A “kind-hearted” Asda employee – who went viral for her actions after an elderly man collapsed in store – has revealed she also got engaged on the same day.
Gemma Parish – 26, who is originally from Devon but now lives in Hindley, Wigan and also works part-time for the North West Ambulance Service – leapt into action when a customer fell over at the Asda supermarket in Daubhill, Bolton, back in October.
She rushed to look after the elderly shopper and stayed with him for half an hour, reassuring him until he felt better, before paying for his shopping out of her own back pocket and arranging for a taxi to pick him up.
Gemma was given a ‘Silver Service Superstar Award’ by Asda following the incident.
The supermarket chain took to social media to share the story of Gemma’s heroic actions earlier this month on 2nd December in a now-viral post which saw over 29K interactions, hundreds of shares and thousands of comments from members of the public.
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The store reimbursed Gemma for her kindness and store manager Ava Joyce – who nominated Gemma for the Asda award – said: “The customer – who’s a regular here – had a small amount of shopping and was panicking that he needed it, so Gemma went and paid for it from her own pocket so that the gentlemen had his essentials [and] she then arranged for him to get a taxi home.
“This was a lovely gesture and we are all very proud of her here.”
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She added: “Gemma’s a lovely caring colleague who always goes above and beyond.”
Speaking on her viral fame, Gemma said: “People keep tagging me in it and every time I look there are loads more people liking and sharing it. I was one of the store’s first aiders but he didn’t want any help so I just stayed with him”.
She continued: “He normally had a mobility scooter but it had a puncture so he’d walked and I just think he was exhausted.”
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That’s not all though.
Wednesday 2nd December isn’t a date Gemma is going to forget any time soon as it also happens to be the day her now-fiancé Tom Sutton proposed.
Gemma and Tom met while travelling around Australia last year.
“We got together October last year but we actually met in June when we were backpacking,” said Tom.
“We came back to England in March because of COVID. She’s originally from Devon but she made the decision to come and move here with me. She’s worked for Asda for four years, first in Devon and then Hindley, and then moved to Bolton to be section leader in the summer.
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“When she was asked into the store for a photograph we didn’t really think anything of it, but it’s just taken off.
“She found it hilarious at first but she can’t believe how far it’s gone. You always hear these stories of people and you think ‘it’ll never be me’ but it is, so it’s quite funny really.”
From everyone here at The Manc – congratulations Gemma & Tom.
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Morrisons has launched a nationwide search for its first-ever Chief Doughnut Tester
Emily Sergeant
Today is National Doughnut Day, and to celebrate, Morrisons is on the look-out for one sweet treat fan to take on a new role.
That’s right – today (5 June) is National Doughnut Day, and Morrisons is officially on the hunt for the nation’s ultimate doughnut devotee with the launch of its brand-new (and delicious) role, The Chief Doughnut Tester – with all glaze enthusiasts, sprinkle connoisseurs, and jam-filled aficionados urged to get applying.
The search is on to crown one lucky fan who’ll take on the dream job of taste-testing their way through the supermarket‘s range of doughnuts.
The Chief Doughnut Tester is more than just a title, Morrisons says it’s ‘serious business’.
Morrisons has launched a nationwide search for its first-ever Chief Doughnut Tester / Credit: Morrisons
The new hire will be tasked with taste-testing doughnuts before they hit the shelves, giving verdicts on new flavours and textures, all in the name of research.
The role will also involve teaming up with Morrisons’ internal doughnut-expert team to develop new and limited-edition treats that’ll be in stores next year.
Crowned as the nation’s definitive doughnut authority, the selected winner won’t just earn the title of Chief Doughnut Tester, they’ll also receive the ultimate of sweet perks – a year’s free supply of Morrisons fresh doughnuts, which the retailer sells more than 1.1 million of weekly.
Aspiring Chief Doughnut Testers can apply on the Morrisons website here, by filling in a short 200-words about why’re the ideal candidate.
Applications close at midnight tonight (Friday 5 June), so you’ll need to be quick.
Featured Image – Annie Spratt (via Unsplash)
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First-ever JD Wetherspoon pub to open at Manchester Airport
Danny Jones
In news that we feel many Mancs and travellers all-round have been waiting on for a long time, the well-known British chain, JD Wetherspoon, will be opening its first-ever pub at Manchester Airport.
That’s right: soon that first airport pint of the holiday could actually be a relatively cheap one.
While Wetherspoons are no strangers to popping up in terminals across the UK and Ireland, they’ve never done so here in Manchester despite having three, yes THREE, in Gatwick alone.
Not for much longer, though, as soon T2 will be lending more than 3,000 square feet of its prime leisure and retail real estate to a new Greater Manchester ‘Spoons’.
Posting on social media, the airport wrote: “Wetherspoon comes to Manchester Airport this September! The pub will be located in the Terminal 2 Departures lounge and will have more than 300 seats.
“This will become the final major food and drink venue to open its doors as part of our decade-long £1.3bn transformation of Terminal 2. It will be named ‘The Belle Vue’, in a nod to Manchester’s historic showground [now a sports complex and leisure hub].
“It was a focal point for social life in the city from the Victorian period up until 2020, when the final event was held at Belle Vue stadium. The design of the pub is inspired by the history of Belle Vue and the sporting culture of the North West of England. We look forward to welcoming you all in September!”
While a lot of money has been pumped into T2’s refurb as a whole over the past few years, it remains unclear just how much this particular new addition will cost; we do know that great sums were set aside for the launch of the Great Northern Market last year.
The inaugural Manchester Airport Spoons is just the latest in a series of major renovations.
As mentioned, the company already operate several up and down the country – 10 airport pubs, to be specific – but this will be the first in the North West.
Speaking on the news, JD Wetherspoon chief executive John Hutson said in a statement: “We are looking forward to opening at Manchester Airport. We believe our new pub will prove popular with travellers of all ages and be an asset to the new terminal.”
With Manchester Airport adding a dozen new routes to its roster this summer, you can expect to see even more people flying in and out than ever – no doubt having already polished off a cut-price pint or two beforehand.
Emily Sergeant -
9th December 2020 
