Case Studies

Anca-Sabina Gropeneanu

Process Technologist

"I'm involved in introducing exciting new products to our Prepared foods range."

"I initially joined Branston when I was working for a temping agency. I was working on the lines in the Prepared factory at the beginning, doing lots of days and quickly picking up the skills I needed.

After three months there was a vacancy in the Fresh factory so I moved over there and was soon promoted to a Key Operative role, initially on Days, but then moving onto the Night Shift. This was a great learning opportunity, but I missed the buzz of Prep so when a job came up for an Area Leader in the Ingredients section of Prep I moved back across, initially covering the Night shift but then moving on to Days. I was trained up as a Key Operative, covering all the lines, until a vacancy for a daytime Area Leader came up and I moved into that.

There’s a lot to learn in Prep. It’s very dynamic and there are a lot of product changeovers with short runs and complex processes. I got a good grounding in all of this so after a couple of years I felt confident in applying for a role in the Process team. I think all the experience I have of the way everything fits together in the Prep factory has been really useful for that.

I’m involved in introducing new products to our ranges, so I do lots of testing and trials in the factory to make sure that we can make them the way they should be and they will meet the specifications.

When we’re introducing different ways of doing things I have to be very mindful of how things are in the factory. Every day is different and you have to understand the pressures as the teams focus on meeting the day’s orders. I thrive on a challenge. I really enjoy trying new ways of doing things and working out solutions.

I’ve been doing the Process Technologist role since February 2020 and I’m still looking out for opportunities to grow my career further. I’m working on my personal development and benefiting from more training, which should be very useful as the business continues to expand."

Merren Lewendon

Agronomy Operative

"I really enjoy going out in the fields, especially on a lovely summer's day."

"I started at Branston in May 2016, working part-time whilst studying for a foundation degree in Agricultural Management. I’m from a farming background, where everyone helps everyone else out and works together as a team, so I was really pleased to find a workplace that’s like that too. From being a summer temp, I moved on to providing maternity cover for one of our agronomists. Now I’m also involved in procurement and grower payments. Branston has been really flexible with me. So during term time I work three days a week, then through the holidays I work full-time.

We work very closely together in the Agronomy team to make sure that all our growers are looked after. That’s what I really like about Branston – the teamwork. No matter what anyone else is doing or how busy they are if you’ve got a problem they’ll happily help you out. From coming in, knowing next to nothing, the support I’ve had from everyone has been amazing. It makes it all so much easier. I’m involved in all aspects of our local growers’ crops – from planting, right through to when they’re packed in the factory. I really enjoy going out in the fields, especially on a lovely summer’s day! I’ve also been involved on the trading side and I get a lot of satisfaction out of seeing the whole process from end to end.

There’s always something to learn in a business like this. Lots of my friends work in jobs that are quite unrelated to their uni courses and it’s all just about making ends meet, but for me there are lots of elements of work that I can relate to my course and vice versa. It’s a balance, and sometimes it can be a bit stressful and challenging, but overall I really love my job. I think it also helps me to add a level of professionalism to my assignments. I’m hoping to apply for the Graduate Development Programme next. Branston has given me lots of really great opportunities and I’d love to carry on working here once I finish my degree."

Hayden Terry

QA Team Leader

"One of the best things about working here is all the training and development."

"I joined the South West team back in 2011 as a Quality Assurance (QA) Operative. I was 19 and it was my first proper full-time job. From there I moved in to a role on the Weighbridge, in Intake QA, which gave me some really useful experience.

In 2015 I was promoted to QA Team Leader. It can be quite challenging at times. Now instead of being the person in QA that would spot an issue with crops and report them to someone, I’m the person that any issues are reported to and I have to deal with them! It’s a lot of responsibility and I sometimes have to make quite difficult decisions to make sure that we do our best to delight our customers. We have a really good team here. They all understand what we need to do and they work together.

In 2017 I completed a Food Manufacturing Excellence (FME) course. I really enjoyed the project work that I did as part of this. We were working across different teams and departments, looking at ways to streamline processes and improve efficiency in the factory. In 2018 I’m starting a Food Science & Technology course run by the University of Lincoln. It’s a four-year degree level qualification, but it’s classed as an apprenticeship and there’s a large practical element to it. There’s a lot of distance learning, with some week-long study blocks at the uni too. It’s going to be a challenge, as I have a busy life already with work and family, but I think it’ll be worth it. I’ll get a really useful qualification out of it, which I hope will help me to advance my career much further with Branston.

