FoodWorks – Community Press Releases, Media Releases - Our Community

FoodWorks Queenscliff (Victoria) officially relaunched their work in progress supermarket in style last Saturday, 26 July 2008 following the refurbishment over the past nine months.

The supermarket has undergone a major upgrade inside, with a new internal layout providing more room to introduce a number of new quality product lines .The FoodWorks brand scheme will be featured late this year across the exterior keeping within the heritage guidelines.

The jam packed day of new look relaunch celebrations on Saturday included indulgent food, wine and cheese tastings along with super in-store specials, product giveaways and entertainment.

Having moved locations in October 2007, doubling in size, storeowners Alistair and Vicky Lang recognised that as the only supermarket in the local town and popular with transient visitors, they had to make some significant changes in order to meet the ever changing and growing needs of their customer base.

"We look at the shop as a work in progress and trust we will continue to improve our offer," Alistair said.

There was also a special one-day only competition whereby, simply by spending $15 or more instore, one lucky customer won a luxury one night stay at the Crown Promenade Hotel including limousine transfers to and from Queenscliff and a $100 voucher to spend at one of the many restaurants within the Crown Entertainment Complex. There were also five runners up prizes of $50 FoodWorks vouchers up for grabs.

FoodWorks Queenscliff employs 12 people from the local community and features fresh fruit and vegetables, frozen, dairy, meat, cooked chicken, general groceries and a fantastic deli including a range of speciality products.

Located at 73 Hesse Street, Queenscliff, the 600sq m supermarket is open Monday to Saturday 8.30am to 8pm and Sunday 9am to 7pm.

FoodWorks Bunyip was presented with the major prize of a brand new Holden Combo Van as the winner of the Retailer Rewards Program which the independent supermarket group ran exclusively with the world's leading Spirits and RTD business, Diageo. The program was created to reward the retailer who most effectively demonstrated their ability not only to set high standards but who, through their entrepreneurial skill, could grow sales and transcend their FoodWorks peers.

FoodWorks Chief Executive Officer Mr Peter Noble said: "FoodWorks Bunyip really shone in all of the key criteria and are well deserving of this honour.

"They have proved themselves to be an exemplary example to other retailers of best retail practise in terms of standards, layout, service, promotion and flair."

Running over a four month period, the scheme was designed to pitch retailer against retailer with the best reward for the major winner being the recognition of their achievement from their peers, but an additional incentive was the winner's prize of a new Holden Combo Van inclusive of on-road costs, ideal for local liquor deliveries.

"The alcohol consumer, while purchasing less volume, is spending more on quality and is actively seeking out retailers who are aware of their needs as well as offering a shopping experience at a competitive price.

"We devised this initiative in partnership with Diageo to show consumers that we are committed to their needs as well as allowing our retailers to exercise their entrepreneurial skills to grow their business with a program that other retailers in the liquor industry can look up to with envy," Mr Noble said.

Open to FoodWorks stores who have a liquor department, the competition was also aimed at encouraging retailers to learn new retail techniques and bold innovations.

The competition was judged by measuring retailers on the following criteria: - Advertising: catalogue compliance, pricing tickets, promotion schedule, signage to FoodWorks standards and advertising flair; - Internal Standards: responsible service of alcohol, trading hours displayed, shelf fixtures, supplier POS, products on offer and display flair; - Stock Standards: stock level and out-of-stock maintenance, Diageo ranging - 700ml glass products, Diageo ranging - RTO products, promotion and pricing flair.

FoodWorks Bunyip co-owner Michael Masterson said: "We're thrilled to have won this sensational prize. It really brought our staff together and was an incredible team effort. Winning this competition not only provided us with a great prize, but was terrific credit for a lot of hard work and creativity.

"As a result of our dedication to improving these merchandising areas being judged, we significantly lifted our liquor sales for this period," Mr Masterson said.

There was a special luncheon held on Thursday, 12 June 2008 at South Yarra Botanical Gardens to honour FoodWorks Bunyip, which had key staff from the store in attendance along with representatives from Diageo and FoodWorks' support office. As a major sponsor of the Wallabies Rugby Union squad, Diageo arranged to have special VIPs at the event, the team's captain Stirling Mortlock and flanker Rocky Elsom.

Mr Noble said at the event: "We were delighted to partner with Diageo for this highly successful retailer competition which has driven our stores to raise the bar across numerous key retail functions. We would like to sincerely thank Diageo for their wonderful support."

Diageo is the world's leading Spirits and RTD company and has an outstanding collection of premium beverage alcohol brands. Following the success of this promotion, Diageo has committed to supporting the FoodWorks group in a number more promotions in near future.

Last week FoodWorks Lorne presented the major prize winner of their exclusive Heinz consumer promotion with a 51cm TV with DVD player.

