Carlisle's new Marks and Spencer store opens this week.

The M&S Foodhall is opening its doors at the Kingstown Retail Park on Wednesday, creating 52 jobs.

People are invited to join employees to celebrate the launch of the new store at 10am.

Bosses say it has been a “much-anticipated” store for the city – and one that will complement the existing set-up in the town centre.

The owner of the Kingstown Retail Park said its arrival was a “great addition”.

The new 9,000 sq ft shop will provide Cumbrian shoppers with more than 100 free parking spaces, a food ordering service and the next-day “collect in store” service.

This gives customers the option to have their M&S.com orders delivered to the store for free.

It will sell 5,000 food and drink products. Its range will including desserts, to everyday essentials, to M&S’s prepared meals.

A range of wines will be on sale.

The store will also house an M&S cafe serving items including drinks, bakery items and cakes.

The premises at Kingstown used to house the Comet retail unit.

Carlisle city council’s leader Colin Glover has previously said a study into shopping in Carlisle had highlighted there was room for more “quality food retail”.

He said at the time: “This is good news for Carlisle.

“Perhaps with the new store we might get people who are not coming into Carlisle.”