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

I'm visiting Denmark again this week to meet a number of food manufacturing clients - I will no doubt marvel at the quality of the Danish cuisine and the spectacular uniqueness they bring to their food.

The fastest growing sales within in the food sector are Scandinavian products, and the food critics fawn over Noma and others as often as they can.

But apart from Lurpak, bacon from various manufacturers and the ubiquitous Pastry, can anyone tell me a definitive Danish brand that is a household name in the UK?

I've booked my reservation at Noma, and I'll let you know what I have to eat - looking forward to it already!

A day in Amsterdam with our IFR-A partners certainly makes you realise what the international the food and drink recruitment industry is like.

Flying out, I met the CEO of a household food brand that I have known since he was first appointed as MD. He lives in Britain, and works in the UK and Holland and is Scandinavian. In Holland I had meetings with five businesses from 4 countries. All the meetings were in English obviously - I have accepted the embarrassment after a number of years trying my pigeon French or German - although ironically the business centre manager who looked after us in Holland didn't speak Dutch!

Flying back yesterday in less time than it takes me to get to almost every client, it reinforced the reality that we are in a very small world and international opportunities offer huge scope for development.

This week I have discussed new roles in Dubai, New York, Bangalore, New Delhi, Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Paris and Frankfurt and today we are discussing positions in Denmark. Focus International certainly has a wealth of opportunities to fill over the next few months, and with the world getting smaller with advancements in travel - you're not that far from Blighty should you wish to come home for a break.

Sunshine, shopping, a liberal way of life, and don't forget the tax free lifestyle!

If you'd like to discuss what opportunities are available for food and drink professionals in the Emirates - we would be keen to talk to you.

We visited Gulfood 2012 last week and had a number of very interesting meetings, and came away with a number of new opportunities. These will offer exciting career options for individuals open to the concept of living in Dubai.

If the above sounds of interest, please contact Head of Focus International, Sally Galloway, on +44 1625 560778 or sally.galloway@fmcl.co.uk.

Kuwait is not a normal destination for a Wednesday, especially as this week I end up in the more normal Stamford.

Kuwait is however exactly where Focus International found themselves last week - working with a business that has enormous ambitions! A business that plans to recruit 7,000 people in the next twelve months and has strategies targeting both Europe and the Far East.

We are looking for Product Developers and Buyers across a wide array of food product categories to join this rapidly expanding business in Kuwait - the opportunities we're working on offer the chance to really take control of a category or a brand and develop them in a way you couldn't dream of doing in a mature European or American business. Kuwait as a place to live has more than ample sports facilities, shopping malls, Pinkberry's and a Shake Shack...yum! Also, the tax free salary, the relaxed life style, good accommodation, oh and did we mention the tax free salary…?

To find out more about these roles either apply for Kuwait Food Jobs on the Focus International website, or contact Head of Focus International, Sally Galloway ( sally.galloway@fmcl.co.uk / +44 1625 560778).

We had a good trip to Gulfood last week in Dubai with a significant number of meetings with employers and candidates alike.

The Middle East is certainly full of optimism and opportunity and we seem to be having considerable success in gaining the assignments and placing people.

It appears the region that is offering significant progressive opportunities in very ambitious local and international firms.

Gulfood was in its third year and this was certainly the largest and most vibrant event with exhibitors from every continent.

If you would like to find out more about the opportunities on offer in the region please contact Sally Galloway, Head of Focus International.

After a very rewarding trip to Anuga with job briefs being taken from 4 countries - it does make you realise what a small world it is.

Last week I travelled from Belgium to Germany to France to the UK. What was noticeable, apart from the competence of all train companies (well done Virgin, you held your own against all of them!), was the fact that in every country Focus Management held the top spot in Google results page for the key search terms.  It's a good job really, as we have so many jobs in each country!

I have recently arrived in the USA, and am eager to see what's over here!

Stephen Jones

Ps anyone want tax free buying, technical or operations roles?

I have had a really exciting dialogue with a new client that is doubling in size every year, and this year has grown at 140% already - amazing! They operate out of Kuwait and I am looking forward to visiting this fascinating country to discover more and learn about the career opportunities on offer.

Specifically we are looking for purchasing professionals, but also NPD and technical specialists, who want to work in the retail focused operation. I believe these positions will deliver great career progression and offer an excellent quality of life and challenge - not to mention a tax free salary.

We have opportunities in Kuwait and Dubai and would be interested in talking to you about either. We are open to applications of relevant candidates from anywhere in the world. If this is of interest, please contact Stephen Jones stephen.jones@fmcl.co.uk or Sally Galloway sally.galloway@fmcl.co.uk.

Click here for more information on food jobs in Kuwait.

According to the latest research by food and grocery analyst IGD, the consumers of the future will be demanding food with ethical credentials.

Results

The IGD survey shows that almost half (49 per cent) of consumers are expecting to buy more ethical food in the future, with locally-sourced produce being a top priority for 35 per cent of all those asked. Also of concern are issues such as animal welfare (24 per cent), Fairtrade (24 per cent) and organic food (21 per cent).

