Name: Grace Wood
Age: 19
Job title: Field sales degree apprentice
Company & location: Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, northwest England
Education: Chartered Business Management degree apprenticeship at Manchester Metropolitan University
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? It changed all the time. I wanted to be a pilot and even did some flight training, then being a politician crossed my mind and I even presented ideas to improve my local community to my MP.
“I’ve always had big ambitions and loved pushing myself to try new things, which has definitely shaped where I am now”
Why did you decide to go for a career in food & drink? For me, it was more about the business than the industry. I was really drawn to Coca-Cola Europacific Partners because of how iconic the brand is and the opportunities it offers, especially in sales, which I’ve always been passionate about.
Explain your job to us in a sentence (or two): I began my degree apprenticeship in a merchandising role and I’m currently in “away from home” field sales, where I manage a territory of around 280 independent businesses, including gyms, cafés, restaurants, and convenience stores.
What does a typical day look like for you? I spend most of my time on the road, travelling between accounts. I sell equipment into outlets and expand their product ranges, with the overall aim to increase sales. I encourage them to invest in the brand through negotiating things like coolers, menus and displays. I’ve had the opportunity to build strong customer relationships, resulting in some great executions.
I love saying yes to opportunities outside my day-to-day role – some of these include leading market visits in Manchester city centre and running big events like activations across Manchester Pride 2025.
Tell us how you went about applying for your job: My college didn’t have a lot of information on degree apprenticeships and I was being encouraged to pursue the traditional university route because of my grades. But I was keen to understand what other options were out there so I did research into apprenticeships myself. I went to a lot of career fairs and ended up learning about the opportunity with CCEP at a career fair at Manchester Met.
I applied to around 10 programmes but CCEP was always my first choice, so when I got the offer it was an easy decision to accept.
What’s the best part about working for a food & drink company? The variety – and the fact that you’re supported to get involved in so much beyond your day job.
I’ve given a speech at the House of Lords about my experience as a degree apprentice, which I never expected. I’ve also supported Building Connections – a programme run by UK Youth and CCEP that helps young people build confidence and explore careers – working with Wigan Youth Zone, a charity supporting young people in the local community. And I’ve volunteered with Special Olympics GB, which provides year-round sport for people with intellectual disabilities.
Everyone’s willing to help and you get hands-on experience from day one – but it’s the breadth of what you can do that’s surprised me most.
And what’s the biggest misconception people have about working in food & drink? That it’s just about products on shelves. There’s so much going on behind the scenes, from building customer relationships to planning promotions, marketing and strategy. Every product you see in store has had so much work behind it.
What advice would you give to other young people looking to get into the food & drink industry? Go for it. Apprenticeships can be competitive, but if you stay proactive and do your research, it’s worth it.
Because there was limited information about this route at my college, I had to find it myself – but that’s part of the journey. If you’re curious and willing to put the work in, the opportunities that fit you best are out there.
What’s your ultimate career dream? To build a long-term career at CCEP and see how far I can go. I love sales and there’s a real buzz to it, but I’m also interested in exploring other areas like public affairs and communications. In years three and four of my apprenticeship I’ll get to choose my path, so I’m excited to see what’s next.
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