Shoppers will be able to pick up a vape and bottles of Prime with their sausages as a family-run store expands its offering.

The new venture for P&R Italian Shop in Tunbridge Wells is due to customer demand.

The store currently sells fresh and dry food imported from Italy including freshly cooked pizza, specialist olive oils, wines, tomatoes and desserts.

Its flagship branch in Mount Pleasant Road opened last August in the former JC Rook & Sons butchers.

But now, after speaking to his regular customers, the owners have deiced to expand its offering.

Co-owner William Pucci said: “I like the people in Tunbridge Wells, we have some good clients.

“The one thing I did notice was people would still come in and think it was a butchers, asking for a steak and this and that.

“They also wanted cigars and a lot of customers were asking for vapes and the new Prime drink.

“I had the space in the store, so I’ve given it a go. I like to give the consumers what they want.”

As a result, the delicatessen will now also sell Prime, vapes and Cuban cigars, along with a new range of meats.

Half of the building will still sell Italian produce, whilst the other is to be turned into “Wise Guys – Top Notch Butchers”.

The new venture is named after the slang used for members of the Mafia.

William's family are originally from Italy but also lived in Mulberry Street, New York – which is famous for being known as “Little Italy”.

“If you watch an episode of The Sopranos, they are always having meetings at a butchers,” William explained.

“All our meats are organic and some are Halal – we will stock English sausage, pork belly, oxtail, cuts of steak, hog roast and more.”

P&R Italian has partnered with Robin Bailey, who works at Forge Farm Meats based in Tunbridge Wells.

On Saturday, August 12, they had a soft launch, with their grand opening set for next Friday (September 1).

The family previously had branches in Sittingbourne and Maidstone, however those had to close due to the cost of living crisis.

They first bought up the units after JC Rook & Sons butchers’ chain, which had 11 shops across Kent, went into administration in March last year.

Around 155 staff were made redundant after the pandemic took its toll on the 50-year-old firm.

William said: “We are still known as the Italian Shop, but I am starting to distribute some cigars and Prime.

“We’ve also dedicated a good portion of the store to the butchers.

“So far we are doing okay with all three new editions. Our existing clientele were very impressed.

“We want to make this a one-stop store for Tunbridge Wells.”