STRETFORD Mall Centre Manager, Gareth Wilkins, took a break from his regular job, swapping management meetings for coffee brewing and manicure lessons as part of ‘National Fun at Work Day’ last Friday (January 27).

Gareth took time out from running the shopping centre to instead spend his lunch break learning how to give the perfect manicure at Classy Nails and make a flat white like a seasoned pro at Costa Coffee.

Gareth said: “While it’s fair to say I enjoy my job at the centre most days, National Fun at Work Day felt like a great way of taking a break from the norm doing something a bit different and unusual.

“I’ve got a lot of experience working in retail and centre management but I’ve never worked in a coffee shop before and I’ve always wanted to learn how to make the perfect latte.

“After speaking with the fantastic staff at Costa Coffee, they thought it would be great fun to show me what goes in to crafting a cracking coffee. They’re always laughing and smiling with their customers and I thought it would be a great place to take part in National Fun at Work Day.”

After donning an apron at Costa, Gareth then joined the team at Classy Nails to learn how to give a perfect manicure.

“My wife is going to be in for a bit of a shock when I’m able to give her a manicure like a professional this weekend,” said Gareth.

“It’s been a lot of fun trying my hand at something new and I’m sure I’ll get quite the surprised reaction when I talk about what I got up to at work today when I get home.

“The teams at Classy Nails and Costa Coffee have been great at showing me how much attention to detail it takes to get a manicure just right and how tricky it can be to get a coffee brewed to perfection. It’s been a very fun day at work indeed.”