Silver Service: Broughton Shopping Park pays tribute to long-serving colleagues in anniversary year

Broughton Shopping Park is continuing its summer of silver anniversary celebrations by recognising loyal colleagues who have been at the centre since the opening day in 1999.

A full 25 years on, an impressive 33 members of the centre’s original team are still working at Broughton, including colleagues at Tesco and McDonalds.

Some of them have shared their memories of the park in the early days and revealed what has made them stay put for a quarter of a century – with one colleague even finding life-long love!

Among those honoured is Simon Aldridge, a 42-year-old manager at McDonald’s in Broughton.

Simon recalls his time at the centre fondly, with one moment standing out above all others. “I’m lucky enough to be able to say I truly love my job at Broughton,” Simon shared. “Every day is different, and my team is amazing, but of course my highlight has to be meeting my wife here. We met on her first day in 2001 and the rest is history!”

Tina Evans, 59, who works as a Self Service Assistant at Tesco, has seen significant changes over the years but notes that some things remain constant.

“From my very first day at Tesco Broughton, I remember the centre being incredibly welcoming,” she said.

“There have been huge improvements to the store over the years – such as touch-screen tills and self-service Costa Coffee – but the friendliness of the team has always remained the same.”

Another long-serving employee, Kelly Weaver, now 42 and a Branch Hub Manager at Max Spielmann in Tesco, started her journey at Broughton when she was just 17.

Reflecting on her career, Kelly remarked, “A lot has changed in photo printing over 25 years – I used to mix chemicals and develop prints in a dark bag, but now you can print with the touch of a button! I’ve made so many incredible friends and memories, and I can’t wait for the years to come.”

Melissa Collin, 56, who currently works as a Personal Shopper at Tesco, spoke about the evolution of the store and her role within it. “I’ve seen so many improvements to the store over the years as we’ve just gotten bigger and better, offering more and more choice for customers,” Melissa said. “I’ve loved meeting all the friendly locals and the brilliant team I get to work with every day.”

Alan Pruden-Barker, the centre manager at Broughton, expressed his gratitude to these long-serving employees, stating, “It’s wonderful to hear the stories from all those that have been with Broughton since its opening 25 years ago. It’s a real testament to the brilliant people who both work and shop with us that so many have stayed for so long. We’re hugely grateful to each and every one of them for their dedication, and they have no doubt helped us to go from strength to strength over the years.”