Say cheese!

Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson swapped Parliament for pizza toppings as he got behind the Sainsbury’s food counter for a pizza the action.

Andrew was welcome by Victoria Winfield, counters manager at the Colne superstore, who showed him how to prepare pizzas ready for sale hot or cold.

Andrew even made his own pizza - a thin crust layered with lashings of tomato sauce and lots of meat.

The Pendle MP said: “If it’s mine, it’s got to be meaty.

“I had a really fascinating time working behind the counter but I’m not sure I’m very good at it.

“I think I would need a lot more training before I could be employed to make pizzas full time.

“It was really interesting and it was great to see how passionate the colleagues are and a good way to meet the local customers.”

Victoria added: “It’s not every day you have your local MP in to work with you. I really enjoyed sharing some of the skills I’ve learnt and it’s always good to have an extra pair of hands.”

This year, Sainsbury’s was awarded it’s second consecutive Gold Investors in People accreditation for supporting, developing and motivating it’s staff.

More than 22,000 people who work in Sainsbury’s fresh food counters, bakeries and cafes have received job-specific City and Guilds-accredited training.

Andrew, who himself was recognised this year for being a ‘Youth Friendly’ employer by Youth Employment UK, wanted to join the team to see the good work for himself.