well as the plans for further improvements to the forecourt.”
The forecourt canopy will be extended and raised in the coming weeks, creating two new covered HGV lanes.
For more information, visit www.spar.co.uk.
