Changes 10 years in making

It may have been only 10 years since Greencore opened its factory on the Manton Wood Business Park, but a lot has changed in that decade.

Food prices have risen, Worksop’s high street has changed and the England football team is almost unrecognisable.

The changes were seen last week when a time capsule was opened at Greencore.

The capsule was sealed when the factory moved to Manton 10 years ago.

Ashely Eccleshall, who was 10 at the time, won a competition to design a sandwich and choose the items which would be put inside.

Ashley, now training to be a paramedic, designed a cyber sandwich complete with blue sausage and green tomato ketchup. Along with his design he also put in a till recipt from Asda, a photograph of Worksop, a copy of the Woksop Guardian and a picture of the England football team.

Now 10 years on, Ashley opened the time capsule to mark Greencore’s tenth anniversary. He was also presented with a watch by staff.

“I was quite excited at the time as a 10-year-old designing a sandwich. I probably thought it was going to be the next big thing in the sandwich world,” he said.

“It’s interesting to see now how things have changed.”

In 2001, a packet of Walker crisps cost just 27p, a mars bar set you back 28p and a pint of semi skimmed milk was 28p.

Greencore’s brand marketing manager Katy Carver said the time capsule had been a central focus point for visitor over the years because it was mounted on a wall in the reception area.

She said: “We decided when we put it up that we would more or less open it ten years to the day.

It’s not exactly to the day because it took a bit of time tracking Ashley down but we managed it by finding his grandmother, who lives in Bircotes.”

Katy added that they were considering sealing another capsule soon.