By Thom Kennedy Penrith reporter

Last updated at 15:41, Friday, 01 October 2010

Penrith's Morrisons store which burned down last year reopened this week.

Store manager Jackie Mills

The supermarket was gutted in a blaze last December after fire broke out in an area of ceiling above the store’s pharmacy.

A temporary shop was put up in the car park to provide a service while a new building was built. That stop-gap was finally dismantled at the weekend and Morrisons’ staff have welcomed shoppers into a bigger and better version of their old supermarket.

Store manager Jackie Mills said: “I was overwhelmed by the number of customers that gathered for the opening of the store and the amount of support and positive comments we have been given by the local community. It’s brilliant to see that our great value and fresh food has been so well received.”

With 22 aisles and an extra 2,000 sq ft of floor space, investment in the new store has been seen as a sign of the firm’s commitment to the town. It has been built using only the steel frame and three rear walls of the old store, meaning it has a completely fresh, new look.

Eden Council chairman Joan Raine opened the new store watched by Sir Kenneth Morrison, chairman of Morrisons.

First published at 14:18, Friday, 01 October 2010
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk