New store manager Richard Oughton – who ran the Thatcham branch – threw open the doors last Thursday, putting further pressure on the embattled Sainsbury and M&S chains.

With abandoned supermarket trolleys found in many parts of town these days, the Waitrose trolleys have been fitted with special locks, so shoppers can’t make off with them.

Waitrose expects the 25,000 sq ft store, by the old college roundabout, to add 5% to local traffic flows, so town planners demanded cash for new crossings and signage, before granting planning consent.

Together with Sainsburys, Tesco and Lidl, the big foodstores now employ almost 1500 in Newbury.