Britain's 'oldest supermarket worker' dies weeks after finally retiring, aged 94

A former Sainsbury's employee, who was believed to have been the oldest supermarket worker in Britain, has died weeks after finally retiring at the age of 94.

Reg Buttress was a well-known face at the supermarket in Cwmbran, South Wales, where he had worked since 1981, when he was 59 .

He had tried to retire once when turning 65 but had returned to work six weeks later saying that he had felt “lost without a job”.

The former colliery worker held a number of different roles at the supermarket including stacking shelves, pricing items and helping customers.

Mr Buttress finally retired from the supermarket in September and today Sainsbury’s confirmed that he had passed away. 

A spokeswoman for Sainsbury's said: “Reg was a much loved colleague and an inspiration to all of us. Our thoughts are with his friends and family at this sad time. He will be missed.”

Mr Buttress began working at the age of 13 in the Hafodyrynys colliery, in Caerphilly county, before becoming unemployed and taking a job in a factory in Birmingham.

He told the BBC he used to cycle the two-day, 200-mile round trip to visit his home in Pontypool, during which he used to stop and sleep in a hedge.

After returning to South Wales, Mr Buttress worked as a steam engine driver and then in a Nylon factory before joining Sainsbury's.

Speaking about his job at Sainsbury’s in August, Mr Buttress said: “I enjoy my work, meeting the people who come in. It’s wonderful when people tell me their stories.”

“I enjoy coming to work, I always have. I’ve been working since I was 13 and I enjoy working.”