Can you have a career where you grow and feel challenged but still supported, and still stay with the same company for decades? Yes, you can! On this episode of the Oh For Food’s Sake podcast, we talk to food industry legend Claire Martino about her long tenure at Bakkavor and what she’s learnt from working in the food industry for 20+ years.

Claire walks us through her own journey at Bakkavor, telling us about some of the moves she made within the company and what they taught her. We unpack making career moves that support you when you’re having a family and how to take on extra responsibility as a working parent, when you feel ready for it. Later on, we explore what personal development actually means and Claire reveals how she’s able to continue developing in her role by taking on extra projects, such as her mentorship work through the fabulous Flourish in Food programme. 

We’ve wanted to have Claire on an episode of the Oh For Food’s Sake podcast ever since we started it so we’re really pleased that it finally happened! There’s plenty of advice here whatever stage of your career you’re at, so please share this episode around with your food industry colleagues. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave us a review to help our show to grow.

Timestamps

[2:56] We welcome the amazing Claire Martino to this episode!

[6:50] Claire walks us through her early career

[9:06] Why Claire joined the food industry and what she loves about it

[12:55] Upwards, sideways, diagonally: How Claire’s career has evolved

[20:28] “I wasn’t doing anything well”: Balancing work and family responsibilities

[26:23] Does your length of service give you more flexibility in your work life? 

[29:35] Stay or go: What’s best for your career?

[32:33] What Claire learnt from her personal development course and how she’s applied it to her career 

[38:05] Why you need to take responsibility for your own personal development

[40:18] Claire’s “wobble” and how she overcame it 

[45:12] If your personal development doesn’t come from your career, you have to go out to find it

[52:53] Communication is key! 

[55:49] Where to go to get in touch with Claire

Links and Resources

Our previous episode on the menopause

Our previous episode on Flourish in Food

Join the Invisible To Valued Course

Flourish in Food

Claire Martino on LinkedIn

Find out more about this month’s sponsor, Ulrick & Short, here: 

Ulrick & Short

Ulrick & Short on Instagram

Ulrick & Short on LinkedIn

Ulrick & Short on Twitter

Email: [email protected]

You can follow us here on instagram

If you would like further support with myself, Amy for food industry coaching and facilitation find me here on instagram or LinkedIn

For food industry Consulting from Lucy you can find her here on instagram or LinkedIn

See you next time!

Personal branding is just for people who are self-employed, right? Wrong! If you haven’t started building your personal brand now, you should probably just forget it, right? Double wrong! On this week’s episode of the Oh For Food’s Sake podcast, we walk you through why everyone needs a personal brand and how you can start building yours. 

Listen in as we explain what it actually means to have a personal brand and why it’ll help you to feel happier at work. We share our experiences of building a personal brand both in our jobs and in our own businesses and give our best top tips on how to work out your brand and values. There’s a lot of advice here about how to maintain a strong social media presence and how to be authentically yourself, even if you feel nervous or aren’t sure where to start. At the end of the episode, we give a handy summary of our personal branding guide.

If you’re interested in learning more about personal branding from us, either by having more episodes on the topic or by attending a masterclass, please let us know via our LinkedIn or Facebook page. Make sure that you’re subscribed to the Oh For Food’s Sake podcast so that you never miss an episode.

Timestamps

[1:32] Today’s special guest is… Amy!

[2:45] Why do you need a personal brand?

[5:25] What you’re known for, what you stand for: What is your personal brand?

[9:45] Standing out authentically

[11:37] Personal branding and social media 

[15:30] How to start working out your personal brand

[17:32] Translating your personal brand onto your LinkedIn profile

[22:53] Photos, banners, profile: What to add to your LinkedIn

[25:00] How to start putting yourself out there 

[30:15] Our neat round-up on personal branding 

Links and Resources

Lea Turner on LinkedIn

The ‘Get Your Spark Back’ challenge

Find out more about this month’s sponsor, Ulrick & Short, here: 

Ulrick & Short

Ulrick & Short on Instagram

Ulrick & Short on LinkedIn

Ulrick & Short on Twitter

Email: [email protected]

You can follow us here on instagram

If you would like further support with myself, Amy for food industry coaching and facilitation find me here on instagram or LinkedIn

For food industry Consulting from Lucy you can find her here on instagram or LinkedIn

See you next time!

There are plenty of awards up for grabs when you work in the food industry, but none of them are quite like the Nourish Awards! On this episode of the Oh For Food’s Sake podcast, we’re talking to the Nourish Awards founder Diana Babics about where she got her inspiration from, what it takes to run an award that spans many chapters and categories and how she manages to taste all that delicious food!

