The Greencroft Estate in Annfield Plain is home to Lanchester Wines and Greencroft Bottling – sister businesses within the family-owned The Lanchester Group. Each is among the leading businesses in its sector, and combined, they are one of the largest employers in our area. Consett Magazine has been given exclusive access to meet the people behind the scenes who keep these businesses running.
When Connor Hannaby joined Lanchester Wines in the summer of 2020, he thought it would be a short-term role. Just out of school and navigating the uncertainty of the pandemic, Connor applied through an agency and began working in the packhouse, readying goods for distribution and organising shipments.
“It was mid-Covid, I’d not long left school, and I heard Lanchester Wines had vacancies. This was a short-term contract, but when it finished I was asked to come back, this time working across both the packhouse and the warehouse.
“I’d never worked in a warehouse before,” explains Connor, now 23, “but Lanchester Wines saw potential in me and gave me the training I needed, everything from manual handling and warehouse safety to getting my forklift truck licence. I live in Consett and my dad also works at Lanchester Wines, he’s the Warehouse Operations Manager. This is my first proper job after school, other than weekend jobs, and I really enjoy it.”
Now a day shift Senior Warehouse Supervisor, Connor leads one of the warehouse teams to ensure thousands of pallets of wine are picked, packed and dispatched correctly each day. “Our warehouse receives around ten 20ft containers daily, each holding over 13,000 bottles of wine, and that doubles at Christmas,” he says. “Wine is a live load, which means the liquid’s momentum can keep it moving, so accuracy, safety and training are absolutely key.”
But for Connor, customer service is just as important as logistics. “The most important part of my role is making sure every pick is accurate, so customers get the right wine, first time.”
Lanchester Wines and Greencroft Bottling are growing, and they’re looking for people to join their teams. If you’re enthusiastic, hard-working and seeking a career in which you can progress, visit their websites: www.lanchesterwines.co.uk/careers-at-lanchester-wines/ and www.greencroftbottling.com/recruitment
