Food Job Blog: The inside track on Food Recruitment and Careers

I'm more and more aware that the number of vacancies in the UK Food and Drink industry is increasing.

Indeed at a recently attended dinner so many of those munching a reasonable lamb fillet said they just couldn't recruit the numbers of staff they needed. There's a few key issues that I took in during the dinner:

• Talent - there is a limited supply
• Desire to relocate - is a significant issue and reduces numbers of suitable candidates
• The right to work in the UK - an enormous issue.

I must say we reject several hundred applicants a week as they can't work in the UK… they still send in a CV though (hint, please don't).

What is interesting to me though is that I am British and do have the right to work in the UK, but I have only just passed the British Citizen test. So many people I have tried it on have failed with equally strong credentials to be British.

Incidentally I passed the US and Australian Citizen tests with little difficulty, but do we all know the answers to these questions? (Answers at the bottom.)

Questions

1. Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE? 'In the 1980s, the largest immigrant groups were from the West Indies, Ireland, India and Pakistan"
2. Which TWO of these are names for the Church of England? A - Methodist, B - Episcopal, C - Anglican, D - Presbyterian
3. How many parliamentary constituencies are there? 464, 564, 646, 664
4. Many job applications will require a covering letter and A - a doc showing proof of identity, B - your NI number, C - a CV, D - a signed Photo

No prizes for these four simpler test questions… but did you get them right?

Answers

1. The correct answer is False. In the 1980s, the largest immigrant groups were from the United States, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand
2. The correct answers are B Episcopal and C Anglican. The Church of England is called the Anglican Church in other countries and the Episcopal Church in Scotland
3. 646
4. C a CV

What do you think about the right to work in the UK and the issues that face the UK?

Non-ambient food maybe experiencing a price hike by 20%, but in the mean time, scientists are busy proving that chocolate, a product stored at ambient temperature, is good for you!

A new piece of research seems to prove people who eat chocolate regularly tend to be thinner - although this doesn't seem to be the case looking at the Late Shop customers!) The findings come from a study of nearly 1,000 people that looked at diet, calorie intake and body mass index (BMI) - a measure of obesity. It found those who ate chocolate a few times a week were, on average, slimmer than those who ate it occasionally.

Even though chocolate is loaded with calories, it contains ingredients that may favour weight loss rather than fat synthesis, scientists believe. Despite boosting calorie intake, regular chocolate consumption was related to lower BMI in the study, which is published in Archives of Internal Medicine. The link remained even when other factors, like how much exercise individuals did, were taken into account.

And it appears it is how often you eat chocolate that is important, rather than how much of it you eat. The study found no link with quantity consumed. According to the researchers, there is only one chance in a hundred that their findings could be explained by chance alone. This is not the first time scientists have suggested that chocolate may be healthy for us. Other studies have claimed chocolate may be good for the heart.

Consumption of certain types of chocolate has been linked to some favourable changes in blood pressure, insulin sensitivity and cholesterol level. And chocolate, particularly dark chocolate, does contain antioxidants, which can help to mop up harmful free radicals - unstable chemicals that can damage our cells.

Dr Golomb and her team believe that antioxidant compounds, called catechins, can improve lean muscle mass and reduce weight - at least studies in rodents would suggest this might be so.

While there's no harm in allowing yourself a treat like chocolate now and again, eating too much might be harmful because it often contains a lot of sugar and fat too.

And if you are looking to change your diet, you are likely to benefit most from eating more fresh fruits and vegetables - which are, in comparison to a hot sausage roll, 20% cheaper!

In Vitoria da Conquista, Brazil, 20,000 grade school students have recently started wearing uniforms embedded with GPS chips similar to those used in pet trackers. The chips automatically send parents a text message as soon as their children enter the school grounds, or if their children are late for more than 20 minutes.

The microchip is embedded either under the school's coat of arms or in one of the sleeves. According to the city's education secretary Coriolano Moraes, the local government decided to launch the project because parents "would always be surprised when told of the number times their children skipped class."

Vitoria da Conquista's government has spent $670,000 designing and manufacturing shirts for the first 20,000 students. City officials plan to make more so that all 43,000 public school students in the city from ages 4 to 14 can use the high-tech shirts in 2013.

