Clayton Green colleagues say Tina Turner-loving Rita is Simply The Best

Everyone at our Clayton Green store just loves their inspirational 76-year-old colleague Rita Moss who's celebrating 40 years of service with Asda.

Her friend and colleague Christine Davies, who's worked alongside her in our chilled department for 19 years, said: "Rita is a legend. She's has a heart of gold and is an inspiration to her fellow colleagues. She loves Tina Turner and, like her, Rita is simply the best."

And colleague Pat Roberts, who's worked alongside her for 35 years, said: "Rita is the matriarch of the chilled department, she really is. She is a lovely, bubbly person. For someone of that age her work example is amazing. She's very loyal and reliable. She's like the pin that holds us all together on our department. If you want any advice at all you go to Rita."

Rita, Pat (left) and Christine (right) have worked at Asda for a total of 95 years.

Food hall trading manager Ian Miller, who first worked with Rita 22 years ago when he joined the store, says she's an inspiration.

Ian, who returned to the store four months ago, said: "Rita's extremely hardworking. She works just as hard now as she did back 22 years ago. She's very friendly, very approachable and always happy to show people what to so. Rita loves watching Emmerdale and we always have a laugh about it as I do too!

"Working here for 40 years is amazing... I'm 40 in February so I wasn't even born when she first started here."

Rita starting worked as a part-time produce colleague back in 1981 at the old Clayton Green store.

She said: "I was thinking of getting a little job and next door to me was the fresh food manager and his wife said to me why don't you just go and see if there are jobs.

"I went to reception and asked if there were any jobs going. The personnel manager came and sat me down, she gave me an application form and said 'you're took on' and I started the week after. That's how easy it was!"

After a few years she became a produce supervisor and was produce manager for over 14 years until July 1998 when the new store was built next to the old building. Rita became a frozen food manager in the new store but after a while she decided to slow it down and return to being a colleague and she's been working in our chilled department ever since.

She said: "I think I like my job more now than I did 40 years ago, because I know the ins and out of it. I love everybody I work with. We have a lovely team on chilled and diary.

"I love working here and I've no plans to retire just yet!"

Between them, Rita and her 91-year-old husband Bert have five children, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Rita said: "I don't drive so Bert takes me to work and then picks me back up again later. He knows everyone on the checkouts and they all know him and he has a good natter!"