Working at Branston, one of the best things is all the training and development. If you have a positive attitude, put the effort in and show that you’re willing to learn then Branston put the effort back in to you and you get recognised and rewarded for it."

Jim Aitken

Senior Agronomist

"I'm passionate about getting the best out of potatoes and making sure that the end consumer does too."

"I was brought up on a mixed farm in the borders and I studied agriculture at college. My first job was as a teacher, but I think I felt stifled working indoors. It wasn’t long before I moved in to a technical position with a vegetable-producing business, which meant that I spent a considerable amount of time out in the fields with growers. In 1990 I moved into potatoes and over the next few years I learned everything I could about this challenging crop, in the classroom as well as out in the fields.

I joined the team at the Abernethy site in 1996. Initially it was a technical manager role - a cross-over position, working closely with growers and following crops from growing in the fields and all through the factory. I was keen to utilise my extensive knowledge of potato agronomy and I worked hard to set up many of the technical controls, systems and protocols that are taken for granted today.

When Branston took over the site in 2004 my job description changed to agronomy, but that didn’t mean that I didn’t see the crops through the full packing process. I’m passionate about getting the best out of potatoes and making sure that the end consumer does too. There is a very close working relationship between agronomy, procurement, technical and production at the site. Potatoes aren’t a straightforward product. There are many natural variations and challenges to be overcome. Tri-party decisions often need to be made and I aim to champion the needs of the consumer at all times.

As senior agronomist, I liaise closely with our Scottish grower group, whose potato growing covers around 2,500 hectares. I’ve got a bit of a reputation within the industry as never being one to shy away from a problem. I’ll challenge growers and colleagues if I believe they are falling short of the high standards they can deliver and I’m always looking out for ways to drive improvement. There’s always something new to learn in this industry and I’ll always push to make sure that we’re at the top of our game to keep us ahead of the competition."

Dominic Groom

Customer Technical Manager

"I get to be involved in every step - from stock selection in the field to how the products are presented in store."

"I joined Branston in April 2016 as a Technical Assistant on the Waitrose, Co-op and Booker fresh potato accounts. I didn’t come from a food or farming background, and to be honest I hadn’t really planned a career in potatoes, but I’d heard good things about Branston and I was keen to learn.

I’d been travelling after university, but after Southeast Asia it was time to come home and get a job. I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do, but after five months in a call centre I knew it wasn’t that! I heard about the Technical Assistant vacancy through a friend and I had a look online. It sounded interesting with a lot of variety so I read up all I could about potatoes, applied and was lucky enough to get the job.

It was a very steep learning curve but my manager has been really supportive of my development. I’ve been able to spend time with other departments to understand exactly what they do and it’s given me a really good all round knowledge of the business. It’s been great to get involved with customers too - from visits to technical conferences.

I’ve done lots of training, including Food Safety, Pest Control, Level 3 HACCP and microbiology. Branston is also supporting me in studying for a Food Challenge for the 21st Century post graduate diploma, from Lancaster University. It’s a modular course - mainly online distance learning, with some residential workshops. I’ve found this really interesting, especially meeting all the other students from different parts of the industry.

I’ve really enjoyed getting up to speed, and in 2017 I was given another good opportunity to learn more about the business when I was seconded to our Prepared foods division for four weeks. This exposed me to a whole different environment and the demands that go along with a high-care facility in terms of food safety and technical expertise. So when a Customer Technical Manager role came up I already had some relevant experience and understood what they were looking for. I went for it and I got the promotion in January 2018.

What I enjoy most about working in Technical is that every day is different. Yes, it has its challenges but that’s what makes it interesting. I get to be involved in every step – from stock selection in the field right through to how the products are presented in store. On Day One I didn’t know anything about potatoes, so really the business took a bit of a punt on me. I’m really grateful for that and I like to think that it’s paying off."

Anca-Sabina Gropeneanu

Anthony Hutchison

Merren Lewendon

Hayden Terry

Mark Abbott

Jim Aitken

Dominic Groom