Do you think this should or could be put in work attire? It would be fascinating to see how employees and perhaps their representatives would respond. Maybe we should micro chip the employers first and see how it works?

I've been told it has been over 20 degrees in London again over the weekend, and heard last week that we are about to have a water shortage and its only mid March.

We will all have TO SHARE BATHS, and not WATER THE GARDENS.

Seems all a bit crazy and actually scary. But nothing seems to be following convention currently. Read the press and UK plc is in the doldrums - come to Focus Management Consultants and any of our six divisions and we have never been busier!

In fact we have just recruited three more members of staff to cope with the increases in demand we are experiencing. This is not a sudden deluge (see what I did there?); we have been flooded (OK, stopping now) with briefs over the last 18 months.

And what seems to be a recurring theme is SME's in Britain seem to be saying the same thing, let alone the Food industry - both of which are cautiously optimistic, I believe, for the next twelve months.

So far from packing it in and having an early bath, we are gearing up for a rapid growth and progression in 2012 and 13!

If you are thinking about entering the job market again after hunkering down during the challenging few years -we are confident we have the broadest range of vacancies that will allow your career to accelerate again!

A day in our London office makes me wonder why more and more often when travelling across the country - as I do most weeks - you come across so many locations where it's impossible to get a decent sandwich.

The choice in the local vicinity of our London office is spectacular - and not much more expensive than our northern home base of Bollington, Cheshire. Be it Italian, Spanish or British inspired, the choice is wide and the quality great.

I guess it's a bit like the confusion that comes across our French IFR-A partners faces when they travel 12 miles across the channel and can't get a decent croissant in any bakery.

Allow me to set the scene: You get off the train or out of the car after a long journey and embark on a quest to find yourself a good sandwich for lunch. You find a local sandwich shop or bakery and are offered pappy white bread with curling ham slices and a bit of onion. If you're lucky, you'll get a slice of dehydrating tomato, all prepared by a lady who washed her hands on Tuesday… or was it December? The alternative is you visit the "local store", run by people who may be good with food, but obviously not refrigeration - and resort to buying a sandwich that has been chilled to just above freezing point, and therefore has no taste and is simply wasted calories.

It's not that these places don't have catchment - it is villages and towns far and wide that have this problem - whether the populous is 50 people or 5,000 people.

Somehow the culture of food being nice and good to eat seems to have left several areas across the UK!

Any ideas why?

I've just read Starbucks are going to ask you your name when you order your coffee and then rather than calling you "latte", the barista will call out "Stephen your Americano is ready" or just "Stephen".

Not that I frequent Starbucks too often - although I do recognise you can get free WiFi there, whilst drinking hot water - I think it will be interesting to see how many people actually give their real name, or indeed still prefer to be called "Espresso".

Would you give your name if the barrista in Starbucks asked for it?

This got me wondering if I could give a name that represented each "coffee".

• Caffè Americano = Zak
• Flat White = Ed
• Caffè Latte = Isabella
• Caffè Mocha = Winston
• Cappuccino = Roberto
• Caramel Macchiato = Eduardo
• Espresso = Zane
• Espresso Con Panna = Zany
• Espresso Macchiato = Georgina
• Flavoured Latte = Jeremy
• Skinny Flavoured Latte = Tim - feels like it should be one syllable
• White Chocolate Mocha = Debbie

I don't know why but the names seem to fit. Perhaps Starbucks should implement this and rename all their coffees to have a real name?

"I'd like a tall Georgina with a caramel shot please"

Something tells me it won't take off... but if it does, you read it here first!

What's your coffee name? I'm Zak from now on.

"I got really drunk last night, had a kebab and woke up with a really bad head and sore stomach - must have been the kebab - I'm off work again"

Obviously this quote doesn't apply to me - it's a statement we see time and time again when looking at candidates on their social network profiles. Besides, I don't drink through the period of Lent after losing a bet with my daughter, who gives up crisps and chocolate for the same period, and my wife who gives up "unnecessary" cheese (I can explain but it would take the rest of the day).

The above statement is the line that many choose to cross - mixing work with social networking. Now because I am sensible and realise the implications of writing such detrimental information about myself on any social network (or the entire web for that matter), I would never publish it. It would appear however, that many do.

