Marks and Spencer at Glasgow's Queen Street train station now able to sell travellers alcohol

People using Glasgow’s Queen Street station will be able to buy booze from a new Marks and Spencer store after it was awarded an alcohol licence.

Members of the city’s Licensing Board agreed to give the shop a provisional premises licence, allowing the sale of alcohol, at a meeting on Friday.

The Simply Food store opened in the station last month, with company bosses promising to bring “trusted-value M&S food to hungry travellers”.

Stephen McGowan, representing the firm, said M&S is an experienced operator, with about 60 licences across Scotland and “around half a dozen in Glasgow”.

He said the company had invested £750,000 in the Queen Street premises, creating 37 jobs. Since the store opened, it has been able to sell alcohol under occasional licences.

Despite the newly approved licence, alcohol bought on the premises cannot be drunk on board any ScotRail train after a ban introduced during the Covid pandemic was continued for the “foreseeable future”.

The company did say the ban would be reviewed as part of the Scottish Government’s ‘national conversation on rail’.

Passengers travelling with alcohol must keep it out of sight under the train operator’s rules.

When the M&S opening was announced, David Phillpot, M&S franchise trading director, said: “Offering all our iconic favourites, whether it’s quality lunches and snacks, delicious dinner options or hand-picked bouquets for a loved one, this M&S Food store is another great reason to be visiting Queen Street station.”

While Margaret Hoey, ScotRail general manager at the station, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Marks & Spencer into Glasgow Queen Street, and I know our customers are equally excited about the opening of the new M&S Food outlet.”

She said the company offers “a fantastic range of products for all” and providing customers with “high-quality retail is a key part in the railway’s continued recovery from the pandemic”.