Tell us about your role at Yeo Valley and how you got to where you are!
Hi, I’m Amy. I’ve been with Yeo Valley for five years - and what an eventful five years it’s been. When I first joined our Newton Abbot site in 2016, it was originally just to fill a gap, as I’m actually a trained florist. However, that gap has turned into a very happy five years!
On my first day, I clearly remember walking into the Packing Hall (kitted up in full PPE). It was full on and I thought ‘how many cheesecakes can the UK be eating for us to be making this many?’ It’s fascinating to see where our food on the supermarket shelves come from, how it’s made, packed and the care that goes into every single product.
After about six months, I went from Production Operative into a new role as Raw Materials Controller, an extremely varied and exciting role (challenging at times too), involving raw material stock ordering and managing customer audits. At the same time, I also trained to be an onsite Trainer, helping to deliver Health & Safety and Chemical Awareness courses. My role continued to evolve, and I began to support with site administration and ongoing projects too.
I’m grateful to have had these opportunities, as I was able to work closely with many different departments across all our sites – Production, Engineering, Technical and New Product Development (NPD) to name a few!
The idea of joining the NPD team was very exciting to me, so when a vacancy came up, I applied.
I’m now a Development Technologist for Ice Cream, working on the Yeo Valley brand and for a number of large retailers. I help run factory trials, send out samples and work with our retail customers on new product launches, from concept through to launch.
Would you encourage people to have a career in the Food Industry and why?
Absolutely! I would say to anyone starting out in their career or looking to make a change that working in the Food Industry is exciting and rewarding. The innovation we’re surrounded by every day is second to none, from product design, to machinery enhancement and development of our people. There are also many disciplines involved that you wouldn’t necessarily think of: Engineering, Technical, Development, Production, Procurement, Finance, Marketing…the list goes on and on!
What makes Yeo Valley different to anywhere you’ve worked before?
Working at Yeo Valley is really special. Everyone knows each other – it’s like a big family – and they’re all friendly, welcoming and kind! You can have a chat with the Managing Director about sunny holidays or talk with the Engineering Manager about the latest football scores - everyone is so inclusive.
There are around 1600 of us across the sites, but Yeo Valley makes it one of their top priorities that everyone is heard and listened to. I have worked in companies with 20 employees and never experienced what I do at Yeo Valley. We are inspired to achieve more and be better versions of ourselves. We celebrate our successes together and appreciate the rewards. Of course, some days are harder than others, but you know when you have the support and love of your team, you can keep going.