Competition for kosher shoppers has hotted up in Manchester with the new Morrisons store in Whitefield looking to become the biggest kosher player among the main supermarkets.

The store, opened four weeks ago, boasts of offering a bigger range than the local Asda and Sainsbury's and wants to take on North Manchester's current kosher favourite, Tesco in Prestwich.

At Morrisons, deputy manager Danny Welch said his team checked-out rival supermarkets' kosher ranges before deciding what to stock.

"What we saw was that their kosher shelves are always empty," he claimed. "We flooded the warehouse with kosher food to have back-up supplies. We hope to get more Jewish customers so that we can widen our range."

Browsing the kosher section, Laura Valins was impressed by the variety. "It is giving Tesco a good run for its money." Another Whitefield shopper, Tamara Semp, said the arrival of Morrisons had brought kosher food within walking distance. "The section is not quite as big as in Tesco, but a lot of people will start going so it will get bigger."