Name: Maddy Hooton
Age: 28
Job title: Takis brand manager UK&I
Company & location: Barcel (Grupo Bimbo), UK
Education: BA (Hons) Marketing at Liverpool John Moores
Why did you decide to go for a career in food? I always find myself gravitating back to food – who doesn’t love it?!
You can show your personality through food and drink, and I’ve always been keen to work for industry-leading brands. My university dissertation was about Coke Zero, and have always felt at home in the industry, right from that early stage.
Explain your job to us in a sentence (or two): My job is to bring Takis to the UK and Ireland – heating up the market and building a brand shoppers love by getting our internet sensation of a product into the hands of gen Z up throughout the UK and Ireland!
“Get as much practical experience as you can, whether that’s through a placement or a part time role”
What does a typical day look like for you? It’s safe to say no two days are the same in this role! As Takis is still in its early stages of growth in the UK and Ireland, we get to act as a challenger brand and disrupt the market with all of our projects.
As we work with colleagues across the globe, we’ll often have an evening call to allow for our different time zones. From monitoring media and planning trade shows to working on launch plans to checking in on creative, there are a host of tasks on my list that let me unleash my creativity. Our small and agile team is often on the road together, out and about seeing suppliers and agencies. All finished off with a quick trip to the gym to unwind!
Tell us how you went about applying for your job: I was given a great task as part of my application process, where I pitched how to launch Takis into our region. I used all real-life examples with budgeting and category data, which got me thinking about the snacking sector I’d be moving into.
This role looked like all of my previous jobs rolled into one, and it hasn’t disappointed!
What’s the best part about working for a food company? The taste and experience that food delivers are the best things about it, and I’m lucky enough to work for a brand that’s bold in bolstering both aspects. Takis offers consumers fun interactions and creates conversations, and I love being part of a team that builds a brand community that celebrates its customers.
And what’s the biggest misconception people have about working in food & drink? That it’s straightforward – there’s research and data that sits behind every decision we make. Behind every choice there’s a team of people with voices that need to be listened to. Brand management is an art, and a science.
Read more:
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Hot stuff: crisps, nuts & bagged snacks category report 2024
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Viral TikTok snacking brand Takis bags permanent Co-op listing
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Too hot to handle? The dangers of gen Z’s addiction to spice
What advice would you give to other young people looking to get into the food & drink industry? Get as much practical experience as you can, whether that’s through a placement or a part-time role. Anything relevant you can link back to in a job interview is a must, particularly outside world experience.
What’s your ultimate career dream? I definitely want to stay in food and drink, as a head of brand. I want to stay working on the consumer marketing side of things too – advertising, experiential, the lot!
Interested in finding out more about food & drink careers? Check out GrocerJobs for the latest vacancies
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