Among them were district representatives, such as Ashburton Mayor Neil Brown and some district councillors, Rangitata MP James Meager and pupils from the Tinwald School choir who performed.
The state-of-the-art supermarket on the corner of Graham and McMurdo Sts was officially opened by landowner representative Greg Carr, of Carrfields, who had the honour of cutting the ribbon.
The Thompsons, who have served the community for 21 years from their former SuperValue site on Archibald St, hope to offer an enhanced shopping experience for their customers.
The new store is 30% bigger than their last supermarket, has more than 2500 new products and more parking with easier accessibility.
"We started this journey with Gaylene’s parents and are incredibly proud to continue serving our community in this fantastic new space," he said.
"Our customers' support made this possible, and we’re excited to offer them a truly elevated shopping experience."
In the store, there is eco-friendly refrigeration with doors for all meat and produce, a thick shake machine, and an expanded selection in the bakery, ready-to-eat and hot food departments.
The store is also seeking local suppliers not currently stocked in Ashburton and is committed to community engagement.The Thompsons are long-time supporters of organisations, such as Tinwald Rugby, Plains Rotary, Plains Railway & Museum, Women's Veteran Golf, and local schools.
"The dedication of Gaylene and Paul Thompson and their team to their community is evident, and we are confident this new FreshChoice store will be a fantastic asset for the Tinwald and Ashburton community, especially catering to the significant elderly population in the area with its improved accessibility and wider range."
