Start date: October 1999
Location: Leicester
“When I joined the Group back in 1999, I started as a trainee butcher with Walkers Deli & Sausage. Prior to this I had been working as a chef in pubs and hotels in Leicestershire.
After my initial role as a butcher, I progressed through the ranks to become a team leader, a supervisor, and then a production manager – all at Walkers Deli & Sausage. I have been factory manager here since 2015.
As I moved through the business, I was learning about quality, health & safety and production line management to ensure we consistently produce first-class products for our customers.
It’s a fast-paced environment here and, in my current role, I’m involved in something different every day. For example, my job encompasses the day-to-day management of the bakery teams, as well as purchasing, planning, accounts, efficiency initiatives, site-wide projects and new product development. One such new product our team developed was a range of pâtés which we launched in 2015. This was a total new product range for us and we succeeded in introducing it for the Christmas period which is when production volumes really peak for us. Today, we are the largest producer of pâté in the UK.
I am proud to have achieved several personal goals over the years I’ve been at Walkers Deli & Sausage but the one that stands out for me is watching the people I have helped coach and develop grow into great supervisors and managers.
If you show initiative and hard work, Samworth Brothers will fully support you to help get the best out of you. For example, I was recently given the opportunity to study for a two-year Level 5 Institute of Leadership and Management Course. Gaining this additional qualification will help me in my ambition to develop the next generation of leaders for Walkers Deli & Sausage.”