FoodWorks Lorne Assistant Manager Jonn Stewart organised the competition with Heinz, which ran in-store over a six week period throughout April and May 2008.

Consumers were able to enter the promotion simply by purchasing a can of Heinz soup from FoodWorks Lorne.

Pictured right is FoodWorks Lorne Administration Manager Dale Butt with the winner, regular local shopper Heather Schmidt.

SCOTTISH CULTURE (right): FoodWorks Warracknabeal owner Dianne Barbetti plays some Scottish tunes and staff members Pauline Clarke (left) and Te-Nika Jackson (right) perform for shoppers during their market day recently.

The celebrations promoted the super savings over the two-day market on Thursday and Friday.

*Extracted from Warracknabeal Herald 1/7/2008

For Angela Gowers playing the flute isn't just a passion, it's a way of life.

The 18-year-old former Red Cliffs Secondary College student said she first picked up a flute seven years ago.

"My mum's a piano teacher, so I learnt piano from a pretty young age," she said.

"When I started high school I actually began playing the saxophone.

"But then my older sister Steph started playing the flute and I wanted to change because I liked that better.

"Since then I've just become really passionate about it."

Angela made the decision to defer university this year, instead working and trying to improve her skills as a flautist.

She works at the Working Man's Club as a barmaid and also at FoodWorks in Red Cliffs (Victoria). Next year, she will go to university to study a bachelor of music.

"I'm enrolled at Monash at the moment but that might change later this year. I initially wanted to get into performance but now I'm kind of leading towards composing."

Angela showed off her composition skills last year while working with Orchestra Victoria.

"I had composed a piece of music that the teachers at Orchestra Victoria were going to play.

"In the end they didn't play it because we ran out of time, but it was a great experience."

This year, Angela is preparing to travel down to Melbourne to sit an exam for her grade eight Australian Music Examinations Board certificate.

While she has the option of doing the test in Mildura, Angela said she wanted to compare herself to the best.

"It's not that Mildura's exams aren't good.

"But in Melbourne it is more like you're playing an audition than just an exam.

"I want the best mark I can get, but I don't want to get to university next year and find out I'm not as good as I thought I was."

While at university Angela said she also wanted to study French because of her plans to travel there.

"I actually want to travel to France and study music there later. I love the style of music they play over there. It's very emotional and expressive."

Before an exam Angela immerses herself in music, but while she's studying she will only listen to classical music.

*Extracted from Sunraysia Daily 12/6/2008

Angela Gowers, 18, loves her flute and hopes it will take her to France

Foster teenager Cassandra Dobson has received a scholarship at Monash University Gippsland's Student Awards Presentation for the School of Business and Economics.

Cass, who completed Year 12 at South Gippsland Secondary College in 2006 and then tried university in Melbourne but decided the city was not for her, is currently in her first year of the Associate Degree of Business and Commerce at the Gippsland campus, and also works at FoodWorks Foster.

The Monash Gippsland scholarship she received recognises outstanding students who are beginning their first year of university studies.

Cass is also part of the Co-operative Education Program offered by the Gippsland campus, which offers students paid work experience throughout their course duration.

Ultimately, she would like to own and run a small business, and says that her placement, which she will begin next year, will help her to work towards that.

Cass juggles her university studies with working 25 hours a week at her local supermarket - FoodWorks Foster - and goes to the gym whenever she has any spare time.

"I was really surprised that I received the scholarship since I can't remember applying for it but I know that it will come in handy, so I'm really grateful," she said.

"I really love it here at the campus because it's nothing like Melbourne.

People are so friendly, and the tutors and lecturers know our names, and we all know each other. Receiving this scholarship just makes it all that little bit more worthwhile."

Monash University Gippsland would like to congratulate all scholarship recipients on their hard work and academic progress.

*Extracted Mirror Wednesday 11/6/2008

In support of Australia's Healthy Weight Week, Casterton Memorial Hospital endorsed a number of events last week, with FoodWorks Casterton hosting in-store tours.

Starting the week with a guide to physical activity and fitness with Keith Fleming and Lucinda Jenkins, a number of community members turned out to find out the facts and how to increase activity levels.

Thursday kept their dietician Kylie Brown on her toes with a very informative and well received session at Day-Centre followed by two fantastic enlightening Supermarket Tours at FoodWorks Casterton.

The pace was picked up Wednesday and Friday, with two walks heading off each day for a walk around the town!

A sensational way to get out and about with the age group stemming from four months to 85 years old! It was fantastic to see people getting out and getting involved.

* Extracted from Casterton News 30/1/2008

The only supermarket in Montmorency, FoodWorks Montmorency has just completed renovating their liquor department enabling them to more than double their wine offerings from around 240 to 550 to better meet the needs of Montmorency locals.

