What is it really like to work at Kettle Produce? Some of our staff have given us their thoughts below
I joined Kettle Produce in 1997 and took on a new role at the time of Farms Assurance Manager. I’d worked in the potato industry for many years before joining Kettle Produce and this was a useful background when working with growers. The Farms Assurance role is very varied and requires a range of understanding of constantly changing requirements from our retail customers, I had to learn new skills (and still am!) and was allowed to decide what training was best to meet the role.
No day is the same - you can be helping growers prepare for a third-party produce/environmental audit, visiting farms to assess their biodiversity areas, reviewing new customer policies on pesticides, taking part in industry discussions on improvements to standards and even occasionally visiting our overseas growers.
With Brexit, environmental and climate change policies affecting our business and agriculture now and in the future, you have to horizon scan and look at what these changes will mean going forward. This is the best thing about working at Kettle, helping our growers meet these challenges. They may not always like making the change but they will appreciate the help!
After completing a two-year management development programme with Kettle Produce, which involved a number of placements across various departments, I secured a permanent role as Assistant Harvesting Manager.
I much prefer to be outside than anywhere else, so having the opportunity to work outdoors and learn about different crops is a great job, even in the rain!
Each day I can be found working with different type of crops, whether it be swede, salads, or Brussels sprouts. Walking and sampling crops takes up a lot of my time. I also co-ordinate harvesting and help the agronomy team. Weather is usually the main challenge, for example, heavy rain showers present harvesting challenges, or hot and humid conditions can cause crop growth to accelerate affecting harvest dates and yields.
My key tools for the job are my phone, my van for getting from field to field and my salad knife for sampling lettuce”
I started with the business 16 years ago as a Process Worker and I have progressed my career to my current role as Development Production Manager.
Most of my day is operational, ensuring that the factory is running as efficiently and safely as possible, whilst achieving the quality standards our customers expect.
It can be a demanding role especially at certain times of the year due to unpredictable weather conditions. I enjoy the fast pace of production and the fact that every day there is a new challenge. I also think that the people make Kettle Produce, there is such a diverse workforce that it makes it an enjoyable place to work”
After joining the business as a Graduate Team Leader working in production nearly 22 years ago, I have progressed and developed through the business to my current role as Distribution Manager.
The main function of the Distribution Department is to ensure orders are picked accurately and delivered to our customers. A typical day involves monitoring product availability, picking/loading progress and ensuring that departure is on time. I am in regular contact with my team and external hauliers.
A key challenge is building and developing our teams for future volume demands, ensuring every member of the team is adequately trained and multi-skilled where possible.
Distribution is at the end of our supply chain and we often work to tight deadlines. I am passionate about the job that I do and strive to instill the same values within the team"
I started working with Kettle Produce almost three years ago. Since then I have completed my AAT Modern Apprenticeship course and have spent my first two years working on Sales Ledger.
I deal with supplier invoices and credits, company expenses and prepare ledgers for the month end. On a day to day basis I liaise with internal customers and suppliers to resolve any queries or issues we may have.
I love the problem-solving element of my role. When I finally work out what has happened and have a solution, I feel I have achieved something"
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