Name: Martha Browne
Age: 27
Job title: Product Developer
Company & location: The Bart Ingredients Company, Bristol
Education: Sheffield Hallam University, International Hospitality Business Management with Culinary Arts
Why did you decide to go for a career in food? I always enjoyed food but all my A Levels were in science. After my final chemistry exam I thought ‘I don’t want to do this for the rest of my life’. I’d worked in a few bars and restaurants growing up and enjoyed it, so I thought I would explore opportunities in the hospitality industry. The more I looked into different university courses, the more interested I got and that led to me enrolling with Sheffield Hallam. The course was brilliant – I got involved with all sorts of things from business modules to food innovation and a whole module called ‘appreciating food and wine’ – which was as good as it sounds! In particular, though, I really enjoyed a module called supply chain management. Something just clicked for me. Understanding how food is made and how it arrives at restaurants and supermarkets really interested me – and that’s what led to me going down the food development route.
Explain your job to us in a sentence (or two): I develop new products for Bart Ingredients’ brands and retailer brands. Once an idea has been finalised, I guide it from being a recipe on a page to finished product on a supermarket shelf.
What does a typical day look like for you? Busy! No two days are the same. When people talk about the food industry they often say it’s fast and dynamic and that’s exactly right. I’m involved with every department and things can change quickly. For example, I could be doing factory trials in the morning and kitchen samples in the afternoon. Then a retailer request could come in on a tight deadline and we have to manage that too! Everyday is fast and furious and that’s great. I’m never bored.
“If you’re passionate about food, there are so many routes into the industry. You learn so much on the job, so if you love food and care about it then go for it!”
Tell us about how you went about applying for your job: It was a two-stage process, phone interview first and then a face-to-face interview. The face-to-face part was the most practical interview I’d ever had! I had a brief to develop concepts for a new Italian range, a presentation to deliver and then cook-ups to execute, which were tricky under time pressure.
What’s the best part about working for a food company? For me, it’s understanding where food comes from to how it’s made. That’s everything from seeing the logistics of the manufacturing and packaging process to working with partners to help drive social change and education around food. For example, we work with charities like the Square Food Foundation, which aims to reduce hunger and improve health by bringing people together over food. We also regularly engage in local events to get more people talking and thinking about where their food comes from – which I really enjoy.
And what’s the biggest misconception people have about working in food & drink? I think a misconception from the general public is how many people and processes are involved in delivering just one product. There really are myriad disciplines involved in getting a product from A to B, from the farmer to the processor and all the transport and logistics too. For consumers buying products off the shelf, that’s probably not always evident but it really is a complex job that requires a lot of co-ordination.
What advice would you give to other young people looking to get into the food & drink industry? Show your passion! That really helped me get into the industry. When I was looking for my first job I was knocked back a few times because I didn’t have a food and nutrition degree. In fact, I was told by quite a few people at careers fairs that having that degree was fundamental to a career in the industry. I’ve gone on to find out that isn’t the case at all. If you’re passionate about food, there are so many routes into the industry. You learn so much on the job, so if you love food and care about it then go for it!
What’s your ultimate career dream? One day I would love to have my own food business. To have my own products under my own brand would be fantastic – so that’s the dream.
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