A new Marks & Spencer food hall is nearly ready to open its doors to customers.

It was revealed earlier this year that M&S was looking to open a supermarket at the Friern Bridge Retail Park on Pegasus Way, a short drive from Muswell Hill Playing Fields and Muswell Hill Golf Club.

It is taking over the space at Unit 6 of the retail park – replacing the former Furniture Village, which moved to Staples Corner on December 26 last year.

M&S days that its new 18,000sq ft food hall will be open this August.

The new store will feature an in-store bakery for fresh pastries, as well as offering takeaway hot drinks and a hot chicken counter.

More than 50 new staff are expected to join the team, with vacancies going live on the M&S careers website later this month.

And customers can make use of two hours' free parking at the retail park.

Ham & High: The bakery section in a M&SThe bakery section in a M&S (Image: Eddy Gosht)

M&S Friern Barnet is one of nine new M&S Foodhalls set to open across the UK this financial year, as part of an over £30 million investment in its stores across London.

Neil Conwell, who has worked for M&S for six years, most recently as the store manager of the Mill Hill, West Hampstead and Whetstone stores, will be leading the new team.

He said: “It’s fantastic to be opening a brand-new M&S foodhall here in Friern Barnet.

“As someone who lives locally, I know what a brilliant addition the store will be to the community and what’s even more exciting is we will be stocking our entire M&S Food range.

“So, there will be plenty of choice for customers, including our 250 newly launched summer products.

“We cannot wait to welcome both regular and new M&S customers and we will be sharing the store’s opening date in the coming months."