Diana tells us about her food journey and why she became interested in eating ‘free from’ food that was actually healthy. She talks about the early days of the Nourish Awards and what makes them different from all the other food awards out there. We dive into the behind-the-scenes logistics of running the awards and Diana also explains how she manages to keep the awards going, be a mum and still have time for herself. 

As passionate foodies, we loved recording this episode of the Oh For Food’s Sake podcast and we hope that you’ll enjoy listening to it too. If Diana’s story has inspired you to apply for a Nourish Award, or even to launch your own food product, then we’d love to know more. You can get in touch with us via Facebook or LinkedIn. Please do also share this episode with your fellow food industry workers to spread the word about the podcast.

Timestamps

[1:58] Diana tells us about the very first Nourish awards

[3:47] From finance to architecture to food: Diana’s varied background

[11:07] Setting up the Nourish Awards

[14:39] Why ‘gluten-free’ doesn’t necessarily mean ‘healthy’

[17:05] “It’s about the full package”: What makes the Nourish Awards different

[21:47] Do the Nourish Awards judge own-label products? 

[27:48] Chapters and categories: The breakdown of the Nourish Awards

[32:26] The many logistics of organising a successful food award!

[43:02] What’s next for the Nourish Awards?

[45:52] “My plan is to establish many Nourish Awards” 

[48:18] How Diana balances being a mum and running the Nourish Awards

[50:22] “Get your entries in!” Diana’s message to listeners 

[51:05] How to get in touch with Diana

Links and Resources

The Nourish Awards

Diana Babics site

Diana Babics on LinkedIn

Find out more about this month’s sponsor, Ulrick & Short, here: 

Ulrick & Short

Ulrick & Short on Instagram

Ulrick & Short on LinkedIn

Ulrick & Short on Twitter

Email: [email protected]

You can follow us here on instagram

If you would like further support with myself, Amy for food industry coaching and facilitation find me here on instagram or LinkedIn

For food industry Consulting from Lucy you can find her here on instagram or LinkedIn

See you next time!

When life is getting you down and you’re feeling overwhelmed with work, family, your health or worries, it’s time to drop your to-do list and start a Ta Da list. On this week’s episode of the Oh For Food’s Sake podcast, the last one of the year, we’re reflecting on 2022, discussing what we achieved and what we’d like to work on in 2023. If you’re someone who doesn’t spend enough time acknowledging your own successes⁠—and hardly anyone does⁠— then grab a pen and listen in!

We talk about how starting your Ta Da list can help you to battle negativity and work out your own strengths and values. We also give examples of what you could include on a daily Ta Da list, as well as a monthly one, and share some of the personal and professional Ta Das we’ve had this year. Listen out for ideas on how to celebrate your own Ta Da moments and don’t forget to get your copy of the Ta Da journal all ready for next year!

It’s been great having you along with us as we’ve grown in 2022! If you’d like to show your support for the Oh For Food’s Sake podcast and help other people to find us, you can leave a rating or review wherever you get your podcasts.

Timestamps

[1:37] It’s time to celebrate, so grab your Ta Da list!

[3:15] Battling negative thoughts

[4:55] What you could include on your daily Ta Da list

[8:35] Working out your strengths and values from your Ta Da list 

[11:05] Our challenges and achievements, month by month

[14:40] Celebrating your successes and owning them 

[17:00] How do you celebrate your successes?

[19:50] Filling out your Ta Da list journal 

[21:34] A personal Ta Da that’s really made a difference

[25:32] Ta Da moments can come from unexpected⁠—and sometimes challenging⁠— circumstances   

[29:40] Over to you! What’s on your Ta Da list?

Links and Resources

Buy the Ta Da list journal on Amazon

Find out more about this month’s sponsor, Ulrick & Short, here: 

Ulrick & Short

Ulrick & Short on Instagram

Ulrick & Short on LinkedIn

Ulrick & Short on Twitter

Email: [email protected]

You can follow us here on instagram

If you would like further support with myself, Amy for food industry coaching and facilitation find me here on instagram or LinkedIn

For food industry Consulting from Lucy you can find her here on instagram or LinkedIn

See you next time!

On this week’s episode of the Oh For Food’s Sake podcast, we’re getting technical about potatoes! We’ve invited a very special guest Debbie Winstanley, an agronomist and potato lover, to talk potato varieties, supply chain logistics, sustainability and storage. Don’t miss the big reveal of Debbie’s favourite potato variety! Pop open a bag of your favourite crisps and tune in.

