MARKS & Spencer is planning a day of celebratory entertainment when its new store opens on York's outskirts next month.

Chefs will give demonstrations in the food hall, an in-store DJ will perform and customers will have a chance to win a share of £1,000 in M & S giftcards.

The store at Vangarde Shopping Park, Monks Cross, which is due to open at 9am on Thursday April 10, is one of the biggest in the region at 100,000 sq ft.

As well as a 18,000 sq ft womenswear section, it will also feature a 1,500 sq ft Beauty Hall and a 14,700 sq ft Home department, with soft furnishings, furniture and accessories.

Shoppers will also be able to relax at the M&S Cafe, which will provide seating for 170 and will serve freshly-made dishes using ingredients from the food hall.

The cafe will overlook the park's conservation area and offer panoramic views of York Minster.

Store manager Hilary Wilkinson said she was looking forward to welcoming customers to the new store, which was one of the greenest built to date by M & S, with two green living walls, solar panels and a 60,000 litre tank to recycle rainwater.

“With a large selection of fashion, beauty, homeware and food, as well as a 170-seat M&S Café, customers really can benefit from a bigger and better M&S," she said. "We hope that customers will join us on April 10 to see of all the new and exciting features that we will be bringing to the area.”