With impeccable timing, the new Food Hall at Ruxley Manor Garden Centre opened the same week as Santa arrived to open their 30,000 capacity grotto and the winter ice rink opened.

Award winning butcher, Keith Mulford, was full of praise for the new Food Hall and told GTN Xtra that more quality butchers will be looking to open shops in garden centres. "Members of the Q Guild of Butchers see quality garden centres as the best opportunity to grow our businesses.  We could not put on a display like this on the high street and theres free parking for our customers too!" 

With thousands visiting the centre over the weekend it was hardly surprising that several of the lines on offer in the new Food Hall had completely sold out by the time GTN Xtra re-visited on Tuesday.

See our exclusive pictures below.  It's a shame we can't add the great smell of freshly baked bread that greets you upon entering the Food Hall. Now where have we heard of that tactic being used to woo customers into spending more?