Marks and Spencer is set to open three new stores next week. It comes as the British supermarket recently unveiled ambitious plans to expand across the UK over the next few years.

M&S said that the stores are all new large format Food halls at 15,000, 16,000 and 18,600 square feet, stocking the vast majority or the full range of M&S Food. The supermarket, which already operates more than 1,000 stores in the UK, says the new stores will be perfect for a full weekly shop. A new 15,000 square-foot M&S fresh market-style food store opened this week at Hatfield Oldings Corner, as well as a 16,000 square-foot Luton Bramingham location, set to be followed by an 18,600 square-foot store in Farnham next Wednesday.

These stores have created over 200 new jobs combined and add to the more than 20 new and renewed stores that M&S has opened so far this financial year. It comes as M&S aims to double the size of its food business in the UK.

Luton and Farnham are two of the former twelve Homebase sites which M&S is developing across the UK. The first of these redevelopments opened in Cannock, Staffordshire, last December.

Alex Freudmann, Managing Director at M&S Food, said: “We’re transforming M&S Food and we want every store we have to offer the very best of the food range to our customers – from trusted value to exceptional quality and innovation.

“To do that, we are finding the right store locations with the right space across the UK that can allow us to offer the widest possible product range for customers and families. This month, we’re bringing M&S Food to three new towns, and we have a strong pipeline of new openings planned for the year ahead.”

M&S will also soon open a food store at the former Homebase store on Woolsack Way, Godalming, Surrey.

Meanwhile, the supermarket’s latest store renewal is set to launch this coming Thursday at Westway Chelmsford. It follows an eight-month revamp of the site.

The recent and upcoming openings are: