My food & drink job: Elahe Tolooei, NPD and marketing assistant, Cambozola

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Cambozola

Name: Elahe Tolooei

Age: 27

Job title: NPD and marketing assistant

Company and location: Tom Walker & Sons Ltd (distribution partner for Cambozola), Stockton-on-Tees

Education: BSc of Food Industry Engineering, Azad University/MSc in Marketing, Anglia Ruskin University

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? Contrary to my role now, when I was a child, I wanted to be a bank owner and bank manager.

Why did you decide to go for a career in food & drink? As a foodie, I’ve always been fascinated by how products evolve from an idea to something people enjoy every day. The food and drink industry seemed like the perfect place to explore that creativity, where I could dive deeper into how flavours are developed, tested and brought to market, all while contributing to something people truly love and enjoy.

Explain your job to us in a sentence (or two): Working closely with the NPD and marketing teams, I get the opportunity to be really creative day-to-day, designing innovative and exciting packaging to make sure our products not only taste delicious, but also drive consideration and engagement when the customer sees Cambozola in-store.

“One of the biggest misconceptions about working in the food industry is that we get to sit around eating delicious food all day”

What does a typical day look like for you? A typical day for me starts with reviewing my tasks from the previous day and mapping out a plan for the day. From there, I focus on helping to execute our marketing strategy, which includes everything from PR activity to planning for upcoming trade shows, as well as ensuring the Cambozola brand stays visible online.

I also dedicate time to exploring new cheese flavours, innovative packaging ideas and staying on top of emerging industry trends. This often means visiting shops, delis, and food markets to get a better sense of what’s happening in the market.

At the moment, we’re in the middle of launching a new product, our 150g packaging designed specifically for convenience stores. As part of the marketing team, I’ve been heavily involved in the campaign launch to ensure it reaches the right audience and achieves the success we’re aiming for.

cambozola

Tell us how you went about applying for your job: I was looking for a job in the food industry and I found the role on LinkedIn. As Cambozola is one of my favourite cheeses, it felt like the perfect fit, and I immediately sent my application.

The first stage was an online meeting with a general introduction and questions about my experience and education. I was then invited for a second interview on-site and had to prepare a presentation on how I would improve and relaunch a Cambozola product for Christmas 2025, along with the marketing activation I would run alongside to support the launch.

I was absolutely thrilled when I found out I secured the role. It’s such a rewarding experience to work for a company whose products I genuinely enjoy.

What’s the best part about working for a food & drink company? Having the chance to test out new flavours is definitely a huge perk – it really deepens my appreciation for different tastes and broadens my understanding of the products we create.

I also love how the role is so diverse. It gives me insight into production, quality control, marketing, sales, research and development and so much more. It’s opened my eyes to a wide range of career possibilities within the industry.

What’s the biggest misconception people have about working in food & drink? One of the biggest misconceptions about working in the food industry is that we get to sit around eating delicious food all day. While tasting and sampling products is definitely a part of the job, there’s so much more to it.

A great deal of thought goes into the different stages of launching a product. For example, I had no idea how thorough and stringent the hygiene and quality tests are.

Listeria monitoring tests must be carried out and swabs are taken from hands, gloves, or clothing to check for any possible contamination. Another crucial area is allergen management. We need to stay up to date with allergen controls to avoid cross-contamination and ensure accurate labelling and clear comms, especially as recipes or suppliers change.

What advice would you give to other young people looking to get into the food & drink industry? The advice I’d give to young people is to stay informed, keep an eye on emerging trends, and stay up to speed with industry news. It’s also important to seek out internships, part-time jobs, or volunteer opportunities that offer hands-on experience in person, rather than just virtually. These experiences provide valuable insights and help build your résumé.

Furthermore, invest in your education by taking courses and attending workshops, demonstrating your interest in the industry and seeing how other brands, considered ‘best-in-class’ do it.

What’s your ultimate career dream? My ultimate career dream is to continue growing in the food and drink industry, using my creativity and passion to lead the ideation and development of innovative products that bring joy and satisfaction to consumers. I aspire to make Cambozola a part of the special moments in people’s lives, ensuring that every product I help create makes a positive impact.