As limited space for the store's old liquor department simply didn't allow for it to live up to the ever increasing demand from customers, an extreme liquor department makeover was required.

FoodWorks Montmorency storeowner and manager, Adrian Alvaro said they were really excited to proudly show off their all new liquor department and looked forward to hearing customers' feedback.

"For some time now, we'd been hearing from our customers that they wanted a larger variety of wines, as well as a larger cold beer and wine offer to keep up with the high demand," Mr Alvaro said.

The major development of the 1,000 square metre store's liquor department has incorporated a significant expansion of the existing cool room to three times its original size increasing the glass doors from three to nine doors.

Removing old beams has allowed for the ceiling to be re-painted with all new lighting. Brand new flooring as well as new wine racks, in addition to an all new premium liquor cabinet and spirit display, has enabled the liquor range to be extensively increased.

"Basically everything in our fresh new liquor department is brand spanking new, from the ground up: new equipment, flooring, ceiling, cabinets, wine racks and refrigeration, loads of new stock, new everything," Mr Alvaro added.

FoodWorks Montmorency is located at busy 49-55 Were Street, Montmorency and open seven days a week. Operating hours are Monday to Thursday 7:30am - 7:30pm; Friday & Saturday 7:30am - 8:00pm; and Sunday from 8:00am - 6:00pm.

Sully's FoodWorks Mulwala (Victoria) celebrated their third birthday in early December by holding a special two day sale including massive discounts and great giveaways such as the 2 minute shopping grab.

Mulwala resident Shelly O'Bryan, was the winner of Sully's FoodWorks Mulwala's 2 minute shopping grab and managed to collect goods to the value of $709 during her run around the store.

"I thank Virginia and Peter [O'Sullivan, storeowners] for their competition. It was great!" she said.

*Extracted from Yarrawonga Chronicle 26/12/2007

Buninyong businesses (Victoria) have come up with an innovative way to thank their customers for their patronage.

A competition, called the twelve days of Christmas, was an idea that came from Katherine Rickard whose parents, Alison and Trevor, own and operate the local FoodWorks supermarket.

To be a winner, shoppers need to spend $5 or more at one of the twenty local businesses who are participating.

Their names will then be entered into a daily draw for gift vouchers and prizes worth more than $100 each day with the last draw, on Christmas Eve, worth over $200.

Alison Rickard said that she was thrilled that every business in town was one hundred per cent behind the competition.

"Each day is a new draw and every store has their own entry box so we will gather up the dockets each night and draw a winner, each afternoon at 5 o'clock, in the supermarket," she said.

"The next day it is all new tickets."

If this year's competition is a success Mrs Rickard said that she would definitely like to make it an annual event.

"There has been so much support from the retailers and now we have the concept out there, if it works we will just roll it over and do again next year and hopefully make it a tradition in Buninyong," she said.

"The 12 days of Christmas is: one, thanking our loyal customers, the people who support us all year and two, it's to encourage people to shop in Buninyong - you need to try to keep the customer and the business in town but mainly it's a thank you to those loyal customers who come in and support us through the year so it's one way of giving back to the community."

The countdown has now started, with the first draw taking place on Thursday, December 13.

With most of the organisational hard work behind her, Alison is looking forward to the first draw.

"I thought if I could get 12 businesses that would give me a $20 voucher each, we would be doing really well but I am really overwhelmed by the response - the businesses have been really great." 11

Participating businesses are: FoodWorks Buninyong, Haze Restaurant, UFS Dispensary, Buninyong Bakehouse, Buninyong take away, Shine Hair and Beauty, Bluestone Tea Rooms, Buninyong Hair Design, Queen of Pentacles, Sew Special, Buninyong Newsagency, Vintage Garden, Cupcake Café, Buninyong Post Office, Buninyong Fish and Chips, Crown Hotel, Buninyong Golf Club, Buninyong Library, Buninyong Hardware/Laundromat, Mt Buninyong Winery and Sinclair's of Scotsburn Winery.

*Extracted from Golden Plains Miner 13/12/2007

FoodWorks Tooradin, Victoria has now been open for 18 months with a team that takes great pride in providing excellent customer service.

The store showcases an extensive range of fresh products, liquor, dairy, frozen and grocery lines. In the deli department, there are fresh home-made salads, gourmet platters, hot barbecue chickens and cold meats which are sliced as requested.

Staff are currently taking orders for barbecue chickens and gourmet platters for Christmas, and are suggesting that people don't leave it too late to place orders.

Local butcher TJ Meats supplies and services FoodWorks Tooradin fresh meat department and management and staff would like to take this opportunity to thank Terry Barlow and his team for their support during the year.

