Name: Ben Read
Age: 28
Job title: Partnerships lead
Company: Company Shop Group
Education: Nutrition at Leeds Beckett University
As a child what did you want to be when you grew up? I’ve always been into sport, so my dream career would have been an athlete. I was a keen runner and became a county champion, but as I got older I realised I wasn’t quite good enough to make a career out of running so I had to change my aspirations slightly.
Why did you decide to go for a career in food & drink? I always had a keen interest in food, specifically the nutrition side of it. During my degree, I studied a module on the socioeconomic factors within food, including food insecurity. This made me realise my passion and interest in food waste, so ultimately landed me in the position I am today, through a series of different sales roles and positions across the industry, in both charity and commercial sectors.
“There is real pride in seeing the genuine impact it makes for people living in communities that need a bit of extra help”
Explain your job to us in one sentence (or two): My role is to develop the strategic partnerships that Company Shop Group has with retailers, brands and manufacturers and help them stop unnecessary waste by redistributing their surplus stock.
What does a typical day look like for you? It’s a bit of a cliché, but at Company Shop Group no two days are ever the same. One day I could be visiting a new partner to review their waste streams and identifying ways to reduce their waste by redistributing it, the next I could be analysing data for our partners to show the positive social and environmental impact their surplus has achieved. That is what I love about my job, it’s fast-paced and ever-evolving, which suits me to a tee.
Tell me how you went about applying for your job? I was already working in the surplus industry in the charity sector, so I applied for a role at Company Shop Group already knowing what the business did.
Being able to redistribute surplus at scale through Company Shop Group and also support people and communities through our social enterprise Community Shop was what really appealed to me. I initially joined the business as partnership executive and I have progressed within the business over the last few years.
What’s the best part about working for a food & drink company? Two things stand out for me: first, I like working with different businesses across the food and drink industry to really understand the challenges they face throughout their own supply chains, and then finding ways to help them stop perfectly good products from going to waste. We work with companies that vary massively from set-up to size to location, and it’s always interesting as it’s about making it easy for them.
Secondly, there is real pride in seeing the genuine impact it makes for people living in communities that need a bit of extra help accessing affordable food and wider support.
And what’s the biggest misconception about working in food & drink? I think the biggest misconception I see is people thinking that only finished goods that might be surplus because of excess volumes or old packaging can be redistributed.
The food and drink industry is very complex so it’s inevitable that surplus can arise any several stages. Working with businesses to find solutions for this and helping them stop anything and everything, from ingredients to work-in-progress to quality rejections, from going to waste when they can be redistributed is what I love.
What advice would you give to other young people looking to get into the food & drink industry? For me, I would say don’t be afraid to start at the bottom.
My first role in the industry was a field sales representative working for a big manufacturer. This enabled me to get my foot in the door of the industry and also gave me a wide knowledge of different sectors. There is nothing more humbling than walking into a convenience store, giving your presentation, and getting a blank stare and a sharp no from the owner!
Have an idea where you want to end up, but don’t be afraid to sidestep and change your route to reach that goal – no path towards your dream position will ever be a straight line.
What’s your ultimate career dream? Ultimately, I would like to end up in a director-level role within the food redistribution space. Combating food waste whilst helping those experiencing food insecurity is my passion and what brings me to work in the morning, so continuing to work in this sector whilst furthering my career is ultimately my goal.
No comments yet