Last week, James Hall & Co Ltd celebrated National Apprenticeship Week 2025, by honouring their apprentices across their business.

The week of celebration, which took place from 10 to 16 February 2025, honoured the wide range of apprentices across the Preston based business in sectors such as IT, marketing and butchery.

The company also congratulated the several recently added apprenticeships, such as horticulture, undertaken by various employees.

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As one of Lancashire’s largest private employers, James Hall & Co Ltd operates as a manufacturer, distributor, retailer and wholesaler across the UK.

The success of the celebrated apprentices at James Hall & Co. has shone over the years, through the company’s well-known associated brands in particular SPAR and Ann Forshaw’s Alston Dairy.

Wendy Parkinson, Early Careers Lead at the business said: “We are extremely proud of our Apprentices and the significant contribution they make to our business performance.

“We offer continuous career development opportunities to our employees, whether that is young people starting in their career, members of our workforce who are seeking to progress in their current role, or employees who retrain to go down a new career pathway within the business.”

The company is also working more closely with universities and colleges on Degree Apprenticeships and has advocated for more than half of their apprentices to complete level 4 or above qualifications.

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Later this month, the celebrations will continue through the annual James Hall Learning and Development Awards.

Lavina Holt, a Level 2 Food & Drinks Process Operator Apprentice, at Ann Forshaw’s Alston Dairy, a partner of James Hall & Co Ltd said she loves her job.

She continued: “I have had a mixed career, and I was nervous about taking up the apprenticeship believing I was too old for learning.

“However, I have found the experience to be the complete opposite. I feel it has set me up well in a position I am happy in, with the potential for career progression.”

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