Waitrose opens in Uckfield

First customer through the door at the new Waitrose in Uckfield High Street was 83-year-old Dorothy Scott.

She is pictured here receiving a bouquet and a bottle of wine from branch manager Andrew Bernstein.

The store was opened by the town mayor at 8.30am today. He can be seen below snipping a ribbon.

Another picture, below, shows the new side entrance to the supermarket.

The retailer received 513 applications for roles at the new 14,028 sq foot store.

In total, 120 people in the local area have become Partners - as Waitrose employees are known - in the new store, including 46 staff from the previous store.

Waitrose worked with Job Centre Plus in addition to using its own website www.waitrosejobs.com.

Cllr. John Carvey, Mayor of Uckfield, said, “We are looking forward to the opening of Waitrose in Uckfield and know that there was a very positive reaction to this news from Uckfield residents and many have said how much they are looking forward to shopping in the new store.

“Waitrose, I know, will get involved in our community and they have in fact supported our Road Safety Day over the last few years.

“It is an exciting day for Uckfield to have a company such as Waitrose who are willing to come and open a store here. I am sure that this Uckfield store will be very successful."

Branch Manager, Andrew Bernstein, said: “We are very excited to be opening here in Uckfield and are pleased to be able to offer new employment opportunities in the local area.

“I have been overwhelmed by the calibre of applications and only wish we could have created more jobs here. We have a fantastic team in place who I know are eager to put their training into action and welcome our new customers through the door.”

All new employees will participate in extensive training ahead of the store’s opening. They will also have the opportunity to gain national certificates in food expertise to enable them to become ‘Waitrose Specialists’ on its meat, fish, cheese and delicatessen counters and wine department.

Waitrose is committed to supporting its local community, and aims to work alongside its fellow traders to ensure that Uckfield continues to be an attractive retail destination.

From the first day, the store will take part in the Waitrose Community Matters scheme, whereby customers can nominate a local charity or cause who will each receive a share of £1000.

The portion they receive is decided by customers who are given green tokens when they shop at the store.

The first three charities to benefit from Waitrose Community Matters are Uckfield Rotary Club, Last Chance Animal Rescue and Saturday Circles.

The store’s usual opening hours will be 7am - 9pm Monday - Saturday and 10am - 4pm on Sundays.

Thanks to Ron Hill for the pictures.

/images/2011_august/waitrose_2.jpg