Livingston colleague Wullie celebrates 40 years of service with Asda

"Asda changed my life and it also changed my name" - the words of our fabulous Livingston colleague Wullie McSorley who's just celebrated 40 years of service with the company.

When he set up Asda's first in-store butchery at The Jewel store in Edinburgh back in 1993 a plaque was put up in his honour but instead of calling it Willie's Butchers it was spelled Wullie's! "The name stuck and I've been called it ever since," said Wullie, "Although my family do call me William!"

It's been an extraordinary 40 years for sixty-one-year-old Wullie who met his wife Colette while working at The Jewel 26 years ago.

She was a "golden greeter" at the time – and now she's store manager at our Motherwell store.

Wullie said: "When I was setting up the in-store butchers, Colette would help do some letter drops for me. She's done exceptionally well for herself."

The couple, who married 11 years ago, have two children – 11-year-old Charlotte and Aaron, who's six. Three years ago Wullie decided to take semi-retirement so he could spend more time with the children.

Wullie, who's now a part-time frozen food colleague at our Livingston store, has worked in a number of Asda stores in Scotland including Bishopbriggs, Parkhead Forge, Chesser, The Jewel and Leith.

During his career he helped to set up the butchery departments in many Asda stores throughout Britain.

He said: "There were interesting times! I created all the theme behind the butchers - all the aprons, the hats and the dickie bows.

"I've learned a lot with Asda and travelled a lot with them – I've been treated very well. I've always got on exceptionally well with everyone.

"I've probably worked for about 30 different store managers during my career and I've made a lot of friends ...and I'm still making them!

He said the Covid pandemic was one of the most challenging times of his career.

"It was a learning curve for everyone. We all helped each other and helped a lot of customers too who basically just wanted someone to talk to. People were lonely. They just wanted someone to ask how they were or how they were getting on. Just those few words would cheer anyone up."

Congratulating Wullie on his long service, Stevie Kain, the store's deputy manager, said: "Willie's a really nice guy, very amiable and easy to get on with. He's got a very dry sense of humour and always has a cheeky word!"