Information and guidance for young people aged 13-19
AGRICULTURE AND FOOD
You might not have thought about a career in food and drink but it’s a large
and growing sector with plenty of opportunities – especially if you have an
entrepreneurial streak! From nature to plate someone needs to grow it, invent the
recipe, make it, test it for quality, package and distribute it. Businesses in the area
range from small ‘artisan’ (craftsperson) companies to large producers.
What is happening?
Skills & qualities
• Suffolk has a large farming community – pig and poultry
farming and cereal growing are extremely important.
• Food and drink sector has over 30 different industries
including bakery, dairy, confectionery, chilled and frozen
products.
• Over 8,200 people are employed in agriculture in Suffolk1
and 8,800 employed in food and drink in an increasingly
hi-tech sector.
Useful subjects
• Agri-food industry growing – skilled workers in demand.
• Around 170,000 people in the food and drink industry
across the UK are due to retire by 20202. That means lots
of skilled jobs to choose from.
• Job titles include quality technician, food technologist,
production planner, category managers, environmental
technologists, chocolatier, pastry chef, brewer and food
scientist. There are new roles for social responsibility and
sustainability.
• Shortage of bakers, flour confectioners, cheese makers,
food technologists (especially in confectionery), machine
operatives, managers and those skilled in quality
assurance.
• High demand for people with food science degrees and
production engineers. Skilled people are crucial for the
development of the industry as UK aims to become global
leader in sustainable, healthy and affordable food.
• The sector also supports
the local economy
through festivals such
as the Aldeburgh Food
and Drink festival and
tourism.
On the web
www.tastesuccess.co.uk
www.improveltd.co.uk
www.foodengineer.com
www.growcareers.info
www.lantra.co.uk
www.brightcrop.co.uk
Local employers
• Muntons
• Earnest Doe
• Greene King
• Gressingham
• Adnams
• Bird’s Eye
• Direct Table
Foods
• British Sugar
• Aspalls
• Copella
• Specialist high
quality food
producers
• Agricola
• Thurlow Nunn
• Claas
• Farms across
the county
What could you earn?*
Farmer
£26,500
Biological scientist
£38,100
Production engineer
£38,900
Quality assurance technician
£27,200
Packer
£17,100
Butcher
£18,700
Warehouse manager
£28,600
1 Invest in Suffolk 2 FDF * Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2014.
Average full-time (median) salary rounded to the nearest £100. Doesn’t include self employed.
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