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When Waitrose needed someone to open their new store in Wimborne, they called on the local food experts.

Children from St John's C of E First School have been studying where food comes from and after judging a painting competition about the subject, branch manager Ian Burdekin asked the five winners, one from each year group, to perform the honours.

So in front of a crowd of shoppers waiting to get into the store, the youngsters (Chloe White, Sarah Mantell, Ian Burdekin, Calum Maidment, Abigail Griffin and George Belcher along with headteacher Liz West) cut the ribbon at 8.30am on Thursday.

The store has opened several months ahead of schedule, and has created 180 jobs Amongst the products on sale are locally sourced foods, including New Forest Cider, Dorset Blue Soup, Dorset Farm Ham, Honeybuns Flapjacks and Denhay Bacon and Cheeses.

Malcolm Angel, president of Wimborne Minster & District Chamber of Trade, said: "We welcome a quality store in Wimborne and hope to see our already good trade boosted as a result. I'd also like to add that we greatly appreciate Waitrose's generous support of local charities and events in the run up to the opening."

Ian Burdekin added: "Years of hard work by the team and great understanding from the local community have led to this day and we are all looking forward to welcoming people into the store. We would like to thank the local residents and traders for all their support and are looking forward to becoming an integrated member of the local community."

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