Height of good taste
You test all-year round – do you get sick of puddings?
I’ve never met a pudding I didn’t like. I wouldn’t be in this job if I had. In the factory, you’re around puddings 24/7, but no two days are ever the same. That helps to keep things interesting.
What’s hot in the world of puds?
Bling is big this year. Anything with a metallic gold or silver lustre is set to sell really well, along with hidden centre puddings. There has also been a big shift towards the rich, deep flavours that come with a dark and glossy matured pudding packed full of fruit, nuts and dark spirits.
What’s your actual job?
I research food trends as a way of finding fresh inspiration for new pudding flavours, and forecast what will be popular and sell well in future.
A typical day for me usually involves a lot of taste panels where I try up to 40 puddings – small bits only, of course.
The key to it all is secrecy. If a client asks what another client is doing this year, I have to find polite ways to not answer them.
How did you get here?
I left school and worked on the production line for Thorntons chocolates.
I’d noticed this woman coming every day to collect samples and realised I’d love to do something along the food science side of things. I went to college on day release and then spent years working in chocolate, ready meals and desserts. Puddings finally entered my life five years ago.
Is inspiration hard to find?
Not at all. I get it from all sorts of places. We have two chefs on site that work hard to create the exotic and traditional puddings you find on the supermarket shelves.
I do regular food safaris that involve going to restaurants to check out what they’re doing. I also investigate confectionery trends, artisan bakeries, department stores, smoothie bars and gelaterias.
Plus, I watch the cooking and baking shows on TV, like Bake Off.
Apart from munching puds what is good about the job?
My favourite part of my job would have to be going into shops and seeing all the products on the shelves.
I also love it when I see the adverts on TV for products that I have created.
Do you eat puddings at home with your family?
Most definitely! My favourite would have to be a traditional matured Christmas pudding, drizzled with brandy. Or a bling cherry-topped pud with sprinkles that my kids can help decorate.
We have a few in my house as we eat them on Xmas Eve too, and we have a different one for New Year’s Eve too.
Are there any ingredients you love or hate?
At first I wasn’t a fan of gluten-free puddings, as they were quite gritty, but now I don’t mind them at all.
How should we serve a pudding on Christmas Day?
For a truly eye-catching centrepiece you have to flambé. Gently warm a measure of alcohol such as brandy or rum in a pan, then hold a flame close to the alcohol and pour onto the pud and set alight for a spectacular show. Serve with generous helpings of ice-cream or creme fraiche.
FIND A JOB
If you want to work in the world of food and drink we have found 13,263 opportunities.
At fish4jobs.co.uk there are 739 food and drink manufacturing jobs which include a food and beverage administrator in Cambridge (£18,000) and a food buyer for the retail sector in London (£30,000 to £35,000).
There are also 1,384 food retail jobs ranging from a coffee shop manager in Croydon (£18,000 to £ 20,000) to a senior retail assistant in Milton Keynes (£7.90 per hour).
Jobcentre Plus ( gov. uk/ jobsearch) has 6,973 relevant jobs including hundreds of roles for production- line workers, packers, warehouse staff and engineers across the country – from a food production operator in Enfield (£ 7.77) to a food technology teacher in Hastings (£23,026 to £33,988).
We spotted a further 2,556 jobs at jobs.foodmanufacture. co.uk, including 333 in quality assurance and 310 in development, while yourfoodjob.com has 1,611 jobs.
Most supermarkets advertise vacancies in stores or via job centres, while smaller shops tend to advertise locally or in their own window. Popping in with a CV can work well.
CONTACTS
National Skills Academy for Food & Drink, nsafd.co.uk
Institute of Food Science and Technology, ifst.org
The Food and Drink Federation, fdf.org.uk
Matthew Walker, matthew walkerchristmaspuddings.co.uk