The hidden heroes of grocery

He could’ve retired 10 years ago. But Roy Harvey has never been one for putting his feet up.

A decade after he hung up his hat as fresh counter manager at the Weybridge branch of Waitrose, the 72-year-old still works at the Surrey supermarket part-time. This March will mark the 53rd anniversary since Roy joined the retailer. And he has no plans to quit any time soon.

“It’s all about meeting the public and providing a service,” says Harvey. “When I started at Finchley Road Waitrose in 1958 it was more like a food hall than a supermarket, which was still quite a new thing back then. It’s changed so much. The biggest change is computers: they’ve created more time for us to get out there and do what we should be doing - serving people.”

Now, to celebrate The Grocer’s 150th year, we are looking for more people like Roy: hidden heroes who have dedicated a lifetime to serving the grocery industry throughout the colossal changes of the past few decades.

We want to hear their stories. And we want to honour them, through our new campaign, with a special feature celebrating them later this year, and a table set for the most outstanding candidates at this June’s glamorous Grocer Gold Awards.

To nominate a colleague, email hiddenheroes@thegrocer.co.uk.