Factory manager brings in 200 pies to feed hungry staff after canteen staff are snowed in
As the snow settled in Wythenshawe this week, staff at the Duerr’s factory in Wythenshawe were in danger of working on an empty stomach after the big freeze prevented canteen staff from getting in to serve the 200 employees their lunch.
In the midst of producing Duerr’s Fine Cut Marmalade, and keen to keep the production schedule on time, quick thinking factory managers Alex Murray and Gary Harper came to the rescue as they hatched a plan to head into Wythenshawe and buy 200 lunches from the local Greggs.
By lunchtime, staff at the Manchester jam, marmalade and sweet spread manufacturer were tucking into a meat and potato pie, and production continued as usual.
Factory Manager Alex Murray comments: “We’ve been doing our best to keep up with production despite the weather, some of our staff have been walking to work or car sharing to get in, and many have taken on overtime to cover staff who are snowed in so that we can keep the production lines running. With everyone working so hard, we had to make sure that they were all fed. So a meat and potato pie seemed the least we could do.”
Richard Duerr comments: “Up until about 11am we were hoping to be able to run a normal canteen but once we heard that key staff were stuck in the snow we had to come up with another plan. Luckily Greggs were able to keep the Duerr’s army marching on their stomachs …. I think a lot of people were disappointed when the canteen re-opened the following day!”
Duerr’s, which has been operating in the Manchester area for 129 years, employs over 200 staff across their Wythenshawe and Old Trafford sites. The family business fills 64 million jars every year – and a bit of snow isn’t going to stop them now.