You may recognise this particular M&S from a certain Gavin & Stacey Christmas special back in 2010, where Smithy meets Stacey in store to pick up his shopping, but from this week, if you were to visit the telly-famous supermarket, you'd be met with a completely new look, and a brand new way of choosing your wine and coffee.
Having been off-limits since January of this year, after three months of renovation, customers who have had to substitute Marksie's for their local Tesco or navigated the makeshift food hall in the clothing section are in for a treat as the food hall at the Culverhouse Cross branch on the outshirts of Cardiff, officially reopened.
The store has undergone a complete transformation to match with its new focus on fresh produce, smooth shopping, supporting local suppliers (19 of which are stocked in this M&S) and waste-free living, giving customers a bigger, better and brighter experience.
Read More: Marks and Spencer say you can do your weekly shop there for £25
And it seems regular shoppers were excited for the transformation at the store, which opened at 9am, Wednesday, May 18, as you could spot the entrance from a mile off. Not simply because of the lifesize Percy Pig, Marks and Spencers' pink mascot - who is "always a showstopper", said Simon Newman, the store manager, but because there was a queue out the door and round the corner of shoppers, trolleys and bags at the ready, each clutching a golden ticket - which Percy Pig and his helpers had handed out to the first 200 customers at the door. With each golden ticket, there was a guaranteed prize to be won, whether that's a free bag of Percy Pigs, freshly baked cookies from the new M&S bakery or even a £200 M&S voucher.
Once you're in, it's surprisingly spacious - most likely due to the fact that it is 1,000 square feet bigger than before - rather cool (in temperature and looks), and is bursting with colour. A market-style layout, its exposed brickwork is decorated with and complemented by bright green, red and white neon signs which scream urban chic - the kind you'd expect to see at a popular brunch hangout - indicating to shoppers the specific sections dotted around the hall, such as the "wine cove" - as described by regional manager Alison Jenkins.
"I think it's very interesting. Much more open and a lot brighter. I like it. I've forgotten what the old one looks like. This is lovely," said customer David Holder, who shops in Marks and Spencer once a week, and remained dedicated to the shop throughout its development. "We've been watching it progress since the early part of the year, and now it's done., job well done. It was interesting to see them doing it. And now we see the finished product, I'm very pleased with it."
And a fresh look isn't all that's new. A refill station for nuts and dried fruit (plus hopefully more in future) - complete with a neon sign - was a busy stop-off for customers who frequented the fruit and veg aisles, and the waft of fresh bread from the bakery enticed customers over to try the goods on offer - scones, loaves, croissants - all available with plastic-free packaging. And with a waste-free mindset, a revolutionary way to choose coffee and wine has been introduced at this new haunt: try before you buy.
Yes, you heard that right. Although this treat is only available to Sparks card holders. But for free, you can sample different coffee and wine to see if its to your liking before you spend your hard-earned money on a glass of vino that is more likely to see the bottom of the sink than your tastebuds.
And if the new additions weren't sweet enough to experience on the grand re-opening, Simon Newman and the team organised special performance from the Ysgol Gynradd Llwyncelyn Choir, who were more than happy to try out the new ‘cluck’ and ‘moo’ animal sound buttons, which can be found next to the milk, eggs, and Percy Pig goodies.
"I only came this morning cause my son was singing in the choir. I don't come to Culver usually, but it's very trendy. We don't have a Marks and Spencer in Porth. It's lovely. It's really good," said Molly from Rhondda. As for what she's liked the most at this new and improved Marksies? "The Percy Pig aisle. It's massive. I'm going to go there now and get some sweets. I've just won a £25 off voucher, so I'm spending it on some sweets!"
And it's no wonder. With a large portion of the second aisle in from the entrance dedicated specifically to the legends that are Percy Pig and Colin the Caterpillar complete with a wide variety of their sweet treats, sauces and table decor - it's quite simply a Marks and Spencer must.
