Delight as Sainsbury's opens its new £10m Desborough store

Desborough shoppers said they couldn’t wait to finally have a choice as the town’s new Sainsbury’s store was officially opened this morning (Tuesday).

For years they’ve either had to go to a Co-op, which had a 'monopoly' on food shopping there, or travel to Kettering or Market Harborough.

But now they have another major supermarket chain on their doorstep after the £10m Sainsbury’s in Cockerel Rise welcomed its first customers.

First in the queue was 84-year-old Dermot Monks, who usually travels to Kettering once a week to go shopping.

He said: “At last the Co-op will have some competition – it’s been overdue for a long time.”

Also waiting patiently for the store to open was Steve Richards, who helps compile The Desborough Scrapbook. He usually shopped in Market Harborough – until now.

He said: "The Co-op is all people have ever known until now so it’s good to give Desborough a choice. This new store is very high-tech.”

Sophie Webb and her partner Jordon Pinney have just moved to the town from Rothwell and were among those in the queue.

Sophie said: “It will be nice to have somewhere to choose from without having to go to Kettering. The Co-op is nice, but it’s not cheap.”

The store has created 40 jobs and is one of the retailer’s ‘neighbourhood hubs’ – sized between a Sainsbury’s convenience store and a supermarket. It also features an in-store Argos click and collect service.

About 100 people including members of staff, local dignitaries and eager shoppers witnessed this morning’s ribbon-cutting ceremony at about 9am where children from Loatlands Primary School were awarded prizes for a colouring competition.

Cllr David Howes (Con, Desborough), North Northamptonshire Council’s executive member for rural communities and localism, recalled being phoned by a Sainsbury’s representative in 2021 to be told about their plan – dropping the phone in shock before realising it wasn’t a hoax.

He said: “It’s been a long time coming. This is changing Desborough from having decades of no competition and it’s just so exciting for the residents.”

Cllr Helen Wood (Lab), chair of Desborough Town Council, used to have a Saturday job with Sainsbury’s.

She said: "This is a brilliant employment opportunity for our town.”

And Kettering MP Philip Hollobone, who cut the ribbon, said: “This £10m investment will be the flagship neighbourhood hub store for Sainsbury’s.

"It will provide a substantial boost for the local Desborough economy by creating 40 new jobs, as well as giving local people a choice of where to complete their weekly supermarket shop within the town.

"I welcome their investment into Desborough, congratulate them on the speed in which the store has been constructed and thank them for their commitment to the local community.”

Sainsbury’s property director Patrick Dunne told shoppers it was a ‘special store’ and store manager Jay Lee thanked Desborough residents.

He said: “Everyone who has been a part of the building of this store will tell you that Desborough has been phenomenal.”