Name: Sophie Morbitzer
Age: 29
Job title: Operational support manager
Company & location: Arla Foods, London
Education: Dairy Science & Technology at Harper Adams University
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? As a child, I wanted to work in the RAF as a nurse. However, my love and fascination for food was always a passion. I thought my only option was to become a chef until GCSE years of school, but I found there are many ways to be involved with food.
Why did you decide to go for a career in food & drink? I was always fascinated by the process of how food is made and wanted to be a part of creating products that people enjoy. My food technology teacher at school played a significant role in inspiring me. She encouraged me to pursue this path, highlighting the opportunities it offered.
“Connecting with people in the industry can offer valuable insights and advice from those who have already navigated the path you’re interested in”
Explain your job to us in a sentence (or two): My role involves supporting the site in achieving its business plan, managing a portfolio of projects, and overseeing the planning and implementation of the optimisation/digital agenda onsite.
What does a typical day look like for you? Each day is unique. One day I might be collaborating with the team onsite to plan future projects, while on others, I focus on digital implementation. There is a lot of variety in the job, which keeps things interesting.
Tell us how you went about applying for your job: While studying food technology and management at college, I noticed a group of students wearing green fleeces who were called EDEN – they specialised in dairy. Intrigued by the opportunity it could bring, I applied for the programme because it provided the ideal combination of hands-on industry experience and academic learning. This allowed me to gain valuable practical skills while earning a degree, which aligned perfectly with my career/learning aspirations.
What’s the best part about working for a food & drink company? I’ve worked at Arla for 10 years and have been given countless opportunities to develop myself both professionally and personally.
This fast-paced industry has allowed me to gain a wealth of experience, as well as challenge me for the next step. I especially love the focus we have on people agendas, optimisation and sustainability. The cheese hamper we get at Christmas is a nice perk too!
And what’s the biggest misconception people have about working in food & drink? Many people think it’s simple factory work, but in reality, factories can be very complex places full of opportunities. There is a wide variety of roles within factories, ranging from being involved with manual processes or highly automated ones, requiring diverse skillsets.
Read more on Arla:
-
Lurpak launches clean ingredient deck plant-based variant to UK supermarkets
-
Arla announces plans to close historic Melton Mowbray stilton creamery
-
New cash for fresh Arla factory upgrades takes total investment to £300m this year
What advice would you give to other young people looking to get into the food & drink industry? I have two pieces of advice. Firstly, apprenticeships are a fantastic way to enter the industry, as they provide both an educational background and practical work experience.
Secondly, networking is crucial. Connecting with people in the industry can offer valuable insights and advice from those who have already navigated the path you’re interested in.
What’s your ultimate career dream? Having worked at various sites, my next goal is to collaborate with the overall UK team in a project-related role. My retirement dream is to be making cheese and pasta, combining my passion for food with a hands-on, artisanal craft.
Interested in finding out more about food & drink careers? Check out GrocerJobs for the latest vacancies
No comments yet