Salad factory puts call out for 100 new staff

One of Bourne’s biggest employers is on the hunt for more than 100 new workers.

Bakkavor’s Bourne Prepared Produce factory currently employs more than 1,200 people at its 56,000 sqm site and produces a range of products such as bags of leafy salad, fresh stir-fry mixes and fruit pots.

The firm are trying to fill a range of roles, including team leaders and production operatives after receiving an increase in demand from its customers which include some of the UK’s biggest supermarket chains, such as Waitrose and Tesco.

There are various types of roles available at the site, varying from packing products to peeling and chopping up fruit such as watermelons to the required size. Various shift patterns are on offer such as four days of 12-hour shifts and then four days off and a ‘twilight’ shift which requires staff working five evenings a week.

Jonathan Zair, head of operation at Bourne Prepared Produce, said: “This is an exciting time for Bourne Prepared Produce as we create additional capacity to meet increased customer demand. We have a number of different roles on offer and we look forward to welcoming the new colleagues to our team.”

Alex Andrezjewska, who is operations manager for foods and has worked at the factory for 12 years, said: “It is a good place to work, four days on and four days off is quite good. The people are nice. It is about the culture we have got.

“We have a lot of different groups [ethnicity] here and they all blend in.”

And Mrs Andrezjewska said there are great opportunities for people to change roles and undergo further training.

She said: “It is about them approaching us and saying I am here and I want to do something more.”

Available on-site is an occupational health service, an employee asistance scheme, and the Bakkavor benefits scheme which gives discounts in high street stores.

And workers at the factory also enjoy massive discounts on products in the staff shop, which sells items such as salad pots and noodles.

Other benefits include the chance to win a ‘Bourne Award for Terrific Achievement’, which recognises workers who shine in the workplace and gives them prizes such as a VIP place in the staff car park, ideally located near the worker’s entrance/exit to the building.

Workers do their bit for the community as there are activities that are organised for them throughout the year such as volunteering at The Cedars Care Home in Bourne.

What’s more, staff health is looked after through an annual wellbeing week where a blood pressure check is offered.

Bakkavor produces 180 different products and is the number one producer by value in 12 of the 16 categories of chilled food supplied to the market.

To apply for a job at the Spalding Road firm, visit www.bakkavor.com/careers