As recruiters, what do we do when we receive applications from candidates? Look at their social media profiles - LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest… and we use these to make a judgment on the suitability of that candidate.

When are job seekers going to realise the risk documenting such personal information can potentially bring to their careers? When will candidates realise that recruiters and employers are looking for them, and they are reading their posts?

I am minded that many digital natives really don't care what they say or how invasive their postings are - but as a digital immigrant - I do, as do many digital immigrants who are hiring managers in the food and drink sector.

Food for thought?

My Sky viewer is full of 'my fat family' type programmes which my family watch in astonishment.

I can't say the thought of sitting watching overweight people trying to eat less and live longer is compulsive television, but there certainly seems a trend for such programmes.

Naively, I would expect people to realise the implications of consuming more calories - eating more calories will results in weight gain. Judging by these programmes, that isn't always the case. People don't seem to be aware of the implications.

But taking a step back, isn't that part of the challenge facing the food industry in totality? Does this fall under the responsibility of the food manufacturers, retailers and foodservice organisations to deliver this message?
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Issues over healthy eating are becoming more and more key, but we've come to notice that not everybody at our end of the supply chain fully understand the issues. Some of our Clients are telling us they don't have sufficient talent to innovate for the future - where a large portion of this innovation is likely to surround healthy eating.

So when we are gawping at the 40 stone person stuck in their arm chair on the TV, we should look at this as an opportunity to educate our families about the great jobs on offer within the food industry, and by how working in this sector you can really make a difference.

Now I'm no expert on such matters, but it does seem a bit confusing the tie thing. I know the fashion conscious are again tied up with small knots, tight trousers and 1980s hair.

If the train from Frankfurt to Cologne is anything to go by they are back... but most of the hair styles are comb-overs or grey. It's a judgement call just like when we are all faced with the casual day - is that jeans or slacks... whatever they are.

I thought we had ditched the tie a few years ago, but seemingly they and the suit are back. My advice? Wear them. As my Mum always tells me, it's always better to be smart than scruffy - a mantra I've struggled for years to live up to. However, if going for an interview for a job, I think it is still the safe bet.

An evening with The Observer food critic Jay Rayner and Tim Wilson founder of Ginger Pig was fun and informative. Darren and his kitchen team at The White Swan in Pickering really did Yorkshire proud showcasing just what this great county has to offer in terms of quality produce.

A small group of diners joined together to hear from Tim how from humble beginnings he has developed this fantastic business that is committed to sustainable farming. The Ginger Pig meat is farmed locally in Levisham, Newton and Wyke only ten miles from Pickering, they have their own acreage to grow the crops that feed their animals, a fully integrated business that allows them to maintain tight controls on quality throughout the food chain.

In the beginning it started with sausages from rare breed Tamworth pigs sold to one shop in London - there was only so much pork Tim and his family could eat themselves! From there little acorns grew and they now supply their own shops in London, including at Borough Market, and only five restaurants.

The White Swan in Pickering is the only restaurant outside London where you can eat this fantastic meat. Tim supplies the River Café and St John, but here in Yorkshire it's the same meat, the same great quality at probably a fraction of London prices! The pork belly was succulent and the crackling perfect - if you have not had the Ginger Pig experience you must experience it for yourself - www.thegingerpig.co.uk

How important is provenance and quality and good farming husbandry important to you?

Spaghetti Bolognese. One of Italy's finest meals - and will undoubtedly have reached all four corners of the globe. There won't be many cities in the world you can't go to and eat Spaghetti Bolognese in a restaurant - and on the very odd occasion where you might not be able to, you can always go for Heinz Spaghetti Bolognese in a can - well maybe?

Spag Bol is one of my favourite foods, and certainly my favourite of the Italian variety. There is a large choice of brands and types when hitting the Supermarket floor - I have found that many of the ready meal Spaghetti Bolognese dishes don't have enough sauce and the spaghetti is quite dry once cooked.

I won't really delve into the canned version, as in my opinion it's rather far from the real thing!

The best option, I have found, is Waitrose Bolognese sauce in a tub. It takes 4 minutes in the microwave and is served with cooked spaghetti. It has all the right tastes and enough sauce for 2 people. This is a great alternative to making the sauce yourself using tinned tomatoes - and aside from tasting great, reduces the preparation/cooking time substantially.

