It boasts more than a tonne of cheese, 5,000 apples - and a £21.9m price tag.

Now, after months of preparation, the John Lewis foodhall opens today at Bluewater shopping centre in Greenhithe.

More than 170 jobs have been created after the basement of the anchor store was converted into the foodhall - as part of an overall £22m store facelift.

But while many items will be familiar to shoppers of Waitrose - the firm's supermarket subsidiary - more than 400 lines are exclusive to the foodhall.

And bosses are keen to promote locally-produced food.

Local suppliers include Simply Icecream, of Bonnington, and the Cheesemakers of Canterbury.

Simon Russell, managing director of John Lewis Bluewater, said: "Kent has some tremendous local produce and suppliers - we were particularly impressed with Simply Icecream and the Cheesemakers of Canterbury.

"We're delighted to give shoppers the chance to celebrate the delicious flavours from our local area."

For those with more exotic tastes, there will also be a balsamic vinegar flecked with 24 carat gold on sale.

The foodhall is only the second in the UK, after a store in Oxford Street opened two years ago.