The dairy department has an extensive range of gourmet cheeses, dips and Christmas hams and there are fresh berries and salad needs in the store's fresh produce department.

In the liquor department, customers will find an extensive range of imported beers, wines and spirits for those last minute gift ideas and Christmas drinks along with some helpful advice and cheery service.

Within the grocery department there is also to be found a wide variety of gift ideas along with the usual Christmas grocery lines.

Christmas trading hours at Tooradin Foodworks are 7.30am to 8pm Monday to Friday, Sam to 8pm Saturday and Sunday. Closed Christmas Day.

Tooradin Foodworks is at 104 South Gippsland Highway, Tooradin.

Extracted from Cranbourne News 13/12/2007

The all new look Mansfield FoodWorks, Victoria opened its doors to their first customers earlier this month and management were delighted with the response from the local community.

The new store at 111-119 High Street incorporates the old Mansfield Cinema building and internally the business is open and airy and carries an extended range of products compared to their previous Highett Street address.

The cinema theme is carried throughout the store and on opening day, Eddie Revell who was a former owner of the cinema, was busy offering popcorn to guests.

High Country Times reporter Gabriel Bergmoser asked several customers their thoughts on the new store.:

"I won't shop anywhere made entirely out of glass and metal, nowhere glitzy, so it's very good as it is. A good country supermarket." - Richard Merton 

"A lot more spacious, a bit more variety, and its better being in the main street." - Shelley and Caitlin Turner 

"It will take me a while to find my way around, but otherwise a good first impression!" - Stephen Cherubin

"Very spacious, and easy to find items." - Aaron and Ruby Madsen 

*Extracted from High Country Times 12/12/2007

The doors of the new FoodWorks Mansfield in High Street swung open last Wednesday morning, 5 December to keen shoppers looking to check out the transformation of cinema to supermarket.

Shoppers took hold of their trolleys and strolled down what once were cinema aisles to find bargains a plenty.

The new FoodWorks Mansfield, now more prominently located at 111-119 High Street, is stocked with an extensive selection of new, quality products store-wide, and features all new equipment, but customers will still be greeted and serviced by all their old favourite Food Works staff members.

It's not just groceries at FoodWorks Mansfield. In honour of the traditional heritage of their new location, which previously housed the town's much loved 1937 Cinema complex, FoodWorks Mansfield has adopted a cinema theme in the store.

FoodWorks staff member Eddie Revell served popcorn to the young and old, a taste of history.FoodWorks Mansfield Store Manager Graeme Coombs said he and his team were ready and roaring to show off their new and better home.

"We've all been waiting eagerly to finally be able to really show off our sensational new supermarket and this building is only temporary! We still have so many more exciting new developments on the near horizon," he said.

While FoodWorks has increased its size to 1,280sqm (up from 800sqm), FoodWorks Mansfield will soon embark on a major expansion and revamp of the surrounding area, with plans for a state-of-the-art, modem 2,000sqm plus supermarket anticipated for completion next year.

"With more room to play with, the new full service Food Works Mansfield is a grocery wonderland. Each customer starts their journey with immediate entertainment. Details must be seen to be appreciated, but suffice it to say that the FoodWorks team has put pride on the line in order to bring a smile to each customer's face.

"Once a trolley is in hand, customers can appreciate some movie popcorn while taking in the new store. With high ceilings and open spaces customers can be tantalised by an expanded fresh offer and specials. The aisles will be easy to manoeuvre with a plethora of signage to show shoppers the way to their desired item. As you shop you will notice a broader range of products across the entire store as well a drop in pricing on family favourite lines. And to top it off, we are confident that you will not find a friendlier checkout offer than the "ushers" at Mansfield Food Works," he said.

Mr Coombs said he was pleased with the effort the staff had put in during the transition and they were looking forward to some good local support.

Over the next month there will be numerous red hot specials and exciting giveaways to celebrate the opening, while customers who collected free "boot scooter" money from the closing down "Got the Boot" sale in the final three days at the old FoodWorks Mansfield site, will be able to redeem their "booty" vouchers towards groceries at the new store.

FoodWorks Mansfield Grocery Manager Jan Hughes said that while there would be many obvious, constructive changes which their customers would enjoy and benefit from, providing outstanding, personalised customer service and community support would remain a major focus for the new Food Works Mansfield supermarket.

"We look forward to hearing feedback from our customers on the new store and as always we will endeavour to adapt and continue to improve our store according to their valued input," she said.

FoodWorks Mansfield will also be presenting $20,000 in January 2008 to their local community groups, clubs, schools and/or charities who received customer points in FoodWorks Mansfield's Community Choice Club program.

*Extracted from Mansfield Courier 4/12/07 & 11/112/07 & High Country Times 5/12/07