Food Services Assistant in Colchester

Working in our stores

Our stores are fast‑paced environments where no two days are ever the same and food is our passion. They are at the heart of the local community providing outstanding value, unbeatable quality and great service. As one of our Food Services Assistants, you’ll be the special ingredient that ensures our stores are set up brilliantly to provide customers with a range of great‑tasting products.

Eligibility

• You must be above the school‑leaver age in your country (School leaving age – GOV.UK).
• You must have Right to Work eligibility in the UK.
• If the shifts for this role cover hours earlier than 6 am or later than 11 pm, you will need to be at least 18 years of age.

What you’ll be doing

• Preparing, packing and displaying a range of breads, pastries, sweet treats, hot foods and seasonal items so they are enticing for customers.
• Complying with food safety and hygiene standards by checking food temperatures, date‑checking products, disposing of waste and cleaning food areas.
• Being tuned in to what our customers want and being on hand to serve them brilliantly, supporting with any questions, and proactively offering help.
• Replenishing stock to maintain availability and keeping shelves tidy and full of well‑presented products.
• Building great knowledge about our products, services and promotions to help provide recommendations.
• Working flexibly across the store as required.

What makes a great Sainsbury’s Colleague

• Friendly and welcoming with a genuine enthusiasm for helping customers and a passion for food.
• Happy working in a fast‑paced, physical and high‑energy environment, and thrives in being part of a team.
• Takes responsibility for owning tasks and uses initiative to solve problems.
• Always ready to work flexibly and productively across the store to a high standard – you’ll be fully trained in a variety of skills, so you have opportunities to learn, develop and try new things.
• Comfortable in learning to use new digital tools and technology to do your job brilliantly.
• Has great attention to detail, keeping the store clean and clutter‑free, always looking to create the best shopping experience for customers.

Working for us has great rewards

We truly value our colleagues and provide market‑leading benefits and training to reflect that:

• Discount card – 10 % off at Sainsbury’s, Argos, Tu, and Habitat after four weeks, increasing to 15 % discount at Sainsbury’s every Friday and Saturday, and 15 % off at Argos every pay day.
• Free food and hot drinks – provided for colleagues in all our stores.
• Generous holiday entitlement – based on the hours you work, plus maternity and paternity leave.
• Pension – we’ll match between 4‑7.5 % of your pension contributions.
• Sainsbury’s share schemes – buy Sainsbury’s shares at discounted prices.
• Shopping discounts – special offers on gym memberships, restaurants, holidays, retail vouchers and more.
• Wellbeing support – including free access to our Employee Assistance Programme, a confidential service providing support and guidance on a wide range of issues.

Please note that our vacancies may close quickly, so we encourage candidates to apply at their earliest convenience.

An inclusive place to work and shop

We are dedicated to being a truly inclusive retailer, where every colleague can achieve their full potential, and every customer feels welcome when they shop with us.

To support this commitment, our colleagues may be entitled to a range of enhanced discretionary leave for families, as well as support for carers. We provide our colleagues resources to help them understand and support their role and their team effectively. Our internal colleague networks seek to ensure true representation for everyone, helping us identify and remove barriers that our colleagues may face.

We are proud to offer a range of development opportunities, including mentorship, training, and career progression pathways, to help our colleagues grow and succeed. We also celebrate diversity through various initiatives and events, fostering a culture of inclusion and respect. If you would like to learn more about our commitment to inclusivity, please take a look here.

Should you require any reasonable adjustments during the application or interview stages, please let us know, and we will endeavour to support you.