14 May 2008


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Calling all foodies…start a career at Sainsbury's

Quality Food Awards

Sainsbury's

Taste the World

Key calendar dates
Quality Food Awards 2008

The Quality Food Awards has teamed up with Sainsbury's to launch a scheme to attract foodies who are keen to pursue a career in food development.

Taste the World: career opportunity

The Sainsbury's Taste the World initiative is open to students, school leavers or food industry employees over the age of 18.

The winning candidate receives on-the-job training for a year within Sainsbury's food technology and development division as part of a package.

As well as giving someone a superb opportunity to get his or her food development career off to a flying start, the scheme is designed to combat the skill shortage facing the food industry.

The UK's food and drink manufacturing sector currently employs 500,000 people and accounts for 15% of the country's total manufacturing activity.

But, according to the Food and Drink Sector Skills Council, the sector will need to recruit and train up to 200,000 entrants by 2014 in order to maintain those levels.

Specifically, latest research estimates a shortage of food scientists and technologists, which is expected to continue into the future unless action is taken.

Judith Batchelar, director of Sainsbury's brand, said: "Sainsbury's is committed to quality and innovation. Recruiting, investing and retaining the people that can deliver that quality and innovation is central to Sainsbury's strategy.

"The launch of the Sainsbury's Taste the World scheme in collaboration with the Quality Food Awards signals our commitment to developing new food talent."

The first stage will require applicants to submit a 250-word application or, if feeling really creative, post a three to four minute video clip onto the web site www.food-school.com explaining why they should be awarded a place.

An expert panel of food gurus, including Quality Food Awards' judges and Sainsbury's personnel, will judge the video clips and written applications.

The final stage will focus on an interview, with the food gurus giving candidates a chance to impress on the panel why they should win a coveted place on the scheme, as well as a chance to show off their culinary skills with a 'ready steady cook'- style challenge.

The winning candidate will be announced at the Quality Food Awards dinner on 27 November at Battersea Evolution, London.

By Fiona Briggs

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