THE BRAND new £20 million Waitrose city store opens tomorrow - and the Worcester News has been given a sneak preview of what to expect.

The high end store, based in London Road, is in the top 10 largest Waitrose stores in the UK, and is being opened to eager shoppers by Worcester MP Robin Walker at 8am.

Earlier today the Worcester News enjoyed a tour around the 38,000 square feet store with includes John Lewis goods, fresh meat and fish counters, and a coffee shop with outside seating.

The store is only the second Waitrose nationally to include a draft beer pump, supplied by Alcester firm Purity Brewing Company, at the supermarket's wine bar.

The flagship store features free wifi and 285 car parking spaces as well as other seating areas near the bakery, and a sushi bar manned by sushi chefs, who will prepare fresh products for hungry shoppers.

The supermarket, at the site of the former Ebenezer Baylis print works, has created 130 new jobs - but took on agency staff to help stock the shelves ahead of the opening.

The store also includes a community room, providing a space for not-for-profit organisations and charities and groups will be able to book sessions in the space, during the hours the store trades, at the store's customer service desk.

Waitrose's opening will be welcomed by residents nearby who complained about extensive roadworks surrounding the site in recent months. New traffic lights outside the store, came into effect earlier today.

As part of the opening Waitrose Worcester has launched two community initiatives. The store's partner volunteering programme provides 250 staff hours to support good causes, while the community matters green token scheme will see £1,000 shared between three charities every month.

Shoppers are able to vote for their favourite charities by placing a green token in the box of their choice at the end of the shop. St Richard’s Hospice, Acorns Children's Hospice, and New College Worcester have already benefited from this scheme.

Scott Whittaker, the store's branch manager, said: "We are really proud to be opening in Worcester, to have generated new employment opportunities for local people, and to be adding to the investment the city continues to attract.

"The store will be among our largest in the UK and a real flagship for our brand.

"The way people shop is changing - they want great places to meet friends and family, have a bite to eat and enjoy a drink.

"We want to create an atmosphere here so people can sit down, switch off, and almost forget they are at a supermarket.

"A project of this scale on a site like this will always bring challenges - we realise it’s not been easy at times and we are grateful for people’s patience, especially our neighbours."