Name: Rory Warnock
Age: 24
Job title: Head of out of home and wholesale
Company & location: BEPPS Snacks, London
Education: St Mary’s University, Strength & Conditioning Science
Why did you decide to go for a career in food? The corporate life never appealed to me and I quickly realised, whilst at university, that I had a slight obsession with F&B brands. During my time at university I was surrounded by professional athletes. There I gained a deeper interest in healthy products and observed how desire for these products didn’t stop with athletes, but the general public were caring more and more about what they were putting in their body.
Explain your job to us in a sentence (or two): To support in building the BEPPS brand within the UK, along with strategically winning new accounts to maximise our distribution and ensure we are readily available for our target audience. I also work closely with our current trade and wholesale partners to ensure we’re adding both customer and merchant-facing value.
What does a typical day look like for you? No two days are the same, especially as we’re such a lean team at the early stage of our journey. However, on a typical day I’d usually be reaching out to potential customers, getting BEPPS into the hands and mouths of buyers and consumers, locking in sampling with our key accounts and supporting our field team. At the moment, it’s a huge educational piece as to why BEPPS should be included in buyers’ fixtures and why consumers should spend their hard-earned cash on a bag.
“I love the camaraderie and support startups in the F&B world give each other”
Tell us how you went about applying for your job. I heard about BEPPS through a contact and thought it sounded like an extremely exciting brand to be involved in, especially as the first employee. Clearly the savoury snacking category is in need of an exciting brand to come along with fantastic nutritional values and an equally incredible flavour. Once I met with Eve (Yankah, BEPPS founder), I knew it was the perfect next step in my career.
What’s the best part about working for a food company? I love the camaraderie and support startups in the F&B world give each other. We’re all trying to make a positive difference one day at a time. The endless supply of amazing products is also a nice wee perk!
And what’s the biggest misconception people have about working in food & drink? That certain accounts are easy to win or should be a given. Nothing is easy or an automatic listing. Broadly speaking, to secure a listing, another product gets delisted. So it’s all about proving why there is a demand for your product.
What advice would you give to other young people looking to get into the food & drink industry? Be passionate and work with a company and products you truly believe in. Grow your network and be inquisitive. People love passion and enthusiasm and will always be willing to lend their support if you show these traits.
What’s your ultimate career dream? To be involved in a business where we make positive change. Providing a product to all consumers, young and old, that will make an impact in their everyday lives.
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