SHOP owner Baz Jethwa celebrated in style when his store re-opened after a major refurbishment.

Mr Jethwa organised a family fun day for his customers to mark the re-opening of the new-look Costcutter store in Plodder Lane, Farnworth.

The day proved a double celebration as Baz has also been shortlisted for two national awards for Best Independent Store and Best Off Licence.

Officially opened by Bolton Mayor Carole Swarbrick, the store has undergone an extensive £250,000 refurbishment programme, which includes the expansion of the convenience range including food-to-go, an off-licence, Costa Coffee and in-store post office.

Baz and the team invited customers to a day of celebrations including live music, food tastings from local suppliers and a range of Valentine’s offers for the local community.

He said:“I wanted to say thank you to all my customers for coming down and helping us to celebrate our new look store.This was a major investment for us and it is great to hear such lovely feedback from the local community. We have invested in some great new additions to the store and now offer a bigger choice of products and fantastic offers.”

Following the £250,000 refurbishment, the store now offers a fresh bakery, chilled meal solutions and a wider range of fresh produce. Baz, who also owns the Costcutter store in Campbell Street, Farnworth is now looking to recruit new staff .

He said: “We now have a team of 30 people working across our two Costcutter stores and plan to recruit 20 more this year now the refurbishment is complete.

“With the relaunch and award nominations, it’s been an exciting start to the year and we’re really looking forward to the year ahead.”

A family business, Baz runs the two stores with his wife Dhara and the help of his parents Nirmala and Rajesh Jethwa, who opened their first convenience store in Tyldesley 30 years ago. Baz’s Campbell Street store underwent a £400,000 refurbishment in 2014, doubling its size and increasing sales by £1 million. He has plans to open a third store later this year.