Sainsbury's plan to recruit 500 new staff

The chain is also opening six food colleges to provide training in areas such as knife and food preparation skills, product knowledge and customer service.

It expects that more than 8,500 staff a year will spend at least a day at the colleges, which are situated within existing stores in Edinburgh, Bradford, Oldbury, St Albans, Calcot, near Reading, and Hempstead Valley in Kent.

The colleges, which are in addition to in-store training, follow this year's opening of a Sainsbury's baking college at Whitworths Mill near Northampton.