Profile

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Rebecca Reason

    • About Me:

      I live in Leicester with my family and dog, we love football and walking in the woods. I am a food scientist, developing new food products for people all over the world.

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      I have a life long ambition to make (and eat) the perfect chocolate cake. I will continue this quest forever as I don’t think it exists!

      Since I was tiny, I have always been interested by food and love to eat and cook new things. I am very fortunate that I get to travel in my job so can try foods from around the world.

      I like to explore and try new experiences outside food like new sports (watching and taking part), games and music to try and keep my mind as open as possible.

    • My pronouns are:

      she / her

    • My Work:

      Develop new food products for people around the world as their diets and likes and dislikes change. Love seeing the products I have developed in supermarkets.

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      Studied food science at university, worked in chocolate for a few years before moving to savory snackfoods. I have worked in lots of jobs during my career which means that I have worked on a lot of products you will have eaten (maybe even over the last week!).

      I love my job because it is solving problems with a team of people. We each bring different bits of the puzzle to fix it. My piece of the puzzle is bringing understanding of what the eater of the food wants, why they want it and how to make it in a way that is possible on the machines we have, sustainable and realistic.

    • My Typical Day:

      I often spend the morning in the office and kitchen at work. In our kitchen we make samples that people who are testing our snacks will look at and taste and decide if they like or not. We often make very crazy things – last week I made something pretty odd that I am sure people will probably hate, but it is interesting to see why they hated it as much as why they love something.

      I normally spend most of the afternoon on different video calls talking with people in America where most the teams I work with are based. I do this at home so I can be with my dog. We are trying to make decisions or solve problems on the calls. Sometimes though I have to get up very early and do these calls with Australia or China.

      I am lucky as I get to travel with my job approximately once a month.

    • What I'd do with the prize money:

      I would like to invest the money in mentoring pupils who are young carers. They have such a challenge in so many parts of their lives and I would love to be able to support them in a way that gave them practical flexible STEM career secondments as and when they were able to manage with their carer commitments.

    Candidate CV questions (extra)

    • Education:

      Holmfirth High School – GCSEs

      Greenhead College – A Levels

      Reading University – Degree

    • Qualifications:

      GCSE’s in Maths, English, Science etc

      A Levls – Maths, Chemistry, Geography

      Degree – Food Science (with a year out in industry which was really useful for helping me decide what job I did and didn’t want)

    • Work History:

      Nestle Rowntrees – Food Scientist x3 Years

      Nestle Rowntrees – Supply Chain x2 Years

      Nestle Rowntrees – Marketing x2 Years

      PepsiCo – Flavour Scientist – x3 Years

      PepsiCo – Product Development Short Term x5 Years

      PepsiCo – Product Development Long Term x5 Years

      PepsiCo – Product Development Early Stage Innovation x3 Years

    • Current Job:

      PepsiCo – Product Development Early Stage Innovation x3 Years

    • Employer:

      PepsiCo

    • My Interview

      • What did you want to be after you left school?

        I am strange as unlike most people, I did know that I wanted to be work with food from being quite young, initially I wanted to be a baker and then work for someone like my current company

        Were you ever in trouble at school?

        Only really for talking too much....

        If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?

        Nurse / Midwife (I like looking after people)

        Who is your favourite singer or band?

        Kasabian

        What's your favourite food?

        Tapas (so can get a mix of different foods all at the same time)

        If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!

        To end global hunger, For Liverpool to keep winning, For my family and I to go on a luxury round the world trip for at least 3 years (so I can hunt for that perfect chocolate cake)

        Tell us a joke.

        What did the baby chicken say when it's mum laid an orange? Look what ma(r)ma laid!

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