Debbie gives a quick explanation of what it means to be an agronomist and she describes her career path so far. We peel back the layers of the food supply chain and discuss what you need to consider when you’re designing a food product for sale, from potato varieties to growing conditions to storage. Debbie tells us why you need to develop good relationships with your suppliers and how that can help to make your supply chain more efficient and cut your materials costs. Towards the end of the episode, we turn the topic to sustainability and Debbie tells us how agronomists are contributing to a greener future for our food and planet.  

We absolutely loved recording this episode of the Oh For Food’s Sake podcast and hope that you enjoy listening to it too! To catch more great episodes packed with insider knowledge about the food industry, subscribe to Oh For Food’s Sake wherever you listen to podcasts.

Timestamps

[1:30] We introduce Debbie onto the episode

[2:46] Debbie tells us about her career and how she became interested in agriculture

[5:49] So Debbie, what is agronomy?

[10:22] Why you really need to know your raw materials

[14:23] Cold storage vs warm storage for potatoes: Which works best?

[18:24] Developing a good relationship with your suppliers   

[20:17] Why do we love Maris Piper potatoes so much?

[21:52] Exclusive - Debbie tells us her favourite kind of potatoes! 

[26:20] Debbie explains the planning window for potatoes

[28:50] Are ‘wonky’ veg bad veg? Debbie weighs in 

[31:00] How to make your supply chain more efficient

[32:35] When should you use IQF vegetables? 

[36:18] Deals, reviews, planning, conferences: What Debbie’s working on now

[38:03] “Massive”: The impact of sustainable thinking on producing potatoes

[41:50] Tying sustainability and nutrition together

[44:27] There’s always a solution  

[46:38] Where to go to get in touch with Debbie 

Links and Resources

Debbie Winstanley on LinkedIn

Find out more about this month’s sponsor, Ulrick & Short, here: 

Ulrick & Short

Ulrick & Short on Instagram

Ulrick & Short on LinkedIn

Ulrick & Short on Twitter

Email: [email protected]

You can follow us here on instagram

If you would like further support with myself, Amy for food industry coaching and facilitation find me here on instagram or LinkedIn

For food industry Consulting from Lucy you can find her here on instagram or LinkedIn

See you next time!

One little word really can make all the difference, and it’s ‘no’. On this episode of the Oh For Food’s Sake podcast, we’re exploring the power of saying no and what happens when you start to get back control of your timetable, your energy and your life.

It sounds easy to just say no, but it’s not always. We begin by discussing when it’s important to say yes, particularly in your work life, so you can tell when your work ‘no’s’ are legitimate. We then lay out a guide to saying no and give a mental reframe of what happens when you say yes, but you really wanted to say no. You’ll learn how to ground yourself and what to do if you feel like you’re about to cave into social pressure. At the end of the episode, we share a handy inspirational quote about saying no, which should be everyone’s new mantra! 

Jump over to our Facebook page to share your triumphant ‘no’ moments with us, or to gather courage and inspiration to say a big no! If you’d like to hear more episodes just like this one, subscribe to the Oh For Food’s Sake podcast to have our show delivered weekly straight into your podcast feed.  

Timestamps

[1:24] Today’s topic: The power of no!

[3:00] When it’s important to say yes

[6:40] Why we feel pressure to say yes 

[9:22] Good leaders shouldn’t always say yes

[11:18] Practising small nos before you say a big no

[13:25] Physical health, mental health, boundaries: Why it’s good to say no

[18:28] Pareto’s law for your time and energy

[21:40] How to get grounded and make room for what’s important

[25:00] What to do when you want to say no

[28:44] No bullsh*t: You don’t have to give an excuse

[30:12] An inspirational quote to round off the episode 

Links and Resources

Our previous episode on people pleasing

Our previous episode on the No Club

Find out more about this month’s sponsor, Ulrick & Short, here: 

Ulrick & Short

Ulrick & Short on Instagram

Ulrick & Short on LinkedIn

Ulrick & Short on Twitter

Email: [email protected]

You can follow us here on instagram

If you would like further support with myself, Amy for food industry coaching and facilitation find me here on instagram or LinkedIn

For food industry Consulting from Lucy you can find her here on instagram or LinkedIn

See you next time!

On this episode of the Oh For Food’s Sake podcast, we’re interviewing a power couple who are making waves in the British food industry. Join us as we talk with our new friends Rimi and Manav, creators of the vegan chocolate brand LoveRaw, about everything from starting a business, to working with your spouse, to coping with Covid-19, to the future of LoveRaw. 

