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LORRAINE JEX

ABOUTLORRAINE

GREENGROCER, BOOKER PETERBOROUGH

With more than 18 years of service under her belt, Lorraine Jex has become a key and popular figure at Booker’s Peterborough branch.

Having started out on tills, before moving onto frozen, chilled and later the buying office, her time at the branch has seen her try her hand at a range of different disciplines, earning her a rich cache of knowledge and experience.

But it’s her time as the branch’s greengrocer, the role that she has held for the last 10 years, where Lorraine has truly flourished – and the branch’s offer has flourished with her.

WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?

I work full time and like to get in early so that I have plenty of time to prepare. The first thing I do is paperwork, checking in all the orders and then doing all the temperature checks before getting started on putting the orders away that have come in overnight. From then on it’s basically a constant process of keeping the offer looking as good as possible, putting out reductions and crucially, preparing orders. I personally pick orders for quite a few of our catering customers and over time I’ve built up really strong relationships with them. I’ve seen their businesses grow and develop over the years. The bonds that I’ve built with so many of our customers really means something to me and to be honest it’s one of the best parts of the job.

HOW HAS YOUR ROLE AS GREENGROCER WITH BOOKER EVOLVED?

Dramatically! When I first started on fruit and veg it was all ambient. Sales were good but we knew there was plenty of room for growth, for both us and our customers. It’s worlds away from where we are now. We now have a dedicated chilled room and sales are up about 400% on where we were before. The offer has evolved almost beyond recognition and as a result so too has my role, and I love it! IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ENJOY WORKING WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS?

Yes, I absolutely do. If I can help to make our customers’ lives that little bit easier then I’m certainly going to try and the customers know that. I give my phone number out to customers so that they know they can call me whenever, if they need an order or if they need to make a change. I think they really appreciate that. I’ll also always help to pick orders for any customers who need a bit of help. I pride myself on the service that I deliver.

HOW HAVE CUSTOMER NEEDS CHANGED IN RECENT TIMES?

The pandemic was obviously challenging for the catering trade so it has been so wonderful to see so many familiar faces coming back into branch when everything re-opened. Customers are more price conscious than ever before and are also choosing to make more smaller orders rather than one or two big ones because they are nervous about what lies ahead, but we’re happy to work with them like that and help them make the best decisions for their businesses. Equally, quality is becoming increasingly important which is great news for us as the quality of our offer is something that we really pride ourselves on.

If I can help to make our customers’ lives that little bit easier then I will certainly try and the customers know that.

HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN THE QUALITY AT SUCH HIGH LEVELS?

Well it starts with great produce. I buy all of our stock and it truly is of great quality! But there’s also a great deal of work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure that it stays that way. Getting the deliveries put away into the chilled room as quickly as possible is key and from then on in I’m constantly monitoring stock to check that everything is in perfect condition.

TELL US ABOUT THE ROLE THAT IMPULSE SALES PLAY?

Even though most of our customers come into the chilled room with a clear order in mind, impulse sales still play a key role. That’s why it’s so important to me that I keep the room looking as neat and tidy as possible. A great-looking display could certainly prove inspirational – last month a customer came in and ordered ten cases of butternut squash simply because they looked so good.

DOES WORKING IN A CHILLED ROOM FOR MOST OF THE DAY PRESENT CHALLENGES?

Well, thermals are certainly a must! The room is constantly chilled between 3 and 5 degrees but it’s actually a reasonably physical role so you warm up pretty quickly and thanks to all the unloading and moving of pallets and stock, you tend to stay pretty warm too!

HOW IS THE FUTURE LOOKING?

I’m not thinking very far ahead but this is a brilliant industry and I love this job. I care deeply about our customers and the offer that we provide them with. Over time they become a bit like your extended family. I’ve also started training people when they join the branch. I love that side of things. Standards are so important to me and I want us all to be the best that we can.

WHAT LORRAINE’S HEARING...

VALUE FOR MONEY, LONGEVITY AND QUALITY

Customers are more focused on value for money than ever before but that’s not to say that it’s coming at the cost of quality.

Quality and product life is a real focus. Caterers want products that will last them as long as possible and actually, while price is very important, they will pay a few pennies more for products of truly great quality and won’t wilt or go mushy within a couple of days. Consumers are being pickier about where and what they eat so the quality really is important. Fortunately for us that’s a key strength.

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