Waitrose is sending hundreds of staff on a six-month course to become fruit and veg experts to boost its fresh produce offering in store and give shoppers tailored advice.

By next year, the supermarket wants to have one fruit and veg specialist in most Waitrose branches. Staff receiving specialist training will sit a City & Guilds level 3 diploma in retail skills and will be trained on the specifics of fruit and veg retail, including seasonality, food preparation, display standards and product information.

The training will also involve visits to suppliers and a workshop on training skills, so they can pass on their expertise to colleagues.

“Many customers choose to shop with us because they advice on what they could buy for a particular dish, or what products are really good at that time of year,” said Waitrose product training manager Carol Easton. “Partners in these roles will play an important part in further cementing Waitrose’s reputation as a quality fresh food retailer.”

Waitrose decided to invest in the training after seeing the positive response from customers to having specialists on hand in other departments where in-depth knowledge is sought, such as wine and cheese.

Waitrose is also launching City & Guilds level 2 diplomas in fish and meat, cheese and deli, wine, veg and horticulture. It wants to have two members of staff with the qualification in each department.

Earlier this year, Tesco said it would be training up fresh produce staff in 700 stores.

Topics