We are delighted to have held our first Jerry Mallet Customer Service Awards, celebrating employees who strive to provide a high standard of service across the company’s food hall, deli, gift shop and two cafés.

The awards were created in memory of former employee Jerry Mallet, known as “Jerry-in-the-deli”, who was always keen to share his extensive knowledge of all things food and drink, and is still very much missed by Larder staff and customers. Following his passing in 2019, his family and Emma Niven, owner of Loch Leven’s Larder, decided that establishing the awards in his name would be a fitting tribute to a man who was so passionate about providing excellent customer service.

Emma Niven said “Jerry’s witty banter and food knowledge made him a wonderful deli expert, always keen to share recipes and tips with customers. He was constantly passing on this knowledge with the team and helping them develop their skills, so creating the annual Jerry Mallet Customer Service Awards seems like the perfect way to remember him.”

Staff throughout the business were invited to nominate the team members who they felt were working hard to create a special experience for customers. The difficult task of deciding which two employees should receive an award and a cheque for £250 fell to Emma Niven and James Watt, business mentor.

Emma said “The wonderful list of nominees made it an incredibly hard choice but the length of time we spent coming to a decision is a testament to our dedicated team.”

Shop and deli assistant Julie Marsh and café assistant Thomas Pool were the first awardees, with judges noting that they had provided a consistently high standard of service which was regularly commented upon by customers.