What is your greatest challenge and how do you tackle it?

Our greatest challenge initially was bringing a new Asda store to a town that already has other supermarkets. There is a Sainsbury's and a Morrisons nearby and to begin with, there was some opposition to our arrival, as there quite often is with a new store.

But the store has been a success and it is one of the top-five performing stores in the chain. The main challenge now is continuing that growth.

What makes the store so successful? We provide our customers with a great service and pride ourselves on the quality of people we employ, who are mainly local. I think that is the main thing that makes us stand out. They are polite and friendly, which is crucial. Also, success breeds success and there's a real pride in-store from colleagues.

What do you do in your spare time?

I have moved nearer the store so I have more free time than I used to. I like playing golf and travelling and I've just come back from a holiday in Lake Tahoe, San Francisco. I also have two children aged 12 and 16, who keep me busy.

What is the best thing about being a  store manager?

The best thing about working at Asda is that, although you have the company framework, you're still able to do things your own way. It's like running your own business so you can put your own stamp on how you manage people and celebrate achievements. We make an effort to get involved in the community and have sponsored Bridgwater Carnival. Asda annually runs a We're Listening survey, to determine levels of staff morale and last year we achieved 99% in this store - the highest in any Asda.

What are your plans for the store?

We are looking at improving our car park later this year as it's too small. There are also early plans to extend the store to include more non-food and fresh foods but there aren't any more details on that at the moment.

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