Mel goes out of way to get elderly customer's favourite old-fashioned barley sugar sweets

When our colleague Mel Wynn discovered how much 87-year-old regular customer Mavis Foster loves old-fashioned barley sugar sweets she went out of way to buy some when she was on holiday in Bridlington and then surprised her with them on her next visit to our Pontefract store.

Mavis's granddaughter Kerry Foster was so touched by Mel's kindness that she took to the Pontefract Community Page Facebook group to thank her – and the response was phenomenal.

Kerry said: "Whilst taking my nan for her weekly shop we got chatting to Mel who is just so, so lovely. My nan was looking for some barley sugar sweets and she was telling Mel how much she loved them.

“Mel said they sadly didn’t stock them but knew an old-fashioned sweet shop near her holiday caravan would have some and she’s get her some next time she was there.

“We never thought more about it, then the next time we came into the store, Mel brought a bag over to her. It was such a kind thing to do and it really made her day.”

The post received over 1,200 likes and loves and dozens of fantastic comments. Here's just a few:

"What a wonderful thing to do Mel, how lovely"

"Well done Mel what a kind heart"

"That's Mel. Never change lovely lady"

"She is lovely. Always makes a fuss of my kids. Top woman"

"Aww her eyes say how touched she is of this amazing act of kindness. Lovely"

"Such a thoughtful thing to do, what a lovely lady"

Mel, who has worked at the Asda store for 10 years, says she's been taken aback by all the lovely comments.

She said: "I was just chatting to Mavis and Kerry about the sweets and I said that unfortunately we didn't stock them, but I was going to my caravan in Bridlington and there was a sweet shop there and I'd get her some.

"We went to the shop and I bought her some, well my husband Dave actually paid as I didn't have my purse on me, and gave them to Mavis the next time I saw her. She was a bit overwhelmed and wanted to pay me, but I said no as it was my treat. I just thought it would be a nice thing to do."

Store manager Joel Turner, who's nominated Mel for an Asda customer service award, said: "It was just a lovely thing for Mel to do, going above and beyond for her community. We are all super proud of her. Mel really is a lovely, bubbly person who will do anything for anyone.

"She's always chatting to our customers and being a supermarket we get a lot of regular customers who come in every day."