Brompton Academy

Food and Drink

What kind of person do I need to be? You will need to have a genuine interest in food production and preparation as well as the ability to work with strict hygiene rules. An understanding of nutrition and health matters will be an advantage, and for scientific roles an aptitude for science and mathematics will be impor tant. Many job roles will require you to provide a service to customers, motivate others or enforce regulations. You will therefore need to have excellent communication skills and a confident approach when dealing with people. How do I get there? For scientific and technical roles you will need to achieve a degree in a subject such as food science, dietetics, microbiology, chemistry or even chemical engineering. In some cases a postgraduate qualification may be necessary. Alternatively, you could find employment within your preferred industry sector as a laboratory technician and work towards a Diploma in Applied Sciences or a Diploma in Laboratory Science. Specialist industries such as brewing will require you to achieve a specifically tailored qualification. Entry into scientific and technical roles can also be achieved through apprenticeship programmes but oppor tunities also exist for training in areas such as catering and hospitality. A variety of awards, cer tificates and diplomas from Level 1 upwards are also on offer.

What skills will I learn? As a scientist or healthcare professional working with food and drink, you could be; testing the safety and quality of food products, analysing new ingredients, investigating how to keep food fresh, creating fat free products, providing nutritional information or highlighting the benefits of healthy eating. You could also be developing specialist technical skills in biochemistry, chemical engineering or product development. In other related sectors, you could learn how to prepare, cook and present food; run a business in line with food hygiene regulations, plan menus, serve drinks, advise on beverages, sell specialist food products, or provide a first class silver service.