How do you feel about winning The Grocer 33's Top Store Award?

I am really pleased. We have a great team here who really care about serving the customer and I am immensely proud of them. In addition I'm ­particularly chuffed to have won this award in this particular week as it has been quite a challenge. It's the end of the month when people get paid, it's half term, and is the run up to Hallowe'en.

Have you had any special customer service initiatives here?

Customer service is critical for us. Asda offers quality products and great value, but there are a lot of competitors out there and if we don't serve customers well they will go elsewhere. We have a training programme called Say, Show Sell, which we use to help keep everyone on top performance.

How long have you worked at Asda?

Since 1991. I was with Gateway, now Somerfield, and then moved to Asda after it bought some of its larger stores. I have worked in several Asda stores around the north east,and this is the second time I have worked at this store.

How do you feel about your second stint managing this store?

It is a bit of a homecoming. I was brought in here in 1999 to manage the conversion after Asda bought this store from the Co-op - it was known as Benton Hypermarket then. I managed the store for two years.

How has the store changed since you were here?

This has been an Asda store for a while and so it is now well established. In addition, there is a lot of new housing going up in this part of North Tyneside, so our footfall is higher. We now get more than 65,000 customers a week and turnover is growing.

How is your home delivery doing?

The home shopping is really becoming very popular. A lot of people around here work long hours and don't have the time to go shopping, so they are taking advantage of the home delivery service we offer.