IGD surveyed 2,700 shoppers from France, Great Britain, Germany and Spain throughout summer 2010. The following is the percentage of people who expect to buy produce on the basis of each ethical concern in the future:

Locally-sourced food

• Britain - 38 per cent
• France - 35 per cent
• Germany - 30 per cent
• Spain - 15 per cent

High animal welfare standards

• Britain - 28 per cent
• France - 30 per cent
• Germany - 8 per cent
• Spain - 10 per cent

Fairtrade products

• Britain - 31 per cent
• France - 24 per cent
• Germany - 10 per cent
• Spain - 7 per cent

Organic products

• Britain - 9 per cent
• France - 20 per cent
• Germany - 18 per cent
• Spain - 7 per cent

The CEO of IGD, Joanne Denney-Finch, commented on what the results of the survey mean for international food jobs, saying:

"The good news is that shoppers expect to buy more across all categories of ethical food and drink products in the future. For grocery businesses across Europe this presents a big challenge and a huge opportunity."

International food group Vion have announced that they are to create a total of 250 new food jobs in Scotland.

150 new positions will open up at Vion's chicken processing plant in the town of Coupar Angus, whilst a further 100 new jobs will be created at a plant in Cambuslang. Furthermore, a £650,000 Scottish Enterprise grant has safeguarded 234 existing food jobs in the Vion group.

Vion has recently launched an investment programme worth millions of pounds, which included the installation of a new packing line at the Coupar Angus facility. It is this investment- along with the efforts of existing employees - which has boosted sales and created greater employment opportunities at these two sites. Cambuslang in particular has flourished, as Vion reports that business is up 25 per cent compared to last year.

Vion Poultry's regional director Andrew Fisher has commented on the news, saying:

"This is very positive news and just reward for the tremendous efforts not only of the teams at Cambuslang and Coupar Angus, but also through the wider Vion supply chain from our farmers and feed mill operators, through to our production, sales and administration colleagues."

World-class company 2 Sisters Food Group is planning the takeover a Holland-based poultry company, an acquisition that will make them a £1 billion-a-year firm.

Based in West Bromwich, 2 Sisters is a family-run business established by entrepreneur Ranjit Singh Boparan back in 1993. The company has gone from strength to strength since then, expanding their operations from the UK into Europe and the US, and now The Netherlands. The firm employs more than 5,500 people in food jobs, reporting annual sales of over £750 million.

The latest acquisition news comes after another successful takeover bid, as 2 Sisters assumed ownership of iconic brand Harry Ramsdens as well as Fishworks in recent months. The company also bought failing fish company Five Star Fish earlier this month, just as it was going into administration, in a move that saved around 330 food jobs.

The company 2 Sisters now plan to purchase, Storteboom, has six factories and employs more than 1,000 people in food jobs in Poland as well as Holland.
The deal will only be finalised, and the cost of purchase revealed, when it has been cleared with the Dutch regulation authorities.

Working abroad, even if it is just in Europe, can be an extremely exciting and rewarding career move. However, most international food job hunters have no idea how to get one of these CV-influencing positions, so they miss out on the many benefits of working and living in a foreign country.

In order to give you a little information on how to get international food jobs, we will use the example of a communications manager position in Paris. This sort of food job is representative of the type of skills and knowledge you will need in order to succeed in an international role.

Become a communications manager in Paris

For this kind of role, which is typical of the type of international food jobs available, you will need to possess a number of employable attributes.

• Management skills- Management positions hold great responsibility and as such, they require a number of years experience within similar supervisory or management roles, along with any relevant business qualifications. You need to be organised, confident and brimming with ideas, good at managing people, and able to work efficiently within time constraints.

• Communications and marketing: You need to have experience working in the communications and marketing sector of the food industry. Having a good command of language, able to build up strong relationships with clients, and having full knowledge of marketing plans and strategies will help you here.

• Language: As with any international job, being fluent in another language, French for example, or having a relevant qualification will always be a distinct advantage.

Despite the credit crunch, food sales are still rising according to the British Retail Consortium, albeit with heavy discounting from the retailers, and with all the excitement about other sectors in the past such as IT, technology or cars, it's easy to forget that the one sector that continues to slowly edge on is the food industry.

People may be tightening their belts, but they still need to eat, and this opens up a whole new range of possibilities for food industry personnel. As we look for cheaper ways to feed the family this is a great time for development chefs to put their skills to good use, creating new and exciting recipes. Also for operational teams to drive business efficiencies, and commercial teams to find long-term solutions to price competitiveness.

Once the festive season is over and life returns to a semblance of normality, many food companies will be facing up to harsh business realities that will need strong and experienced managers to drive a sustainable future.

What is also interesting at this time is that Focus Management are currently working internationally across three continents - exporting British food industry talent to the rest of the world.

So I know the heading is a little corny, but my view is that there will be demand for the best; there will be opportunities and I accept that there will be casualties along the way, but we as consumers, let alone the retailers themselves, need a strong manufacturing supply base producing great cost effective products across all ranges.

In 2009 we may not buy a new television or car...but we will be buying a pizza, and a sandwich and biscuits and baked beans and drinks...and therefore we will still be recruiting the best talent.