A Wisbech supermarket manager has been recognised for his dedication and team building skills at a national awards ceremony.

Darren Fulcher, store manager at The Co-operative Food on Churchill Road, has been Highly Commended at the national Retail Industry Awards in London.

In the category, Store Manager of the Year, Mr Fulcher was highly commended for his dedication and team building after working at the store for only one year.

During the last year, Mr fulcher has championed colleague engagement at the store, with his approach and ideas being adopted across the region. His techniques have resulted in a dramatic increase in sales and standards on the shop floor.

Darren has also worked with the wider shopping centre in Wisbech to push the regeneration scheme and is also very popular with customers in the store.

At the prestigious awards at The Grosvenor House Hotel in London, Mr Fulcher said: “The store staff are the most important asset and, when I started at the store, I immediately began to work with the team to create an environment where staff wanted to come to work and celebrate their successes every step of the way with awards and certificates.

“I wanted to involve the team in exploring new products in the store and fostering an environment where the team can share their thoughts and ideas. What we have done here has now been extended across the region.

“To be Highly Commended was a fantastic achievement and a very proud moment for me. I felt honoured to represent the store, my colleagues and the society.”

On the night, The Co-operative Food also won ‘Chilled Retailer of the Year 2014’, beating off competition from other major retailers. The win reaffirms The Co-operative Food’s commitment to become the leading convenience food retailer in the UK.