Name: Catherine Burrows
Age: 25
Job title: Data Scientist
Company: Gousto
Education: MSci Physics - Imperial College, London
Why did you decide to go for a career in food?
My Mum is a fantastic cook. When you grow up with fresh, tasty meals on the dinner table every night and you’re surrounded by people who take food seriously, it’s hard not to be passionate about what you eat. Working at Gousto allows me to share my love for food even further than just those closest to me - I’m one of a 400-strong team who are helping UK families put delicious and nutritious meals on the dinner table.
Explain your job in a sentence (or two)
At Gousto, we leverage data and cutting-edge technology such as artificial intelligence, to offer our customers a first-class recipe box service. From creating personalised shopping experiences, so our customers can easily find the meals they enjoy, to helping forecast our recipe orders for minimal food waste in our factory - my role touches all parts of the business.
“We’re a collaborative team, so if someone needs support, we all step up to help out”
What does a typical day look like for you?
The Data Science team at Gousto kick off each morning with a stand up. It’s our chance to stay connected - we check in on each other and our projects to ensure we’re all on track. We’re a collaborative team, so if someone needs support, we all step up to help out. From this point, my days can vary greatly, from getting my head down on a really clear task to connecting with stakeholders across the business to help deliver our bigger projects.
We’re one of the UK’s fastest-growing businesses, so being able to build relationships across every part of our company in order to deliver projects with speed is so important. It all helps Gousto to achieve it’s bigger picture goal of helping UK families serve up 400 million meals by 2025.
I always step away from my desk for lunch with the team (which is normally a Gousto meal!)
Tell us how you went about applying for your job. What is the process like?
I applied to work at Gousto two years ago, after using the recipe box service and falling in love with the concept. Whilst the interview process was friendly and laid-back, I had a reasonably good of idea of the culture. By the time I met the CFO, for my final interview - I knew I was ready to join a team who worked hard, thought big and were excited about the future and what could be achieved together
What’s the best part about working for a food company?
Do you mean apart from eating lots of delicious food?! What’s truly rewarding about being part of Gousto, is working for a business which is constantly trying to be more sustainable. My team is in charge of forecasting - ensuring we never order in more food than is needed and have minimal food waste in our factory. We also provide our customers with only the precise ingredients they need - so they don’t waste food. Knowing we’re having such an impact on the environment, feels like time well spent!
“You don’t need to be a good cook or self-proclaimed foodie to work within a food business”
What’s the biggest misconception people have about working in food and drink?
You don’t need to be a good cook or self-proclaimed foodie to work within a food business. I’m a tech head but still have something to offer to a super exciting food business, which is revolutionising how families eat across the country. There are so many different types of job, so don’t ever think you aren’t the “type of person” a business may need.
What advice would you give to other young people looking to get into the food and drink industry?
Focus on what you enjoy and are good at. There is no correct path into the food and drink industry. Everyone I know has completely different skills and background, so it’s a better idea to train in what you love and worry about how you could use that later.
What’s your ultimate career dream?
The future of food is going to be highly personalised - I want to be at the epicentre of the change the industry will see.
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