A food factory worker who helped create some of its first 'ready meals' is hanging up her apron after 40 years.
Sukhwinder Chahal, known to her colleagues as Sue, is retiring from the Oscar Mayer chilled food manufacturing site in Erith, south-east London.
She began working at the factory in 1977 after moving from the West Midlands to be with her husband.
After a break to visit India and start a factory, she returned in 1987 and has worked at the site ever since.
Sue said: "This is my family and I feel like I'm the mum here. I've loved working here, everyone has been fantastic.
"I have so much respect for everyone and hopefully they have for me too as I have tried to help out as much as I can over the years."
Starting as a production operative, Sue was promoted to line leader within six months and later moved into a management supervisor role.
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During her 40 years at Oscar Mayer, Sue witnessed major changes in the industry, from evolving food trends to technological advancements.
In 2005, she was there at the birth of the concept of the ready meal—assembling a lasagne from scratch and making the pasta by hand.
The Erith site, which began with just one production line making buns and chicken burgers, now operates 12 lines and has produced everything from pizzas—her favourite—and sandwiches to omelettes and jacket potatoes.
After working at the factory so long, Sue says she can detect mechanical issues just by listening to subtle changes in machine sounds.
She said: "You name it, we’ve made it here! I’ve seen so many changes over the years. From how everything used to be done by hand, to how technology and processes has improved from everything like getting paid to how the focus has been on things like food allergies.
"Time has gone so quickly, I’ll miss everyone here so much."
Sue currently takes 20,000 to 25,000 steps a day at work. In retirement, she plans to stay active by going to the gym and volunteering at her local Sikh temple, where she helps prepare food for the community.
Sarah Hill, chief people and corporate affairs officer at Oscar Mayer, paid tribute to Sue’s dedication and influence.
Ms Hill said: "Sue is a truly remarkable person and a huge part of the fabric of our Erith site. We will miss her warmth, dedication, incredible work ethic and the kindness and support she has shown to her colleagues over the years.
"Her retirement is richly deserved, and she leaves with our sincere thanks, love and very best wishes for the next chapter of her life."
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