If there’s one central gathering place in a shopping centre that echoes the marketplaces of aeons ago, it’s the fresh food grocer. Abdul thrives in his role helping customers find top-notch produce and ingredients at Altona Gate’s Saccas Fine Foods.

The slightly cheeky Abdul, who lives locally, has been a fixture at Saccas for 10 years now. What he loves most about his job is “the pleasure of helping customers, knowing they are going home with fresh, quality produce.”

Saccas is brimming with a colourful array of fruit and vegetables, gourmet pantry staples, flowers and delicacies from all over the world. Naturally, it attracts a healthy number of regular patrons. Abdul’s favourite thing about his customers is “getting to know them and having a laugh with them while they shop in our store.”

While he’s partial to a bite from Nando’s, Abdul says he usually gets all the delicious food he needs from Saccas. Like many Altona Gate patrons, he has a soft spot for their gelato and ice cream (“especially the bubblegum flavour”, he says).

Every day feels festive when you work in a place like Saccas, but Abdul particularly likes the feeling in the air when the community is getting ready to celebrate a special occasion. “

One thing I love is the festive seasons and seeing the local community come together in our stores for shopping,” he says.