Name: Freya Harrison
Age: 25
Job title: Commercial executive
Company: Belazu Ingredient Company, London
Education: BSc Business Management, Brunel University
Why did you decide to go for a career in food?
Because I love food and educating people on great food.
Explain your job to us in a sentence (or two).
I manage the grocery accounts for a Mediterranean food company.
Tell us about how you went about applying for your job. What was the process like?
I was approached to come and work for Belazu and went through three stages: an informal interview followed by competency verbal and numerical tests and an interview with one of the founders.
Read more: 10 tips for landing the graduate food job of your dreams
What does a typical day look like for you?
Cycle 12 miles into work, check figures in the morning, liaise with buyers, work on promotions, work on in-house projects with marketing, data analysis and sample NPD (new product development).
What’s the best part about working for a food company?
Apart from eating…? Working in a culture where everyone is aligned and wants to work for the love of food.
And what’s the biggest misconception people have about working in food & drink?
A lot of people think that working in food and drink is hospitality or working in a retail store but there is much more to it than that. Behind the scenes there are a variety of roles to suit all talents - operations, buying, selling, technical. Not just chefs or working in store.
What advice would you give to other young people looking to get into the food & drink industry?
Choose a company where they will allow you to dip your toes into different areas so you can see which roles suit you best.
Do research on the brands and products you like to get an idea of the organisations behind them. Ask around friends and family and get on board with an fmcg recruitment agency. Choose a company where they will allow you to dip your toes into different areas so you can see which roles suit you best.
What’s your ultimate career dream?
Combining food and cycling into an international brand…watch this space!
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