There was relief among staff at the Somerfield supermarket in Saltash this week when it was announced that all the store's 204 jobs are safe, following a take-over by Waitrose - the food division of the huge John Lewis Partnership.

Waitrose has announced that all of the staff at the 17,000 sq ft shop will be taken on by them and offered re-training. In addition the new owners will be recruiting other staff as trade grows at the store, on the Tamar View Industrial estate.

It is the only store in Cornwall to be among the 11 former Somerfield branches bought by Waitrose, which has 121 supermarkets in the South of England, Anglia, the Midlands and Wales.

The Saltash store was among 141 which Somerfield has been offering for sale since last November. Deputy manager at the store, Chris Bennett, said that the staff have been working with an amount of uncertainty since then - but this has now turned to anticipation. He said the news was greeted with much pleasure by them, and they are now looking forward to the future. He was told the good news by a senior manager on Wednesday morning.

The supermarket first opened 11 years ago this June. A spokesman for Somerfield said that seven other chains, including Lidl, Tesco, the Co-op, ASDA, Sainsbury's and Waitrose, had been involved in bidding for 45 Somerfield stores nationwide.

The managing director of Waitrose, David Felwick, said: 'Waitrose is looking forward to trading in Saltash. I am confident that local residents will enjoy the fresh food, fine wine and excellent customer service which contribute to the Waitrose difference.'

Spokesperson for the company, Carol Hubbard, said that once all legal agreements have been finalised with Somerfield, the shop will close briefly for refurbishment before re-opening as Waitrose.

She said Waitrose has a tradition of trading at the heart of the community and highlighted the fact that the firm is currently Organic Supermarket of the Year.

She said: 'The new shop will sell the highest quality fresh food, and an award-winning wine selection chosen by no less than four Masters of Wine.'

The first Waitrose was opened in l904 in Acton by Wallace Waite, Arthur Rose and David Taylor.

The John Lewis Partnership acquired the business in l937 and the first Waitrose supermarket opened in l955.