Foodstuffs Fresh Foods Training Centre opens its doors
Foodstuffs
The Foodstuffs South Island Fresh Foods Training Centre
opened its doors today, Wednesday the 11th of November, to much
anticipation from Foodstuffs staff, Skills4Work and
Competenz.
Located on the same site as Trent's Wholesale on Orbell
Street in Christchurch, the new training centre has been purpose
built to cater for the needs of the Butchery, Seafood, Deli and
Bakery departments across Foodstuffs' PAK'nSAVE, New World and
Raeward Fresh supermarkets.
The centre will be used for both theory and practical
workshops for Foodstuffs Butchery and Bakery Apprentices across the
South Island; as well being used for sampling, product development,
demonstrations and conferences.
Kim DeGarnham, General Manager of Employee and Support
Services, Foodstuffs South Island Ltd, says, "The benefits of
having our very own state-of-the-art Fresh Foods Training Centre
are immense. Our butchery, seafood, bakery and deli staff are a
pivotal part of the customer experience in our supermarkets. We
regularly receive positive feedback from customers on the quality
of their work and products. Whether it's a delicious bread recipe
or the perfect cut of meat, this is the customer experience we aim
to deliver every time a customer visits one of our stores.
Providing regular training and helping staff work towards
qualifications, is rewarding for staff and helps us deliver
consistent quality while fostering innovation and
improvement."
The initial concept for a multi-purpose training centre
was born in 2009 and its development has been a collaborative
effort across the business led by its training
team.
"We are focused on innovative investment that delivers
growth while serving our customers. The Fresh Foods Training Centre
does just this. We're extremely pleased with the final result,"
adds DeGarnham.
The project has also had strong support and guidance from
training providers Skills4Work and Competenz to ensure the venue
met all Foodstuffs' requirements.
Tamai Roff, National Operations Manager, Skills4Works,
says "Foodstuffs invest heavily in staff training and are focused
on building the skills of its people and providing quality learning
experiences. Skills4Work is pleased and honored to be associated
with Fresh Food Training Centre. Foodstuffs continually demonstrate
a commitment to ongoing training, which has been borne out the
development of this first class facility. It is fitted with the
best equipment and provides a wonderful opportunity for budding
butchers and bakers. It is unparalleled in New
Zealand."
The centre opening follows significant investment and
development by Foodstuffs South Island in the region in the four
years post the Canterbury earthquakes.
This includes the Hornby Ambient Distribution Centre,
which opened in 2014, and the four supermarket rebuilds and three
new builds that have been completed in Canterbury.
