The new boss of a bakery store has created a sister versus sister bake off.
Nerys Jones, 31, from Cefn Mawr, is the new manager of Greggs at the Eagles Meadow shopping centre in Wrexham, while her sister Bethan Jones, 29, runs the company’s branch in Mold.
According to ex Ysgol Ruabon school pupil Nerys, the friendly sibling rivalry keeps her on her toes.
She said: “There can definitely be a bit of a competition between us but it’s a friendly rivalry.
“As Bethan is the manager of the Mold store, Greggs is now a bit of a family affair. I’m the quiet sister and she’s the louder one. But when it comes to work we’re very similar because we both want to do the best job we can
“She’s been at Greggs for 14 years. She started off working Saturdays when she was 16. There’s a reason why she’s decided to stay with the company for so long, and that’s because it’s a great place to work. That’s part of the reason why I applied for the job.
“They care, they treat you well, and look after you. When you do a good job it gets recognised. They treat you like a family, and it’s a good company to progress in. you can work your way up the ladder.”
Nerys originally trained as a hairdresser at the former Wrexham Training College, before working at a salon in Chirk. She then went to work at Women’s fashion store Monsoon.
Nerys said: “A vacancy for a shop assistant came up for Greggs at the shop at Eagles Meadow. It was when Eagles Meadow had just opened in 2008. I got the job and was sent to Chester for the training.
“The food here is reasonably priced and it’s good quality. The company is always improving because we’re always looking for new ways to please the customers. They put the customer first and make sure they’re happy. It’s about going that extra mile. It can be something very small like taking a drink outside for someone.
“Nowadays people eat a lot more food on the go, so we try to cater to that. If you got back 20 years ago, that wasn’t really the case. These days people haven’t got as much time.
“Product knowledge is very important. You have to know what’s in the food and what it tastes like because customers often ask for recommendations.
“The shop at Eagles Meadow is in a great location. You’ve got the big names here like Boots, Debenhams, Marks and Spencer, and Top Shop, as well as the cinema and Tenpin.
“I love serving the customers, and I love setting targets for the staff. I’ve got a really good team here. They’re reliable, hard-working and trustworthy.
“I like getting to know the customers, which is easy to do here because a lot of people come in here on their lunch break. You know what some people want before they even say anything. The shop has definitely become part of the community.
“When I heard that I’d been made manager of the Greggs at Eagles Meadow I was very happy to be progressing my career. Things have been going great so far.”
Eagles Meadow manager Kevin Critchley was delighted for Nerys.
He said: “I’d like to congratulate Nerys on her new job and I’m sure she’ll continue the success that Greggs have had at Eagles Meadow.”
