A GRAND opening has marked a new era of expansion for a Tidworth tailors after they won a defence contract.

Devizes MP Claire Perry opened the new store of Knights Tailoring on Station Road, which will provide a one-stop tailoring shop for members of the military and civilians.

Owned by Jon and Kate Knight, the business opened a smaller store in Station Road in August 2013 after beginning life in their spare bedroom in Shrewsbury in 2007.

Retired Jon previously spent 22 years in the Army as a Master Tailor with the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, based in St John’s Wood, London. Now his firm has scooped a Pan-Garrison contract with Aspire Defence Services Limited, which provides a variety of services to the military. It means Knights Tailoring will now cover all Garrisons in the region from Warminster to Aldershot.

Tidworth Mayor and business manager of Knights Tailoring, Chris Franklin, said: “We are the first sole tailor for Aspire Defence – obviously that is a massive step up for us as a business, which has resulted in us moving from a smaller shop in Tidworth to a larger shop on Station Road.”

The company employs 15 staff, three of whom are exmilitary, while a further three are dependents of serving soldiers.

The new store was awarded a Royal Warrant by the Queen in January for services to tailoring.