>>The highs and lows of a week in the industry

Product development has little to do with sitting around eating, says Carolyn Rastall, a senior product developer for Safeway.

In fact, one of the things Rastall likes about her job is its variety. She talks through her last full week to illustrate what she means: “Monday was more of a business day. We spent it reviewing sales, looking at sales figures and planning our January range reviews.”

She also took part in a product developers’ team meeting to discuss what everyone is currently working on.

Rastall says Tuesday was more of a hands-on tasting day. “I took a trip to Grimsby and worked in the kitchens on our chilled vegetable ready meals, tweaking the range for September.”

Wednesday represented a complete departure from normal routine. “I took part in a fishing day in aid of disabled charity Whizz Kidz out by the fishing lake in Dorking. Safeway provided the food for the day, which raised money for wheelchairs for disabled children.”

Returning to the weekly routine, Rastall says Thursday saw her out and about, scouting for ideas. “I spent the
day with a supplier in London looking for new ideas for our vegetarian and Eat Smart ranges for January, visiting Camden market, Portobello Road and Harvey Nichols.”

The week ended by reviewing the artwork for Safeway products. “I spent Friday checking the photos and packaging for the new vegetarian and Eat Smart lines to be launched in September.”

In fact, out of all the things she does, Rastall says one of her least favourite tasks involves sampling food: “Some days you have to eat for hours on end and the volume of food you have to try can be huge. You’re also eating food out of season - in the summer, you might fancy a crisp salad, but end up eating beef stew.”
safeway’s rastall relishes variety of development role

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