Retail’s frontline workers recognised in Queen’s birthday honours

Shop floor and home delivery staff from Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, the Co-op, Waitrose and Iceland were among those to feature on the most diverse honours list ever.

Asda led the way with eight of its workers awarded gongs by the Queen. 

Imran Rashid Dawji received an MBE for his role in helping the grocer to recruit 25,000 temporary staff across the country during the height of the crisis. 

His Asda colleagues Faisal Tuddy, Geoff Norris, Julie Cook, Karen Clarke, Lucy Mansell-Render, Sam D’Souza and Simon Lea were all awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM).  

Asda boss Roger Burnley said: “I cannot express how proud we all are to have eight colleagues recognised in the Queen’s birthday honours list. 

“These key worker colleagues, along with thousands of others, have done an amazing job looking after customers in very difficult circumstances. 

“I want to extend my thanks and gratitude to them all for the way in which they have risen to the challenges of the pandemic and played their vital role in feeding the nation.”

Four Tesco employees were given honours. Philip Richards and Jayne Griffiths were appointed MBEs, while Theresa Fisher and Kyle Wilson received the BEM. 

Sainsbury’s also had four of its workers recognised, as Eugenia Lyle, Andrew Dunsmore, Margaret Gurney and Rani Kaur all received the BEM. 

Iceland home delivery drivers Adam Smith and Toni Salmon received the BEM for services to the community during the pandemic. 

The Co-op also had two workers named in the list – Jean Marie Hughes was appointed an MBE and Liz McClen received the BEM. 

Morrisons store manager Sharon McKendrick and Waitrose supermarket assistant Alex Osei Bonsu were also given the BEM to complete an impressive haul for grocery retailers.

Former BRC chair and ex-Co-op chief executive Richard Pennycook was made an OBE, while the same honour was given to Asda’s new owners and EG Group co-founders, the Issa brothers. 

Meanwhile, Manchester United and England footballer Marcus Rashford was made an MBE following his campaign for the government to allow more than 1 million children to claim free school meal vouchers during England’s summer holidays. 

Several grocery retailers backed Rashford’s campaign and also signed up to a food poverty task force the footballer set up during the summer.