In comparison to others and in my view, Waitrose is a much better sauce all round compared to Dolmio and Lloyd Grossmans. And Grossman's just didn't have that edge that Dolmio does, maybe that goes back to my childhood where Dolmio spaghetti Bolognese was always a big treat.

I love experimenting with food and have found that adding bacon, carrots, mushrooms, onions and courgettes into the sauce makes it go a lot further - especially when you have guests round. And not of course forgetting the garlic bread.

Has anyone else found a Bolognese sauce or particular recipe that they love?

You find out your pregnant and you are extremely happy. Slightly scared at having to take responsibility for another human being! That is a very daunting thought and perhaps one of the most exciting but scary things you think can happen...

UNTIL

Your child is born, and grows quickly into a toddler. A little human being as opposed to a baby. Then the scary thought that begins to take over your life is - how on earth do you ensure that they are healthy?

You are willing to try anything... You feed them the proverbial meat and two veg. However, if most children are like my 3 year old daughter you will find that eating dinner will never be the same again. My daughter has decided that chicken, sweetcorn and various other foods are not to her taste! So now I begin to think, how do I ensure that she is healthy? How do I get her to eat her meat and veg? Do you decide to chop it all up into tiny pieces that are beyond recognition? Or do you try the car, plane or train chugging along? Well I have found that none of these work!

Do children obtain their taste buds from their parents?

My daughter would rather eat peppered mackerel than chicken. Her father loves spicy food and if he is eating it, then she will too. Whereas I am more of a non-spicy food eater. I love ice cream and my daughter and her father both have a dislike for it. Could it be possible that she has her father's more inclusive pallet? I am more than sure that there have been studies on this but this is not something I spend researching - just a mere thought as I sit across my family wondering why it is they are eating hot pepper sauce when I simple cannot stand it.

The best way I have found to get my child to eat is to sit her in a room full of other children that are all eating what I would like her to eat. Then almost by magic she likes it! So now I spend my time asking other parents what their child is eating and whether a play date would be possible! Crazy? Possibly, but in reality she is not going to let herself starve.

Since its launched in 2003 LinkedIn has become much more than just a means of keeping in touch with previous colleagues, business partners etc. Three years ago when I set up my profile on the business oriented social media site a majority of members within the food industry were commercial professionals, however with a new member joining every second it's no surprise that profiles for individuals from all disciplines within manufacturing can now be found too. This is great for recruiters who can identify people who are not actively in the employment marketplace but as more and more internal HR resourcing teams start to use LinkedIn as a way to identify potential employees, could LinkedIn become the preferred recruitment method?

There is no denying that there are quite a few recruitment success stories as a result of the site, however, a LinkedIn profile cannot manage the process, brief clients in regards to candidates, and prepare candidates about businesses, their strategy and people. It can't match personality and business cultures, nor can it negotiate or debate on a client or candidate's behalf, marrying and challenging expectations.

Given my profession I think you know what my thoughts are but what are your views on the future of LinkedIn verses Recruitment Consultants?

In your honest opinion, regardless of price, would you rather buy a branded product or an own label product?

I know from personal experience branded products are perceived to be the better product - but is this true?

What is it that makes us buy a product? Some people go for price. Some go for quality, whereas others will go for quantity or value for money. Is own label the way forward? The question that comes to mind is - will we have a choice in the future?

Certain brands conjure up images of luxury whereas others you will steer clear of. If you know that a particular brand is a "good" brand you are more willing to try their new product than the new product of an own label. You know the brand so therefore it must be the same as their other products, the packaging looks nice, the product is right in your eye line and you do not need to teeter on the edge of a shelf to reach it! The vibrant display makes you want it. "Wow look at those people (actors) having a great time eating this product". Why is it that these things are important to us? If those people are buying it then I should! How absolutely absurd. Usually branded products are far more expensive and everything tastes the same. Have we really turned into a "safe" culture that lacks a sense of adventure?

Own label are the products that most people buy out of necessity. Why is that? If you were to put two products next to each other that were still in the packaging how many people would choose the own label? However, if you then look at it in another way and look at the products out of the packaging, which product would look and taste better?

Do we buy certain brands because of our friends, families, people in the play ground? If so then are we all only ever going to eat the same things?