My Food Job is The Grocer’s online series profiling young people aged under 30 in the UK food & drink industry. We want to shine a light on the fantastic talent coming through the ranks – and inspire others to consider a career in this exciting industry. Want to put yourself or a colleague forward? Please contact our digital & social assistant Charles Wright
‘I would encourage sending open applications to food and drink businesses that you find interesting, even if there are no current positions available’
’I got offered my first food product development work experience through a lady I used to swim with! Work experience helps you get your foot in the door’
’My family come from a real mixed bag of places including Russia, Kazakhstan and Israel, among others. While questions of faith, politics or geography were often at odds, food was always a common language’
’Fmcg isn’t a glamorous industry. One day I could be flipping burgers at a festival, the next staring at spreadsheets’
‘Interviews are a two-way process – not only is the company looking to see if you will fit in well, but you can also decide if the company meets your needs’
‘As soon as I heard that there was a degree which combined food and science, I knew this was going to lead me to my dream job’
A graduate scheme led Lucy to the career in food she always dreamt of
Dulcie is kicking off her marketing career by working with Nomo, a free-from chocolate brand
‘It’s really rewarding to understand why some products are so difficult to put on the market and to develop solutions to overcome those barriers’
Grace’s role sees her as ’guardian of the brand’ for plant-based challenger Squeaky Bean
’If you don’t know what you want to do within the food industry I’d suggest mapping out things you’ve enjoyed in the past and try to really get to the bottom of why you enjoyed them’
‘A couple of years ago I hadn’t considered that food and drinks tester was a real job title and now it’s what I do!’
‘There’s so many different roles out there, some I never even considered would exist. It’s a really fun industry to be a part of, just be willing to get stuck in!’
‘Working with brands which were in my household growing up as a child has been an amazing experience’
Development chef Neel dreams of having his own restaurant facing an open tropical beach
’Inclusion and belonging in the workplace are really important to me as I have a visual impairment. To support creating an accessible working environment, I volunteer as a member of NestAbility, one of Nestlé UK&I’s inclusion and belonging colleague networks’
‘Be bold, ask the questions and see where it can take you. Don’t underestimate yourself – age is just a number’
A language barrier didn’t stop Ania from applying to her role fighting food waste
Margaux discusses her role at Mr Organic, ensuring consumers can easily find the best Italian products in their local stores
For National Apprecticeship Week, Tia gives insight on her logistics role with Coca-Cola
SEARCH for the products, services and companies you need in the definitive guide to the UK food and drink industry.