CORKS popped and the champagne flowed this morning to celebrate the official opening of the new food hall at Marks & Spencer in Deansgate, Bolton.

Celebrity chef Paul Heathcote, who hails from Bolton, joined store manager Brian Lunn for the ceremony. But the honour of cutting the ribbon was given to deputy supervisor Nora Taylor, the longest serving employee at Bolton M & S. She has worked there for 31 years.

She said: "It was worth 31 years for my moment of glory. I started here in 1965 and I have seen a lot of changes. I am looking forward to the other store in Market Place joining us so we will be back together again."

The extended food hall takes up the whole of the ground floor and boasts a butcher's shop, a wine shop with specially trained wine advisers and a new takeaway section with an increased selection of sandwiches and snacks.

Today's opening marked the completion of another stage in a massive, multi-million pound refurbishment and enlargement of the store. The whole scheme will be completed next month.

It will comprise four sales floors with the ground floor dedicated to food and the first floor housing an extended women's wear department.

The second floor will be taken up with women's footwear and accessories and an extended men's wear range, the third floor will house children's wear, lingerie, home furnishings, customer service and toilets with baby changing facilities.

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