Name: Therese Edmonds
Job title: Training manager
Company: Booths
Sales: £253m
HQ: Preston, Lancashire
Number of employees: 3,000


What's it like to work for your company? It is both challenging and exciting to work for Booths. As a fifth-generation family owned business with members of the family working in the business, there is very much an extended family culture where individuals are valued, and a uniqueness to all of the locations we have.

Why is it a good employer? Because we promote 'local', whether it's recruiting from the local communities or supporting local suppliers. Booths has always had a very clear idea of what makes a regional supermarket so vital to its local community the quality of the product range, excellent customer service, strong career development opportunities for staff and good store locations.

Does the company offer any unusual benefits? We have a good staff discount scheme and a bonus scheme paid in the summer dependent on profits, which is topped up with a Christmas voucher.

If the company were a car what would it be and why? A Jaguar, because of its heritage, style and sticking to its core values.

What's the training like and what qualifications can I earn? We work with external agencies such as Skillsmart Retail, Manchester Metropolitan University, and Blackpool & Fylde College. Training includes apprenticeships at all ages as well as a Skills for Life programme covering literacy and numeracy. We also have bespoke management training, mapped to a Foundation Degree in Retail, which has gained lots of recognition in the industry and is being used as a 'best practice' model. We have been asked to sit on the Skillsmart Retail advisory group for retail apprenticeships and also the Foundation Degree Forward advisory group.

Has the company won any awards? Over the past few years we've won a National Cheese Award in the Retail Cheese Awards, organised by The Grocer and Dairy Crest, CAMRA's Best Large Real Ale in a Bottle Retail Chain 2008 and Multiple Spirits Retailer of the Year 2007. Booths was also voted number two in the world's greatest food retailers by an international academy of 2,000 industry experts, compiled by The Grocer.

What is the most important HR issue? Not getting distracted or besieged by all the bureaucracy associated with the contracting process for delivering qualifications.

Are you looking for any people right now and, if so, where? Yes we are looking for a number of different positions in stores and central office.

How does one go about applying for a job? Press adverts are often used to support recruitment for new stores and trade journals for more specialist roles. Work takes place with JobCentre Plus in many areas, too. Also check out our website.

How do I find out more? On our website: www.booths.co.uk.