As Head of Product Development – Fresh and Frozen at The Co-op, no two days are the same for Liz Cassells. From briefing in suppliers to testing new products with customers, Liz and her team are working hard to make sure that the products they develop are what customers want.

First and foremost, Liz shared that a passion for food is the most important thing with a future thinking approach to new products and being a team player coming in close behind. It takes a whole team to get a product from concept to launch and Liz and her team of product developers thrive on the challenges of how to do this in the fresh and frozen food category.

There is no typical day for Liz, one moment she might be thinking about global food trends, the next she might be reviewing the investments and capabilities of the many manufacturers that she works with. But one thing is for certain, her drive and ambition to turn a love of food into a fulfilling, fun and enjoyable career is obvious.

Liz’s advice to anyone who wants to turn their passion for food into a career is to take the opportunities to get experience as they arise, and if they don’t go out there and find them. Whether you are interested in food technology, food policy or product development the shared love of food and creating great products is a great place to start.