A STRICTLY Come Dancing star has done the honours of opening a new garden centre.

Judge Craig Revel-Horwood cut the ribbon to open the new Rosebourne Garden Centre, in Basingstoke Road, Aldermaston, on Sunday, a day after the official opening on Saturday.

The dancer was alongside more than 80 new staff, ready to welcome visitors with the first 1,000 shoppers through the door each receiving a free cyclamen and those who spend £25 getting a £5 voucher.

The single storey 3,500m2 garden centre is on an existing nursery site which closed down, and it will include a modern farm shop, restaurant, butchery and plant centre.

The horticultural aspect covers an array of options for shoppers from seasonal bedding plants and ‘grow your own’ offerings to trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants.

There is also be a section for gardening tools, equipment and accessories, in addition to garden furniture selections.

The restaurant offers table service, and visitors can enjoy a seasonal menu as well as a selection of cakes and afternoon tea. There is room for 180 diners.

The food hall is stocked with an array of local produce including eggs, honey, cider and baked goods.

The owners of Rosebourne, in Weyhill, Andover, which opened two years ago, decided to expand the business and so purchased the new site in Aldermaston.