Name: Nigel Toon
Job title: HR Director
Company name: Allied Bakeries
Sales: about £500m
HQ location: Maidenhead
Number of employees: 4,500 (UK)

What’s it like to work for your company? Bakery is a highly competitive, very fast-moving category you need to be on the ball. We are the people behind some of the biggest bread brands in the UK: Kingsmill, Burgen, Allinson and Sunblest. We are currently driving major business change plans and investing in our people, brand and performance.

Why is it a good employer? Our people agenda is an integral part of our business plan. We have a long term approach we believe that in tough times like these, it is more important than ever to build trust with our people. We focus on quality of leadership and earning a reputation as a business that is a great place for a career.

What’s the best thing about working there? The pace and energy around the place, the scale of the challenge, and the quality of people we attract.

Does the company offer any unusual benefits? Really good bread!

How does the company differ from its rivals? We’ve got the strongest broad-based investment agenda of any of the big bakery businesses. Our pace and our focus on service and the market means we’re most able to respond to customer and consumer opportunities.

Is there a definable company culture? We get things done, in the right way. Our business is based on understanding and acting on the needs of our stakeholders, be they customers, consumers, employees, neighbours or suppliers.

If the company were a car what would it be and why? A Land Rover a bit of a bumpy ride, but we’ll get past whatever’s in our way to get where we’re going.

What’s the training like? Whilst we have a good curriculum offering a mix of internal and external development and training, most of the growth our people experience comes from the work we do here.

Has the company won any awards or been recognised in the past few years as an employer? Yes, our trophy cabinet is getting full we’re particularly proud of being awarded Branded Bakery Supplier of the Year in The Grocer Gold awards for the third year running.

What’s your proudest achievement of the past 12 months? Seeing how last year’s graduate intake has grown.

Are you looking for any people right now and, if so, where? We’re always looking for people who share our values and are up for a challenge.

How does one go about applying for a job? Visit www.careersatallied.co.uk.

What tips would you offer job seekers? Be clear about what you want from your job, and what you stand for.

How do I find out more about the company? You can find out more about us and what we stand for at www.alliedbakeries.co.uk.

Are you, or is the company, working on anything exciting right now that you can tell us about? Nothing I can tell you about!

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