Helen Sharman

"Coach: I run training sessions in all aspects of new product development in relation to food.Developer: it's my job! I am responsible for developing new products.Influencer: I need to influence people I work with and our customers to persuade them to buy our products."

"I am a new product developer in the food industry. I love the variety of work that I do; every day is different. I search for new food ingredients and try them out in seasoning blends to see what works best. I create new great tasting seasonings for our customers, sending them samples to try and arranging for all the required paperwork to be written such as ingredient list, nutritional content, allergens, price. I conduct in person and virtual training sessions with my work colleagues all around the world to share knowledge about food ingredients, how they are made, how to use them. I research new technologies and trends that we can use in the future. Starting salary for a R&D Technician role is around £20,000, then you can gain experience and work up the levels of Technologist and Scientist."

"I have always been interested in science and doing experiments to figure out how things work. I first came across Food Science aged 17 when I went to a one week \"learn about Food Science\" course at Reading University and found it fascinating. I have a degree in Food Science and Nutrition, and I have worked in the food industry ever since, in a variety of roles including Quality Assurance, Process Technology, Operations, and Research & Development (R&D). I have eaten a lot of doughnuts, croissants, yogurt, fried chicken and snacks along the way! I love R&D the best as there is great job satisfaction in seeing a new product on the supermarket shelves or in a restaurant and thinking \"I invented that!\""

"I enjoy gardening and growing my own fresh food. I am a Girl Guide Leader. I like going for walks in the countryside and appreciating the nature around me. And I love cooking and trying out new recipes."

"Every day is different. Sometimes I work from home; sometimes I go to work and make food samples for tasting with my work colleagues in the test kitchen. I spend time in meetings either in person or on a Teams call, discussing progress on projects and presenting new ideas and samples to customers. I research new ingredients and technologies through arranging supplier presentations to us, or watching webinars, or going to trade exhibitions. "

"A levels in Maths, Chemistry, Biology; Institute of Linguists FrenchBSc (Hons) in Food Science and Nutrition from Oxford Brookes University (including one year R&D work experience at Dairy company and Vegetable Spreads company)Process Technologist (through Graduate recruitment scheme): BakeryProcess Technologist: Bakery and CoatingsSpecifications TechnologistTest Bakery Team LeaderQuality Assurance ManagerTechnical Manager: BakeryOperations DirectorTechnical Manager: FlavouringsSenior Flavourist: Seasonings and CoatingsProduct Development ManagerSenior Product SpecialistProduct Development ManagerPrincipal Scientist"