On Tuesday, 22nd October, the global pretzel chain Auntie Anne’s opened its first store in a UK railway station at Brighton in East Sussex.

Brighton station is managed by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) which operates services by Southern, Thameslink, and Gatwick Express trains.

The company welcomed the popular pretzel chain with an official opening ceremony where free pretzels were also given away.

Over 200 enthusiastic customers were served during the launch event, and to help drum up excitement the first 100 customers were given free pretzels from the “world’s largest hand-rolled soft pretzel brand.

Also putting in an appearance was Auntie Anne’s special mascot, Mr Twisty, who was there to help attract travellers.

Govia Thameslink Railway is currently seeing a wave of new lettings across its network, which reinforces the strong recovery in local economies after the pandemic.

At stations it manages there are around 350 retail units, and the company is now in the process of competing over 70 tenancy agreements, more than were completed in the whole of last year.

Many of the units now being let have been vacant for two years or more, with some lying empty since before the pandemic.

Auntie Anne’s pretzel store is located in unit 8 at Brighton station.

Pretzels are not the only food offering at Brighton, as in August, M&S Food opened a store at the station.