Name: Heather Parry
Job title: MD
Company name: Fodder
HQ location: Harrogate
Number of employees: 37


What's it like to work for your company? It's fun, exciting and inspiring. We're passionate people pulling together to make our dream come true. Fodder offers great scope to create a career and we reward enthusiasm. We're more than willing to put great ideas into practice.

Why is it a good employer? Fodder offers plenty of opportunities and every day is different. We are owned by a charity (Yorkshire Agricultural Society) and all our profits are ploughed back into the farming community.

Does the company offer any unusual benefits? Tickets to the Great Yorkshire Show, staff discounts on food and free training courses to further your career.

How does the company differ from its rivals? 85% of everything we sell comes from Yorkshire. We are passionate Yorkshire retailers.

What's the training like and what qualifications can I earn? Training varies according to position, but includes everything from first aid to cheese-tasting courses and much more besides.

Has the company won any awards or been recognised in the past few years as an employer? In under 12 months, Fodder has been awarded five titles, including Deliciouslyorkshire Independent Retailer of the Year; Yorkshire Post Green Building Award; Countryside Alliance Best Yorkshire Enterprise Award; RICS Sustainability Award and Overall Best Project in Yorkshire Award; and Estates Trade Gazette Environment Award.

What's your proudest achievement of the past 12 months? Opening Fodder on time and on budget and thriving despite an economic downturn and trading in the shadow of a big Sainsbury's store.

What is the most important or challenging HR issue you are dealing with at the moment? Constantly training staff, keeping them informed about new offers and incorporating their ideas so Fodder functions as a true team effort.

Are you looking for any people right now and, if so, where? We're fully staffed at the moment, but we are growing fast so we will be looking for more people in the near future.

How does one go about applying for a job? Email your CV and covering letter to jobs@yas.co.uk.

What tips would you offer jobseekers? Enthusiasm is the name of this game; a love of good food is essential.

Are you, or is the company, working on anything exciting right now that you can tell us about? As we approach Fodder's first birthday, we're facing exciting business challenges. We've done well to establish Fodder on the foodie radar, but the biggest hurdle we face is to encourage shoppers to do their weekly shop exclusively at Fodder.

How do I find out more about the company? You can visit www.fodderweb.co.uk for more information.

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