DERBYSHIRE: Brand new Spar for Peak District village

The new upmarket Spar store, in Calver, will create and support 18 new jobs and will be the first retail format of its kind in the UK for the Dutch-based company. The 3,000sq ft store has been designed along the lines of a farm shop and will, uniquely, include in-store departments that will be run and supplied by a number of local businesses.

John Hattersley Wines will be involved in the wine department and Peak Ales will be supplying a range of locally-brewed beers. Smyllies of Bakewell will be supplying the fruit and vegetables and the meat section will be supplied by Critchlows Farm Show and Castlegate Farm Shop.

There will be an in-store bakery and there are plans to work with a local dairy and cheese producer, together with a variety of additional local food producers.

The third generation family business is making a significant long-term investment in the village and Edward White, the company’s MD, is very optimistic that the new store will be well received.

He said: “For some time we have been looking to grow the business but have been constrained by a relatively small site which has no scope for expansion, so when the former Outside building became available we jumped at the opportunity.

“We are delighted that the new store will be the first of Spar’s new retail concept and we very much look forward to working closely with a wide range of well-established local businesses and to welcoming both existing and new customers to this exciting new store.”

The company will retain the existing petrol station and shop. The shop will have a reduced product range and will become more focused on food-to-go, including a wider range of sandwiches, salads, hot food and coffees, as well as everyday essentials, including newspapers, bread and milk.

The existing coffee shop is continuing to trade whilst the new Spar is being developed, which has been renamed as Palmer’s Café — a tribute to the name of Calver’s original petrol station.