Rimi and Manav tell us how they created LoveRaw and got it off the ground with almost no resources. We follow their journey of learning to produce and sell LoveRaw products at scale and hear some of their behind-the-scenes struggles. You’ll learn how they managed to ride out the rough times and what they do to keep their energy levels up and the burnout at bay. They also share the story of how LoveRaw nearly came crashing down around them and how they were able to pick themselves up and keep going. 

This episode was an absolute joy for us to record and we can’t wait for you to hear Rimi and Manav’s insights into working in the food industry and running a successful food business. You can get in touch with us to share your thoughts on the episode via our Facebook group and if you’d like to hear more from us, then subscribe to the Oh For Food’s Sake podcast. 

Timestamps

[1:24] Welcome to the episode, Rimi and Manav! 

[4:10] So, how did LoveRaw start? Rimi tells us their story

[10:55] Taking the next steps and learning to scale

[12:07] What’s it like to start a business with your partner? 

[16:26] Comparing the food industry to working with other industries

[19:20] “I think it’s just over time”: How to build up a network in the food industry 

[22:24] What’s it like to make an award-winning product? Rimi and Manav tell us about their products and branding

[29:08] “My energy levels haven’t stopped, but it does take a toll”: How to stay resilient in tough times and how to cope with burnout

[36:45] Manav’s tip to achieve greater productivity

[39:37] Where LoveRaw is at right now

[42:09] Did Covid-19 have an impact on LoveRaw’s sales? 

[48:56] A nightmare story about how Rimi and Manav nearly lost everything 

[55:00] How to get in touch with Rimi and Manav

Links and Resources

LoveRaw

Manav on LinkedIn

Email: [email protected]

Find out more about this month’s sponsor, Ulrick & Short, here: 

Ulrick & Short

Ulrick & Short on Instagram

Ulrick & Short on LinkedIn

Ulrick & Short on Twitter

Email: [email protected]

You can follow us here on instagram

If you would like further support with myself, Amy for food industry coaching and facilitation find me here on instagram or LinkedIn

For food industry Consulting from Lucy you can find her here on instagram or LinkedIn

See you next time!

You’re not achieving enough. You didn’t handle that conflict well. You’d better check that email again before you send it. You should volunteer for another project… Any of this sound familiar? On this episode of the Oh For Food’s Sake podcast, we’re shining a light on our inner self-saboteurs and telling you how to stop getting in your own way. 

Listen in as we explore the nine different kinds of self-sabotaging behaviours and the impact that have on you and those around you. We share our top self-sabotaging tendencies and tell you how you can take the test to find out how you’re holding yourself back. Then at the end of the episode, we list some ways that you can begin to tackle your self-saboteurs to help you live a more happy, balanced life with less guilt and anxiety.

Phew this episode was a biggie! If you’re brave enough to share your self-sabotage results or want a helping hand to stop your self-sabotaging behaviour patterns, join us in our Facebook community. We’d love to know whether the self-sabotage test really nailed your personality and if you’re sharing the test with your team. Don’t forget to subscribe to the Oh For Food’s Sake podcast so that you catch all our other helpful episodes on building good habits and boosting your self-confidence. 

Timestamps

[1:23] Today’s topic (that we need to hear too!): Stop getting in your own way!

[4:29] Unpacking the different types of self-saboteurs

[5:28] Saboteur #1: The Hyper-Achiever

[8:11] What does the test scale mean? 

[9:32] Saboteur #2: Pleaser

[11:17] Saboteur #3: Victim

[13:15] Saboteur #4: The Hyper-Vigilant 

[14:33] Saboteur #5: Restless

[15:45] Saboteur #6: Avoider 

[18:24] Saboteur #7: Controller

[19:42] Saboteur #8: Hyper-Rational 

[22:46] Saboteur #9: Stickler

[24:04] So, what can you do to defeat your saboteurs? A really useful analogy

[27:55] Easy steps to get control of your saboteurs

[30:17] How to apply your sabotage self-awareness in the workplace 

Links and Resources

Take the self-sabotage assessment

Positive Intelligence by Shirzad Chamine on Amazon UK

Ulrick & Short

Ulrick & Short on Instagram

Ulrick & Short on LinkedIn

Ulrick & Short on Twitter

Email enquiries to: [email protected]

Register for the Ulrick & Short plant-based NPD webinar

You can follow us here on instagram

If you would like further support with myself, Amy for food industry coaching and facilitation find me here on instagram or LinkedIn

For food industry Consulting from Lucy you can find her here on instagram or LinkedIn

See you next time!

