and Drink Industry

Domestic Science, Home Economics, Food Technology … whatever name Old Girls know this subject by, it has inspired and encouraged many to follow their passions and forge careers in the food and drink industry.

Alice Williamson (2005-2012), Category Manager at Freixenet Copestick

I loved my time at Bolton School and it has hugely shaped where I am today. My favourite subjects were Spanish and then Economics at A Level. I absolutely loved Miss Irvine’s Spanish lessons; I still sometimes use the chants to remember the past tense! I was never really sure what I wanted to go on to do and Mrs Shafiq gave me a great piece of advice that stuck with me: if you keep choosing subjects that you enjoy then you will end up doing something that you enjoy, and I can safely say that that has worked for me!

I went on to combine my two favourite subjects at degree level, studying International Management and Spanish at the University of Bath. This allowed me the opportunity to live in Chile for a year, where I worked as an intern in Export sales for the second largest wine company in Chile – VSPT. This stepped up my level of Spanish a huge amount and gave me my first proper look into business and the world of wine. I ended up loving the industry so much that I have stuck with it ever since, joining the marketing team of a wine company after graduating, working closely on the wine brand ‘I Heart Wines’. I found the increased responsibility and range of tasks you can get working for a smaller company hugely rewarding and working with suppliers internationally means that I do still get to practise my Spanish. After two years in marketing, I moved over to the category team as Category Manager. This involves identifying key trends in the wine/alcohol industries and advising on new product launches, as well as advising the key grocery retailers in the UK on how to improve their wine ranges and what are the up and coming trends (Crémant!). I have recently completed my WSET (Wine and Spirit Education Trust) Level 3 exam with a distinction and hope to undertake my diploma next (I have always quite enjoyed exams, but an exam where you get to taste wine is definitely a bonus!). To anyone interested in a career in wine I would say to go for it! It is a hugely exciting and fast-paced industry in the UK which opens doors internationally too, and what better career than to be surrounded by delicious wine! Whether it is something you are interested in or not, remember to keep choosing the things you enjoy, and it will guide you to something you love.

Anjali Pathak (Class of 1999), Chef and Food Writer I will always have a special place in my heart for my hometown of Bolton and the place I made my childhood memories – Bolton School. Like most children, I loved some subjects more than others, and even though I did not choose to take it for GCSE, I loved Home Economics and have fond memories of Mrs Haslam and Mrs Smalley. After leaving School I did a combined degree in Business, Mathematics and Computer Science and not long after graduating I joined New Product Development at my family business, Patak’s. The invaluable experience I gained working across different business functions gave me solid foundations for everything that was due to unfold. After learning the secrets to building a successful global food business, I decided to improve my chef skills and I moved to London to train in traditional French cuisine at Leiths School of Food and Wine. I loved it!

Soon after, equipped with my newly-acquired professional chef qualification, I decided to start my own food consultancy in London curating dining experiences and teaching cookery masterclasses across venues in the capital and eventually foodie cities around the world. I worked with some of the biggest names in the industry and wrote an award-winning cookbook sharing recipes close to my heart: Secrets from my Indian Family Kitchen. It wasn’t long before I started to develop a start-up idea and I was ready to take on my next challenge. I packed my bags, my knives and my dreams and moved to Mumbai in India to build the country’s first-ofits-kind dining concept. My start-up – ‘Flavour Diaries’ – was a luxury space for private dining experiences and immersive cookery masterclasses in International food. We were the only luxury food exploration space when I launched my concept in 2015. There are now venues popping up all over cities in India. I feel incredibly proud to have started a lifestyle revolution; an excitement around food and global flavours that has now crossed borders and has become my biggest achievement.

I couldn’t have done any of it without the unconditional love and support from my parents. They continue to be my source of advice and inspiration. I feel blessed to have started my life journey at Bolton School, to meet the wonderful people I have the honour of calling my friends today, and to lean on the teachings that have shaped my career. The food and beverage industry is fiercely competitive and not for the faint-hearted. It takes hard work, commitment and sacrifice. Keep an inquisitive mind and never stop asking questions as there is always more to learn.

