Growing garden centre business embarks on recruitment drive
The new owners of Tong Garden Centre have wasted no time in progressing their expansion plans and are on track to recruit thirty new staff by the end of July. Tom Megginson and Mark Farnsworth, who bought the garden centre in May, have already strengthened their management team as well as a number of roles on the shop floor and this latest recruitment drive will help fill roles in additional facilities that are being added to the centre.
William's Farm Kitchen are taking space in the garden centre and are investing in a state of the art butchery, bakery and food hall. Mr Farnsworth, who also owns William's Farm Kitchen explained the rationale for the project: "We already have two successful farm shops at Hornsea and Sledmere and the next phase of our expansion plans centres around Tong Garden Centre.
"As well as running a new food hall as part of the garden centre, William's Farm Kitchen is centralising all of its production operations into new, purpose built facilities. All of the butchery will be done on site at Tong with full meat hanging facilities and the modern bakery will produce all the stock for all three sites and the catering teams at the Garden Centre."
To this end, William's Farm Kitchen at Tong is recruiting for 10 roles, including Assistant Butcher, Butchery Assistant, Butchery Apprentice, Head Baker, Assistant Baker, Food Hall Manager and Food Hall Assistants. Applications are invited from highly motivated candidates with a can-do attitude and great interpersonal skills.Please send a copy of your CV, stating which role you are interested in to Mark Farnsworth by e mailmark@williamsfarmkitchen.co.uk.
There has already been a new coffee shop added to the garden centre and this has allowed the restaurant to be closed for refurbishment. Once the restaurant has been completed the garden centre will be able to cater for around 300 diners. These improvements to the catering side of the business will create around 10 new jobs. In addition, a new children's playground will be opened on 27thJuly and there will be further jobs created in that area of the business. Anyone interested in any of these roles should contact the garden centre directly.
Mr Farnsworth concluded: "In years gone by, Tong was an iconic garden centre in the North of England and we intend to return it to that status and really broaden the appeal of the centre. The addition of a Food Hall and children's play area alongside the much improved catering facilities will help us really put Tong back on the map."
Tong Garden Centre occupies a 17 acre site in Tong village. It is one of Yorkshire's biggest garden centres with 110,000 square feet of retail space and parking for up to 1,000 cars.
Ends
Photo:Mark Farnsworth in the new coffee shop
For more information or to arrange an interview with Mark Farnsworth please contact Tracey Baty at three60 marketing on;
Direct line: 01430 871360
Mobile: 07971 961574
E mail:traceybaty@three60marketing.co.uk
Web:www.three60marketing.co.uk
Notes to editors
For more information, please visithttp://www.tonggardencentre.co.uk(website currently under construction)
William's Farm Kitchen Hornsea is named after Mark's son, William. For more information, please visitwww.williamsfarmkitchen.co.uk