Name: Julia Masselos
Age: 22
Job title: Marketing & design executive
Company & location: Feedr, London
Education: University of Edinburgh – BSc Medical Science, Honours in Neuroscience. Newcastle University – MSc Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security
Why did you decide to go for a career in food? It stemmed from a trip – I went to visit a childhood friend who was doing an extension course at the University of Vermont in organic farming. I never really thought about what I ate or where it came from – I guess that’s the product of being raised by a mum who is a really good cook and always made us delicious, wholesome meals, I just ended up taking it for granted. But when I was out there visiting my friend and meeting all her friends who were also farmers (some of them quite politically involved with agricultural policy and food system justice), it started opening my eyes to food as more than something you put in your body. I started seeing it as this fascinating intersection of art, science, economics, environmentalism, history, culture, politics… how can something that multidimensional and yet intensely personal not be of interest? So I decided to dive into it headfirst and haven’t looked back since.
Explain your job to us in a sentence (or two): I work closely with the head of marketing across a wide range of marketing activity to raise awareness of who we are, acquire new customers and make Feedr a loveable brand!
What does a typical day look like for you? I know it’s such a cliché, but there really isn’t a ‘typical day’ in my life at Feedr. We are still a small startup, so I wear many hats and am involved in a lot of projects which are constantly changing and evolving. But here’s an example Monday, which is probably the most regular day of the week for me:
9:20am: I arrive at the Feedr office and make breakfast and coffee.
9:30-10:30am: I catch up on emails, Slack messages, and gear myself up for the week ahead. I also handle any urgent bits at this time.
10:30-11am: I do our weekly marketing report to see how we did the previous week.
11-12pm: I’m in marketing meetings with the wider team to catch up on performance and plan this week’s strategy and key priorities.
12-12:30pm: I action any high-priority things from the meeting, which could be anything from sending an event invite to our mailing list to launching new ads on LinkedIn.
12:30-1:30pm: Lunch, usually something delicious from our Cloud Canteen (yes, we use our own product!).
1:30-2pm: All hands meeting – the only team-wide meeting of the week where everyone gets together and goes through key priorities for the week (while tossing around a little plush toy avocado!).
2-4pm: This part varies – I might be creating our next beautiful roller banner, working with our vendor team to organise food for an upcoming event, sourcing props for a video shoot, or figuring out where we’re going to get Feedr-branded tissue paper from.
4-4:30pm: Coffee break (probably my third of the day, let’s be honest).
4:30-6pm: I’ll write a piece of content for our blog to go up the next morning before leaving the office just after 6pm.
“I have so much respect for these independent traders who are burning with passion for the food they create”
Tell us about how you went about applying for your job. I found the job listing on AngelList and applied right away. I think I just emailed them with my CV and a short message. The process was four stages long – after my initial email, I had a phone interview with Riya, the CEO, followed by a test where I was asked to write a blog piece on workplace wellness. I was then invited back for a second interview, this time with Lyz, the COO. The entire process was very fast – I think only two weeks went by between my initial application and receiving an offer.
What’s the best part about working for a food company? The amount of amazing food we get to try! I have so much respect for these independent traders who are burning with passion for the food they create. Close second is being able to work with people who share my enthusiasm and love for food. God, we really could just talk about food all day…
And what’s the biggest misconception people have about working in food & drink? That we eat all the time! (Except, that’s not a misconception, it is 100% true!)
Jokes aside, I think the biggest misconception about Feedr is that we’re just another food delivery platform like Uber Eats or Deliveroo – when in reality, we are something quite different. We essentially build algorithms that give users personalised menus based on how they like to eat, and then make it super easy for them to order it to their workplace. Plus, all our vendors are hand-picked for quality so you don’t have to sacrifice health for convenience at the office anymore!
What advice would you give to other young people looking to get into the food & drink industry? Just jump in! It’s such a huge industry so your route in will massively vary depending on what kind of company or role you’re going for, but all I can say is don’t think too hard about it. Apply to places that make your heart jump when you read about the company, and never do anything because you feel like it’s ‘the right thing to do’ to succeed - there’s no such thing!
What’s your ultimate career dream? I’m not sure I have a career dream at the moment – I feel like as long as I’m following something fulfilling and stimulating for me, and meaningful for other people, I can’t really go wrong. Short term, I’d quite like to travel while working. But long term, we’ll just have to wait and see what shape my career path takes!
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