Poultry firm looks to hire 50 more workers
A FOOD giant supplying poultry to major supermarkets is getting ready for the festive season as it looks to recruit more than 50 people in Derbyshire.
Avara Foods, based in Scropton, is looking for people to join the production, hygiene, quality assurance and transport teams with a range of fixed-term and permanent roles.
It comes as many companies are having to reduce staff due to the coronavirus pandemic as they face an uncertain future.
Avara is bucking the trend as it looks to take on staff across the business as demand for poultry products remains high, with chicken and turkey being a mainstay of many people’s weekly shopping lists, bosses there said.
A spokesman for Avara said: “The company is a safe and secure choice of employer for those who might be facing uncertainty during the volatile economic environment.”
Avara Foods is one of the UK’s largest foods businesses, supplying the nation’s favourite supermarket and restaurant chains.
Avara’s Scropton operations are an essential part of the company’s Christmas production. duction. As the company’s biggest turkey processing ssing site, the run-up to Christmas is always busy, the spokesman added.
Temporary staff, as well as permanent, are required as soon as possible as activity y ramps up in readdiness for the festive stive season. Strict health and safety measures sures have been implemented d across Avara and throughout its supply chain to help protect the staff from Covid-19.
A spokesman said: “Colleague safety has always been a top priority for the company and it’s strived to exceed government advice where possible during the pandemic.” Just some of the measures implemented include screens and curtains installed along production lines to create physical barriers, floor markers laid in canteens and other shared spaces demonstrating the physical dist distance staff sh should remain ap apart and s shifts and b break times h have been s staggered to re reduce the nu number of staff com coming into cont contact with one anothe another. Cantee Canteens and break areas have spaced out seating and d perspex dividers and additional cleaning regimes have been introduced in high traffic areas and more hand sanitising stations installed across all sites. Temperature checking of visitors, new starters and daily random temperature checking, along with a company-wide face covering policy aims to provide further peace of mind for those working at the factory, he said.
Avara offers starting rates of pay above National Living Wage and full training will be provided, and the chance to progress within the company during the busiest period in its history.
Andrew Brodie, people and communications director at Avara Foods, said: “We’re keen to welcome new colleagues to our team in Scropton. We’re busier than ever before and need motivated, dedicated people to join our team.
“British shoppers rely on us every day to ensure their baskets remain filled and we’re proud to continue feeding the nation, despite the challenges the country has seen during the past few months.
“We’ve operated throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and will continue to do so safely and efficiently.”
More about the roles at avara foods.co.uk/careers or emailing hollybankjobs@avarafoods.co.uk