Product sales to kitchen scales
What is your main role?
I basically use my experience within the food industry to act as a benchmarking tool. I prepare a dish in the development kitchen and it is held up as an example for the manufactured version to aspire to.
Have you always worked in new product development (NPD)?
No, I worked as a chef in Michelin star and à la carte restaurants, such as the Oxo Tower in London (pictured).
Then I went into sales because there was a skills gap, where the sales managers needed me to teach menu structures and explain what the culinary terms meant. It's not a route that a lot of chefs think about - many have blinkers on when it comes to career development.
How does working in manufacturing compare with restaurants?
As NPD chefs we're still cooking up products to make a menu, but for the buyers and technologists instead of consumers. If we burn or overcook something it affects all the work that the development team has done, so the pressure is on - you have to get it right first time because a mistake could prove to be very costly.
How do you keep your cooking skills up to scratch?
I still have a lot of friends in the restaurant industry and I work ad hoc at the weekends to ensure I don't lose my skills.
My breadth of understanding of what's going on in the industry is second to none.
What is the best part of your job?
It's exciting knowing that the products we create will end up on the shelf of every chef in the country.
What direction would you like to see NPD within food manufacture take?
As manufacturers, we need to push ourselves to get more involved in the ground roots of cheffing. It's about being less dictatorial and more pro-active. At Premier, we get chefs in to try all our products before launch.
What's your key frustration with consumers?
I wish we could stop them from being so price driven. People shouldn't just look for value - save five pounds on those trainers and buy yourself a decent meal!
What skills are most important in this line of work?
Thinking about the bigger picture, such as manufacturing capabilities and limitations, is vital. You need to understand that everything has a knock-on effect. For example, if we release a product and the container doesn't work properly and chefs can't use it easily, then it falls flat on its face.
Which restaurant would you most like to dine in?
I want to go to El Bulli (pictured). It's been voted the best restaurant in the world in Restaurant magazine for the last two years.
What new trends around the corner?
West Indian food is going to be coming through. The UK has a raft of products inspired by different cultures - us Brits are explorers and traders - look at our history.
What advice would you give someone looking to get into food processing NPD?
Accept that you can't get into it straight away. That could mean working at a wholesaler in the logistics team or on the factory floor, but it's important to understand the production chain. I took a step back pay-wise to go into sales, but I knew that sales and cheffing expertise combined would make me more employable in the long-run. FM
