ONE of Scotland’s biggest Asian supermarkets has relaunched today after it was bought back by its original owner.

SeeWoo Group declared its ambition to turn the store on Saracen Street in the north of Glasgow into the “ultimate destination” for East and South-east Asian food, as celebrations marking its official opening took place.

The company initially opened the store in 2006, before it had a period under different ownership between 2017 and 2021. London-based SeeWoo, which imports, distributes, retails and manufactures Oriental foods, acquired the store again in December, and has now relaunched the outlet following a “significant investment”.

SeeWoo said its move to buy the store back safeguarded the jobs of 28 people. A further four members of staff have been recruited, and there are plans to add more, the company said.

Lucy Tse-Mitchell, managing director of the SeeWoo Group, said: “SeeWoo has a proud history in Glasgow, and we’re really excited to be returning to our home in the north of the city.

"We have already secured a lot of new product partners that have boosted our store offering, with more to be announced in the next few months. We’re particularly excited that our famous restaurant space will be re-opening later in the year.

“Glasgow is an important strategic location for our group as we sell into many multi-site restaurant chains in the surrounding area. Not only is the city a crucial part of our retail and wholesale operations, it’s also a central point of importation.

"We can now use our Glasgow site as a base to service our retail, restaurant and hospitality customers in Scotland as well as the North of England. 

“Our plan is to make SeeWoo Glasgow a one stop shop for East and South-east Asian cuisine. We know that Asian supermarkets can almost be a bit of a daunting place for those unfamiliar with some of the wonderful and authentic products, but with Glasgow being such a melting pot of different cultures and trends our ambition is to be a welcome and accessible food destination place for all.”

The official store opening was celebrated by a traditional Chinese lion dance, a ceremony which is said to bring good fortune and prosperity to a new business.