Fellow staff members held a special retirement morning tea at the Wallace Street Foodworks in Macksville this morning (December 21) as a sweet send off for their beloved colleague.

Its been a privilege and a pleasure to work here over the years, Kay said of her time at the co-op.

The company has funded my lifestyle and now my retirement, and Im very grateful for that.

Kay started working for the co-op in 1986 when it had a store in Bowraville. Since then she has held many roles; worked in almost all departments; and has seen many changes.

Kays dedication to the company was also recognised some years ago with a Rotary Pride of Workmanship Award, which she said was a nice way to be appreciated for taking pride in your work.

Store Manager Matt Ward said Kay would be greatly missed around Foodworks, not just by colleagues, but also by shoppers too.

He presented Kay with a special certificate congratulating her for 276, 480 hours of service or as it works out, 16,588,800 minutes or 995,328,000 seconds.

After three decades of keeping shelves well stocked, and almost 1 billion seconds clocked, Kay looks back on her time at the Nambucca River Co-op with fond memories.