Coles coronavirus jobs: Blacktown supermarket recruits 100 new staff

Former chef Nathan Tink was one of thousands of Aussies to lose their jobs due to the COVID-19 crisis — but he’s already landed a new role in what’s shaping up to be a ‘pandemic proof’ industry.

Former head chef Nathan Tink lost his job due to the coronavirus crisis but is already back to work starting a new role at Coles Blacktown. Picture: John Appleyard

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A chef of almost three decades, Nathan Tink never thought he would be out of a job.

But his career was turned upside down two weeks ago when clubs and pubs across the country were forced to shut their doors due to the coronavirus crisis.

As the head chef at Windsor Leagues Club, Mr Tink and his team only had a few hours to pack up the kitchen and clear out the coolroom before joining thousands of other Australians one the unemployment line.

“It’s the first time in 27 years I’ve found myself in this situation,” Mr Tink said.

“I’m not alone. There’s hundreds of thousands of other people in the same boat.

“It’s not like we’ve been fired or quit our jobs. We had to close for the safety of the country and each other.”

Without a job and with no idea of when the club would reopen, Mr Tink went in search of a pandemic-proof industry when he applied for a role at Coles.

Nathan Tink is one of more than 7000 new recruits employed at Coles supermarkets across Australia during the coronavirus pandemic. Picture: John Appleyard

The Ropes Crossing father-of-two received a call within hours of applying, and a few days later, started his new role stocking the shelves at Blacktown.

“I always thought I would be in a job that would never go without, because there’s always restaurants and hotels and people always need to eat,” he said.

“This pandemic at the moment has proved me wrong and we are out of work.

“Working for a supermarket, they won’t close, no matter what, so you’ve always got work.”

Coles has recruited more than 7000 new employees across Australia to keep up with increased demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. Picture: Suppled

The supermarket giant has employed more than 7000 new staff over the past few weeks, including almost 100 at their Blacktown store, to keep up with increased consumer demand during the COVID-19 crisis.

An estimated two million Australians could end up jobless due to the pandemic, with hospitality and retail among some of the hardest hit industries.

For now, Mr Tink is grateful to have landed his new job.

As many as two million Australians could be out of work due to business closures during the coronavirus crisis. Picture: Quinn Rooney

“People are still asking a lot about toilet paper and where the toilet paper is. I was asked at least a dozen times,” he said.

“There’s nothing like being in a kitchen and cooking dinner for a couple of hundred people. It’s always been my passion since I was 15, but it might be time for a career change.”