Famous Chesterfield business officially moves into new home

The next chapter is underway for staff at pharmacy Dents of Chesterfield, which served the community from New Square from 1903 until last year.

The company was facing closure four years ago when staff were given warning they could lose their jobs and moved out of its historic town centre base in 2021.

The pharmacy side of the business was secured through a link-up with Chesterfield’s Avenue House Surgery and the relocation to the surgery’s home on Saltergate is now complete – after several months operating from a portable cabin.

Administration manager Jayne Boyer said staff were delighted with their new home.

“The company is so excited to finally be able to move into the new premises, it's been a long time coming thanks to Covid causing major issues for the builders sourcing the materials needed and the staff to complete the build,” she said.

"But we got there at last, I think our staff will be glad to see the back of the portable cabin, freezing in winter and sweltering in the summer but it helped us carry on trading and looking after our customers new and old.

“Dents, especially Helen McConnahie, the pharmacist there, has formed a great working relationship with all the staff at Avenue House Surgery, working alongside the GP's and in house pharmacists and we all look forward to carrying on building the business up.

"We have gained quite a few new customers despite some people not knowing we were in the car park and look forward to, hopefully, meeting more new patients.

“We will also be able to stock more retail goods like we did at New Square but haven't been able to in the small portable cabin.

“The start of our new chapter in the lovely spacious purpose built pharmacy is about to begin and the company’s staff couldn't be any happier, even our customers are looking forward to it.”

The company’s much-loved photographic business was forced to close when the company moved home last year.

Dents’ photo section opened in 1905, two years after the pharmacy was launched, and pleas were made last year to save it.