Penny Hosking
Working as: TECHNICAL MANAGER for Southmark Quality Foods.
Age: 28
Earning: $55,000 - $70,000
In a nutshell: “My job has three main parts: looking after the company’s food safety programme, carrying out product and process development and selecting raw material for us to use.”
Why?
“ The best thing about this job is the variety.”
Here at Southmark we prepare buttercup squash (pumpkin), and prepare and package it in different ways (e.g. in pieces, or in a puree) mainly for customers overseas.
There are three main parts to my job: looking after the company’s food safety programme, carrying out product and process development and selecting raw material for us to use.We buy large amounts of vegetables from packhouses who sell it on behalf of growers. We check it out and look for the right characteristics, such as colour, sweetness, moisture, etc.
Currently Southmark is a seasonal business, so from August to December we’re actively looking for different products we can produce.
What it involves
Processing season is from January to July and is a busy time for us. Usually I’ll be out visiting the vegetable packhouses to inspect and test the raw material, reviewing quality control records, and answering technical questions from our customers.
In this job you have to be able to multi-task. You need to be a good communicator, and be able to relate well to all types of people.
You also need to have a real passion for food and be good at problem solving.
Being part of a small business (we have eight permanent staff) has exposed me to many aspects of managing a business. I’m part of the management team and I’m sure the skills I’ve learnt will help me in future management positions.
Getting here
At school I took physics and chemistry in 5th and 6th form, and then went straight to Massey University to study Food Technology.
My Dad worked at Massey University so he was able to tell me about some of the courses there. I was good at maths and science and liked cooking, and the more I found out about the course the more it appealed.
After I graduated my first job was at Sealord where I started in at the shellfish factory dealing with customer enquiries, product inspection, packaging etc.
Most exciting project
When I was at Sealord, McDonalds invited a group of different companies to come and present ideas for new products. The idea they liked the best was a fish nugget, made out of hoki.
With a bit of feedback we further refined the product, such as the crispy coating and shape, and then I travelled to Hong Kong, and Singapore for consumer research to see what people thought of the nuggets. We got to watch focus groups discussing our product live via video, which was really interesting.
Life outside of work
I’m a real foodie through and through and I love going to wineries, restaurants, farmers markets and entertaining friends! Working here in the Hawkes Bay has fuelled my passion for food. I love looking at foodie magazines, and I try to make a completely new recipe once a week.
(Profile courtesy of Futureintech – www.futureintech.com).
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Real people talk about their jobs in food science, technology & engineering (courtesy of Futureintech: www.futureintech.com):
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 Rachel Johns, Product Development Technologist for iconic prepared foods manufacturer Heinz Wattie's, Hastings.
 John Evans, Operations Manager for drinks manufacturer Phoenix Organics, Auckland.
 Penny Hosking, Technical Manager for buttercup squash processor and exporter Southmark Quality Foods, Hastings.
 Emily Choi, Product Development Technologist for prepared foods manufacturer Heinz Wattie's, Hastings.
 Tracey Petley-Hibbs, Process Technologist for sweetmaker, Nestlé Confectionery, Auckland.
 Andrew Hutton, Product Development Technologist for prepared foods manufacturer Heinz Wattie's, Hastings.
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 Yvette Temple, Senior Product Developer for biscuit manufacturer Griffins, Auckland.
More profiles of careers in food technology at Futureintech: www.futureintech.com. | |
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