Meet Jasmine Earl
Big Y Food Service Sales Manager
East Longmeadow, MA
Jasmine is a go-getter. When she started working for us, she didn’t have any food experience. Did that stop her? Nope. She’s now a Food Service Sales Manager, making sure the food menu items from our kitchens are the most relevant and delicious for our different taste buds. Want to learn more about her and her story? Keep reading.
How did you get started at Big Y?
I started as a part-time Food Service Clerk while attending college. I always shopped at the Wilbraham location and saw that they were hiring, so I applied!
How long have you worked at Big Y?
Almost 6 years.
What did you do before becoming a Food Service Sales Manager?
I had never worked with food before; I always had jobs doing overnight stocking. My last job before Big Y, I was an assistant to a painter who owned their own company. We traveled all around Western Massachusetts and Connecticut doing huge painting events for large companies and parties-sometimes for over 200 people!
What inspired you to be a Food Service Sales Manager?
What inspired you to be a Food Service Sales Manager? I've never been the type to stay stagnant. I am a person that is always looking for the next step or the next level in anything I do. So, I went for it. After being hired as a clerk, I observed and picked up on all the things that I had to do to continue to move forward. I could tell right away that this was the kind of company that was full of opportunities as long as you wanted them and worked toward attaining them.
What are the key qualities needed to become a good Food Service Sales Manager?
Time management
Patience
Organization skills
The ability to multitask
Good communication
What advice will you give someone who wants to get into this type of job?
My biggest piece of advice is to make sure you have a plan in place to retain all the information given to you during training. There are a lot of moving parts. Take initiative and go after new tasks without hesitation. Experience is the best teacher, so just hop in and get your hands dirty!
What item on the menu is most ordered by shoppers?
At the moment our 30-inch Super Subs are very popular! But normally our top sellers are Plain Chicken Tenders, Pizza Dough, 8-Piece Fried Chicken and SuperBirdsTM.
Tell us about the quality of the Big Y Kitchen.
Everything is fresh and clean. I know many people who begin working at a food establishment and no longer want to eat there due to the lack of cleanliness and food quality. But working at Big Y just made me enjoy it more. I was pleasantly surprised at how our kitchen operated and even began to recommend that my family and friends get their food at Big Y more often.
Are there any special ingredients that make the items unique to Big Y?
We use fresh pulled rotisserie chicken in our soup!
On a personal level, what is your favorite dish at Big Y?
I love the tuna from our Sandwich Shop. It’s simple but delicious!
And for dessert?
The Strawberry European Layer Cake from our Bakery Department has been my favorite since I was a kid.
What could one expect to find in your refrigerator?
Chicken thighs, ribeyes from our Butcher Shop, eggs and spinach are staples in my household.
What’s your favorite style of cuisine?
Jamaican and Italian are my top two!