Hannah Barlow (née Mathew, 1992-2002), Managing Director at Dunsters Farm My favourite subjects at School were History, English Literature and Design Technology, although I think my favourite teacher was Miss Dickinson – a miracleworker who, with her quiet and kind manner, made Maths make sense to me! I enjoyed playing netball, lacrosse and tennis and, despite initially being pretty terrified of Mrs McCulloch, I remember her lessons fondly, and she instilled in me a passion for sports and the importance of true teamwork. After School I completed a BSc in Management at UMIST and later gained a Professional PR Diploma with the Chartered Institute Public Relations. Thanks to a thirst for learning instilled in me by Bolton School, I continue to this day to enjoy every opportunity to learn new skills. My current role is as Managing Director of our third-generation family foodservice, Dunsters Farm. Despite growing up with the family business, neither my brother, Tom Mathew (1994-2005) nor I were ever encouraged to join it; instead we both pursued independent careers. I worked for a social care organisation, heading up the PR and Comms team, which was a rewarding and fascinating role. However, in 2014 I decided to join the family business alongside Tom, initially in an operational role before moving to my current role in 2021. My first ever boss was extremely influential in my decision to take the risk and move into the family business. He not only offered me the opportunity to see how a good business should operate, but also gave me the confidence to make decisions and not be afraid to admit when you may have got something wrong. My grandparents are probably my biggest inspiration. They started our family business nearly 60 years ago as a milk round and built it up before my parents took it on. My grandad was passionate about helping others and making the business successful to benefit his local area and provide good employment. If he was still alive, he’d probably have a lot to say about some of my decisions, but I also hope he’d be proud. We recently picked up an award for Flexible Work at the Greater Manchester Good Employment Awards and my grandma was one of the first people I told. She doesn’t say much, but I’d like to think she, too, is proud of what Tom and I are trying to achieve. Communication, communication, communication is essential for my job – my background in PR and Marketing gave me a great insight into the importance of communication in business, yet I’m always fascinated at how easy it is to ‘think’ you have communicated something, when in fact, you have not done so effectively at all! I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Bolton School – not only did I gain a well-rounded education which has provided me with many opportunities, but I also made great friends who, like me, enjoyed throwing themselves into every activity on offer. The principles instilled in me – of hard work, commitment and having the confidence to speak up and challenge where necessary – have supported me throughout my career. To those considering joining a family business, my advice would be to gain experience within other businesses first – the lessons you learn will support you and help bring another dimension to your family business. For those considering a career in a predominantly male-dominated industry such as foodservice, I’d tell them not to be deterred: there are some great opportunities out there!

Jenny Hardwick (1994-2007), Regulatory and Nutrition Manager at Britvic plc I love to look back on the truly amazing time I had at Bolton School. Without a doubt, my favourite subject was Food Technology. As soon as I could get into the kitchens, I did! I used to pay my £1 contribution for the Wednesday cookery club when I was in Juniors to tide me over until I could take the subject in Senior School. Mrs Smalley and Mrs Haslam were my teachers and they most certainly contributed to my love for the subject. They taught with such passion and their depth of knowledge in the subject was totally inspiring. I loved to learn about the chemical composition of foods and ingredients (which was saying something, as I wasn’t so good at Science!) and then applying it practically by making all kinds of tasty recipes which I used to devour on the School bus home. When I left School I knew that I was destined to work in food, so I took a BSc degree in Food and Nutrition at Sheffield Hallam University and from there specialised in the ever-popular subject of Nutrition by taking an MSc in Nutrition at King’s College London. Since graduating I have worked at some of the world’s largest food manufacturers, including Nestlé and Unilever, taking on roles centred around improving the nutritional profile of world-leading brands by reducing sugars and calories whilst maintaining taste. Childhood obesity is one of the biggest public health crises faced today; there is huge pressure on the food industry to act responsibly with marketing and launching products which are of nutritional value, including the addition of protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals. My current role at Britvic Soft Drinks as Nutrition and Regulatory Manager supports the launch of innovative, healthy drinks into the market. The Regulatory aspect is essentially Food Law Labelling which is where we ensure that all mandatory information required on the label is present and that any claims we make in relation to the product aren’t misleading. Hard work comes with great perks. Last year I was lucky enough to be invited to attend Wimbledon to watch Roger Federer play on Centre Court, thanks to our brand ‘Robinsons’ being a major sponsor of the tournament! I still count myself extremely fortunate that I found a career in food and drink and I owe that to the support from my parents and from the teachers at Bolton School who helped spark the passion I have for food.

