Paul Martin, MD of Water Brands, on sheep’s brains, moths and crawling under commercial ovens
What was your first-ever job? A Saturday job in the hygiene department of a national bakery, which involved crawling under commercial ovens, and pest control.
You've got 25 words to describe your career to date. Twenty seven eventful years in the soft drinks industry working across all trade sectors, creating and developing both retail and national brands.
How do you describe your job to your mates? We don't discuss work much at all. That's why they're mates.
If you could change one thing in grocery what would it be? It would help consumers if all food products carried a date of manufacture to properly assess the freshness of the product.
What is the most rewarding part of your job? In recent years it's been rewarding to see more than a million people in Africa get access to clean water as a result of the work we have done with Pump Aid through our Thirsty Planet brand.
What is the least rewarding part? I've had to make people redundant. I hate having to do that.
If you didn't work in grocery where would you work? If I had to do something else outside fmcg, I'd be a professional musician. There's still also a part of me that would like to run a modest B&B in the Lake District or Cornwall.
What do you do outside work? I play in a rock band.
What's your nickname? Felty. Don't ask
What's your favourite movie? Life Is Beautiful starring Roberto Benigni.
What has been the most embarrassing moment in your life? At a garden party I was very critical of a major building in the town, which looked like it had been designed by a child. I was standing next to the architect.
Do you have any phobias? I wouldn't like to be in a room full of moths.
Which celebrity would you pick to join your staff? I'd like to have Keith Lard (aka Peter Kay) as our health and safety officer.
What would you request as your final meal? A Cornish pasty made by my mum.
What's the weirdest thing you've eaten? I once unwittingly ate sheep's brains in a curry in my home town of Bradford.
What luxury would you have on your desert island? A Steinway concert grand piano.
What animal best reflects your personality and why? I'd like to think I had the enigmatic qualities of a domestic cat.
What was your first-ever job? A Saturday job in the hygiene department of a national bakery, which involved crawling under commercial ovens, and pest control.
You've got 25 words to describe your career to date. Twenty seven eventful years in the soft drinks industry working across all trade sectors, creating and developing both retail and national brands.
How do you describe your job to your mates? We don't discuss work much at all. That's why they're mates.
If you could change one thing in grocery what would it be? It would help consumers if all food products carried a date of manufacture to properly assess the freshness of the product.
What is the most rewarding part of your job? In recent years it's been rewarding to see more than a million people in Africa get access to clean water as a result of the work we have done with Pump Aid through our Thirsty Planet brand.
What is the least rewarding part? I've had to make people redundant. I hate having to do that.
If you didn't work in grocery where would you work? If I had to do something else outside fmcg, I'd be a professional musician. There's still also a part of me that would like to run a modest B&B in the Lake District or Cornwall.
What do you do outside work? I play in a rock band.
What's your nickname? Felty. Don't ask
What's your favourite movie? Life Is Beautiful starring Roberto Benigni.
What has been the most embarrassing moment in your life? At a garden party I was very critical of a major building in the town, which looked like it had been designed by a child. I was standing next to the architect.
Do you have any phobias? I wouldn't like to be in a room full of moths.
Which celebrity would you pick to join your staff? I'd like to have Keith Lard (aka Peter Kay) as our health and safety officer.
What would you request as your final meal? A Cornish pasty made by my mum.
What's the weirdest thing you've eaten? I once unwittingly ate sheep's brains in a curry in my home town of Bradford.
What luxury would you have on your desert island? A Steinway concert grand piano.
What animal best reflects your personality and why? I'd like to think I had the enigmatic qualities of a domestic cat.
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