Country's biggest Food Warehouse to open in Wolverhampton with 40 new jobs

The Food Warehouse, part of the Iceland Food Group, is to open at the The Peel Centre on Stafford Street.

It will be the biggest Food Warehouse in the country, 23,500sq ft in size, bosses say.

It comes five years after the retail park was devastated by a severe arson attack.

But rebuilding has seen discount Home Bargains open this year, and JD Gym aim to move in next year.

There are more than 50 of The Food Warehouse stores nationwide.

Most are between 10,000 to 15,000 sq ft in size. Founded in 2014, The Food Warehouse is run by Iceland and offers a cash-and-carry style of shopping.

Managing director Richard Walker said: “Our new Wolverhampton store will be the largest we have ever opened, and the first store to have been specially built to our specifications. So we are naturally looking forward to its opening next year with excitement.”

He added: “The Food Warehouse is a new store format, responding to the needs of shoppers by providing bulk-buy options alongside our frozen, fish and chilled foods.”

A Furniture Warehouse store at The Peel Centre was completely destroyed and JJB Sports was also damaged.

Only United Carpets and Beds continued to trade from there in the aftermath.

The site had been owned by Peel Holdings but the firm’s Director of Development, Roger Wheeldon, has told the Express & Star they have now sold all the land. There is planning permission for a JD Gym and discount store Home Bargains opened in June.