'Britain’s oldest supermarket worker' set to retire at the age of 95

Reg Buttress, who started his working life at a colliery aged just 13, said he’s loved every minute of his 36 years at Sainsbury's

Checking out: Reg Buttress to retire when he hit 65 but came back to work after just two months because he was bored (Wales News Service)

A man thought to be Britain's oldest supermarket worker will retire next month at the age of 95, after more than three decades of loyal service.

Reg Buttress was just eight years off retirement when he started working at the Cwymbran, South Wales branch of Sainsbury’s in 1981 at the age of 57. He tried a life of leisure when he hit 65 but came back to work after just two months because he was bored.

Reg, who started his working life at a colliery aged just 13, said he’s loved every minute of his time at the supermarket.

The key to his happiness at work over all these years is enjoying time with others, Reg told Wales Online. He said: “It’s something I want to do all the time. I always like to be at work meeting people. That’s the main thing in life, meeting people.”

After leaving his colliery job in 1937, Reg started working at Singer Cars and then worked on the railways for 25 years. He was bombed out of his home during the war before returning to south Wales where he wed his wife. They were married for 65 years; she passed away a few years ago. The hard-working gene must run in the family as one of Reg’s grandson’s is the founder of online takeaway service JustEat.

A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “Reg is a fantastic colleague. His wonderful personality and energy is an inspiration to us all. Our customers love seeing and chatting to him and it will be a very sad day when he retires in September.

“We are extremely grateful to him for his hard work, dedication and commitment to Sainbury’s over the past 35 years.”