Project background
Final-year student Summer Hibberd spent 14 months with McCain Foods in Scarborough, working at the heart of their Research & Development (R&D) team. McCain is one of the world’s best-known frozen food manufacturers - responsible for one in every four fries eaten globally and supplying major brands including McDonald’s, Greggs and Wetherspoon’s.
During her placement, Summer helped shape new product development, supported major commercial launches, and gained the confidence to take ownership of her own R&D projects.
What Summer worked on:
Summer joined McCain as an R&D Intern, supporting ongoing product development work across the team. As her confidence grew, her role expanded rapidly, allowing her to take full responsibility for her own projects.
Her responsibilities included:
- Supporting pilot plant and factory production trials
- Conducting cooking validations and abuse testing
- Preparing product samples for regulatory and sensory panel testing
- Managing technical documentation, including specification writing and report generation
- Leading her own end-to-end R&D projects, moving concepts from trial phase through to commercial launch
This hands-on role meant she contributed directly to several successful new products entering the market, including:
- A new retail hash brown recipe
- Chilli Cheese Bites for McDonald’s
- Seasoning development for the Vibes range extensions (Cheese & Onion and Pigs in Blankets)
My placement delivered invaluable personal growth and accelerated my professional clarity… it helped me apply my degree to real-world challenges and deepened my technical understanding.
Summer Hibberd, final year, Food Science student
Skills gained
Working at McCain gave Summer the chance to apply her Food Science knowledge directly to real industry problems, while developing new skills she’ll carry into her future career.
Technical and analytical skills
- Ingredient functionality and formulation
- Product performance testing and quality evaluation
- Writing specifications and technical reports
- Understanding cost-engineering in product design
Professional and personal development
- Navigating a corporate R&D environment
- Communicating findings clearly across teams and departments
- Project ownership and time management
- Building resilience, confidence and problem-solving skills
Support from the McCain team
McCain’s R&D team provided a structured, supportive environment that allowed Summer to grow with confidence and momentum. She was paired with a dedicated buddy who held weekly check-ins, received consistent one-to-one guidance from her manager, and followed a personalised development plan shaped by skills assessments and feedback from colleagues. Surrounded by a highly collaborative team culture that encouraged learning across departments, she was able to progress quickly—moving from supporting tasks to taking the lead on her own projects.
Project outcomes and impact
Summer made a significant contribution during her placement, enough that McCain extended her contract from 12 to 14 months.
Her impact included:
- Successful delivery of four commercially launched products
- Conducting a major quality investigation, identifying the root cause of a long-term issue
- Producing a sustainable action plan for the business to implement after her departure
These achievements gave her a clear sense of direction for her future career.
Looking ahead
Summer finishes her degree confident that R&D is where she belongs.
Her work at McCain demonstrates the value of taking on a professional placement - gaining experience with leading brands, applying classroom learning to real-world challenges, and building the confidence needed to step into a graduate role.
This placement confirmed that I want to work in R&D after graduation. It gave me clarity, skill development and the real industry experience I needed
Summer
Food Science and Production at NTU
Developments in food science are key to sustainably feeding the world’s growing population. At NTU, we’ll equip you to play a vital role in this global challenge. Taught by our dedicated team of food scientists and practitioners, you’ll get to grips with the different aspects of food development, working with industry-standard tools and technology in our specialist facilities.
Find out about our Food Science and Production courses