A HOT and cold food takeaway will soon be delivered at a former post office in the Borders.

Applicant Tony Wood received a stamp of approval from Scottish Borders Council last year for the change of the Old Post Office building in Earlston High Street.

The plan will see the retention of the existing Lucky Finds gift shop but the change of use of the ground floor to form a takeaway, selling rolls/sandwiches, soup, baked potatoes, pasta, chilli and other similar food.

Conversion work is to start on Monday (March 20) with the aim for the takeaway being up and running by early April.

Mr Wood decided to make the change after identifying a ‘gap in the market’ in the village.

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He said: “We want to offer the local area something different. In Earlston there is a chip shop, there’s a bakery and then there’s the Co-op at the end of the road, so there’s not a huge selection for school kids, local residents and passing trade, so that’s what we’re aiming at and also at the older side of the market too.”

Mr Wood moved from East Lothian when he purchased the property in February last year and he and his family live above the premises.

He added: “During lockdown I changed direction. I was a publisher so I changed my career.

“We’d looked at other properties and this came up at the end of last year and it was ideal for us. It means the boys can go to school locally at Earlston Primary. It was a change of direction.

“With COVID still in the background we are very mindful that if we have three or four different revenue streams coming in we can still continue to operate.”