An empty Lidl store is set to be taken over by a frozen food chain in an area teeming with supermarkets.

Farmfoods will open at the site off Sturry Road in Canterbury on Saturday, December 2.

But the new store will have competition from Aldi next door, Asda opposite and a Sainsbury's half-a-mile away.

Farmfoods has already started recruiting, with roles such as retail apprentice offering a starting wage of £8.29 an hour, and supervisor positions offering £11.07 an hour.

It would be the county’s fifth branch of the Scottish-based frozen food shop – with current sites in Ashford, Dover, Thanet and Gravesend.

“Across our ranges, you will find the brands you know and trust at prices you will love,” state bosses at Farmfoods.

“Our specialism is frozen food and we believe passionately that frozen food is the best solution for most family meals.

“Our exclusive label chicken, beef, turkey, lamb, pork, fish and vegetables are all as fresh as the day they were frozen and because there is almost zero waste, great value too.”

Having first opened in 1954 as a meat processing centre in Aberdeen, the firm has seen its operations expand across the UK with more than 300 shops now serving customers frozen food and groceries.

The Sturry Road area of the city – known to be one of Kent’s most deprived areas – saw its long-serving Lidl leave after 20 years, with bosses at the discount retailer claiming the property was “no longer fit for purpose”.

In a statement released in May, a spokesperson for the firm also expressed the company’s desire to find a new spot in the city.

“We first opened our store on Sturry Road almost 20 years ago and unfortunately, it’s no longer fit for purpose,” they said.

“The store will therefore be closing on May 28, and we will look to redeploy all colleagues where possible.

“Our teams are actively looking for suitable sites in Canterbury for a replacement store, and you may be aware that we offer a finder’s fee for anyone – including members of the public – that successfully identifies a viable option for a new store.”