Jo Bishop (née Carr, 1988-1995), Innovation Marketing Manager at Warburtons I have been with Warburtons for just over 19 years and done a variety of roles in that time, starting as an Assistant Brand Manager, Brand Manager and then moving on to Senior Brand Manager before going on maternity leave. On my return, I came back as a Digital Marketing Manager which was a newly-created role at the time and just as social media was really starting to unfold. I then moved into a Shopper Marketing Manager role which gave me a great experience working with the retailers and understanding their needs before moving into the role I am currently in just over seven years ago. My role now involves coming up with ideas for new product launches and then working with other functions within Warburtons to understand whether they are feasible – the main consideration being that there is a consumer need for them, but also a benefit for Warburtons and for the retailers. My interest in the food industry began during my time at Bolton School as I studied Home Economics, as it was back then, and went on to do Food Studies A Level. I always loved my Home Economics lessons with Mrs Haslam and Mrs Smalley and looked forward to them every week. We had such fun and learnt so many new skills. Home Ec really gave you the confidence to try new things and just ‘have a go’ in a safe environment. We used to have to have the oldfashioned Home Ec ‘baskets’ and hated having to carry them on the bus whenever we had a lesson!

A group of us also got involved in a competition called ‘Young Consumer of the Year’ through Home Ec which meant that we spent a lot of time with Mrs Haslam and all formed a really close bond and I think my involvement in this competition is where my interest in the FMCG industry started. I loved being part of a team and working together with my friends which is key for the role I am in now as it requires a lot of collaboration with various stakeholders across the business.

I look back fondly on my time at Bolton School as it gave me the best start in life – it gave me confidence to have an opinion, speak up for what I believe is right whilst also giving me lifelong friendships.

Katherine Swift (née Conlon, 1983-1990), Founder and CEO of OMG Matcha Tea

I have so many wonderful memories from my time at Bolton School. My favourite subjects were French, Geography and Art and since leaving school I obtained a Joint Honours in Modern Languages (French and Spanish), influenced not only by my courses, but also the opportunities I had to do exchanges during my time there. My favourite teachers, if I must choose, were Mrs Fisher (Art) and Mrs Keenan (Geography). My stand-out memories are mostly from School trips to Cautley, Scarborough, Vichy on French exchange and, best of all, a Geography field trip to Berlin in the Sixth Form – we were there literally two days before the Berlin Wall came down in 1989.

My experience at Bolton School provided me with a strong foundation to adapt to a variety of different roles and industries throughout my career, and most importantly, the confidence to believe in myself and take risks.

I had a successful career in media and fundraising when a significant life event had such a profound impact on me that I completely changed the course of my career in a way that I never would have expected. In January 2010, my mum was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. I vowed to do everything I could do to help her and started working with a breast cancer charity that funds world-class research. I spent a lot of time in the research unit and was fascinated to see what was being discovered. The Research Director had an interest in antioxidants, and I found out about the potential green tea had to fight disease. If my mum was going to drink any green tea, it had to be the best, and it was then that I discovered matcha. We both started drinking matcha green tea and felt great, my mum was taking back some control that her illness robbed from her and I was doing something positive to help. I felt so passionate about matcha that, five years after my mum’s diagnosis, I launched OMGTea, a specialist matcha green tea company. A year after starting OMGTea, I also founded The Healthy Life Foundation, a charity that funds research into age related diseases, including cancer. Starting my own business and The Healthy Life Foundation are my greatest career achievements by far, but I have found entrepreneurship tough at times, particularly at the beginning. Self-belief, strong communication skills, focus and determination are just a few qualities required to be a successful entrepreneur. I was fortunate to have developed these skills during my time at Bolton School And lastly, I can guarantee you that without the skills I developed at Bolton School, such as thinking on my feet and public speaking, I never would have had the courage to go on Dragons’ Den in 2019 and live to tell the tale! But that’s a story for another time …