Today we’re talking about one of the most underestimated career advancement tools: networking. But since networking is a big concept that many people don't understand, we’re breaking it down into a series of small, easy steps that you can take right now to grow your network. Join us on this episode of the Oh For Food’s Sake podcast as we talk about micro networking!

We explain some of the clear and hidden benefits of networking, from learning about potential career opportunities, to finding mentors, to feeling satisfied when you help a connection out. We also list some of the ways you can micro network and detail how to network in unexpected places. Then you’ll need to grab a pen and paper to take notes on how to optimise your LinkedIn profile! At the end of the episode, we share one final tip to boost your networking efforts and give you a quick summary of our best networking strategies.

You can network with us by joining us over on our Oh For Food’s Sake Facebook and LinkedIn pages. We’d love to hear your thoughts on networking within and outside of the food industry! If you’d like to hear more career advice from us, subscribe to our podcast to get our episodes automatically uploaded in your podcast feed every week. 

Timestamps

[1:25] Today’s topic: micro networking! 

[5:12] Why should you invest time and effort into networking?

[12:59] Quality, not quantity: diving into micro networking

[15:02] The power of networking in unexpected places

[18:26] Easy ways to help out people in your network

[22:15] Headlines, about section, photos, settings: Our top tips to optimise your LinkedIn profile 

[24:57] How to stay consistent with your networking strategies

[26:34] Get your camera on!! 

[28:44] What you need to take away from this podcast

Links and Resources

Find out more about this month’s sponsor, Ulrick & Short, here: 

Ulrick & Short

Ulrick & Short on Instagram

Ulrick & Short on LinkedIn

Ulrick & Short on Twitter

Email enquiries to: [email protected]

Register for the Ulrick & Short plant-based NPD webinar

You can follow us here on instagram

If you would like further support with myself, Amy for food industry coaching and facilitation find me here on instagram or LinkedIn

For food industry Consulting from Lucy you can find her here on instagram or LinkedIn

See you next time!

Rewind back to 2012: Who would have ever said then that plant-based food and drinks would take off as a category? Enter the special guest for this week’s episode of the Oh For Food’s Sake podcast: Charles Banks, cofounder of thefoodpeople! Charles joins us for an in-depth discussion on food trends, the responsibility that comes with food trend analysis and how thefoodpeople are investing in the next generation of food industry innovators. 

We sit down with Charles, a dream guest of the podcast, to track his food career so far. He tells us about how he spotted the gap in the market that eventually led to him creating thefoodpeople and how the company balances artificial and human intelligence to forecast and publicise upcoming food trends. He explains some of the key values that drive thefoodpeople and how they translate into their day-to-day work. You’ll learn about what goes on at their annual Food & Beverage Trend Summit and how The Food People are actively supporting children’s engagement with food in UK schools through The TFP Foundation.

To hear more about food development, food product marketing and having a fulfilling career in the food industry, subscribe to the Oh For Food’s Sake podcast so you don’t miss our weekly episodes. You can also get in touch with us via our LinkedIn or Facebook page to tell us your thoughts.  

Timestamps

[2:26] “Food was an integral part of my childhood”: Charles’ passion for food

[4:58] Charles’ early career in manufacturing and NPD and how he set us The Food People

[9:15] The purpose behind The Food People

[13:21] What goes on at The Food People’s Trend Summit? 

[19:27] The role of empathy at The Food People 

[22:57] What goes into trend foresight? Charles unpacks the power of trends and how they are identified

[28:56] The art of using human intelligence to forecast food trends 

[31:16] Charles gives a behind-the-scenes glance of trend analysis at The Food People

[38:28] What actually is the Trend Hub? 

[42:37] How The Food People are giving back to the next generation

[48:50] Why it’s important to get children interested in food 

[50:17] Charles tells us what’s coming up for The Food People

Links and Resources

The Food People

The Food People on Instagram

The Food People on Twitter

Charles Banks on Instagram

Register for The Food People’s Food & Beverage Trend Summit

Chefs In Schools

Feed Your Family recipe book on Amazon UK

16 Years in Food & Beverage Trends ebook

Find out more about this month’s sponsor, Ulrick & Short, here: 

Ulrick & Short

Ulrick & Short on Instagram

Ulrick & Short on LinkedIn

Ulrick & Short on Twitter

Register for the Ulrick & Short plant-based NPD webinar

You can follow us here on instagram

If you would like further support with myself, Amy for food industry coaching and facilitation find me here on instagram or LinkedIn

For food industry Consulting from Lucy you can find her here on instagram or LinkedIn

See you next time!