YORK is to get its first organic supermarket - on the site of a former city centre food store.

Out Of This World is to open in 4,000 sq ft of retail space in George Hudson Street, which has lain empty and boarded up since Presto supermarket shut down in the 1990s.

The store will occupy one of five retail and leisure units being created on the ground floor of the Tanner Row car park as part of a £2 million refurbishment.

The Press reported earlier this week how the investment by Wetherby-based Oakgate Group would transform a once drab eyesore.

Oakgate property director Alison Stewart said the news that one of the units would be occupied by an organic supermarket was "hugely exciting".

The York store will be the fourth to be opened by Out Of This World, a consumer cooperative, with supermarkets already operating in Newcastle, Leeds and Nottingham.

Managing director John Walker said today that York was "perfect" as a location for the store. "It's the right sort of town," he said. He was also pleased by rents for the site of £12 a square foot - about a tenth of rents across the River Ouse in the heart of the city centre. He said the store would sell a full range of organic foods, including fruit, vegetables and meats, and it would all be sourced locally as much as possible. "There are some good organic farms around York," he said.

"It would meet growing demand for organic food, which came after a period when prices in comparison to non-organic foods had fallen sharply. They were now perhaps 20 to 30 per cent higher, when they might have been 100 per cent higher five years ago."

The supermarket, which would create about seven jobs, would sell non-food fair trade products as well, including shampoo, and organic toilet paper made from cotton.

Mr Walker said it would seek to cooperate with existing organic and whole food retailers, such as Alligator in Fishergate. It might, for example, be able to assist them through its ability to buy imports in bulk and through shared deliveries.

Alligator managing director Steve Heyman said: "Inevitably, as a small shop, we are somewhat anxious about the arrival of a large multiple. However, we are confident that our loyal customers will appreciate the personal service that we provide and continue to support Alligators."

Updated: 09:37 Friday, May 05, 2006