Lucy
Green

Why did you choose to study your course at NTU?

I love baking, and I'm also very keen on nutrition and health. I was initially looking at dietetics, but I realised I wanted to do baking and develop my baking skills. I knew I wanted to do something related to food. I didn’t think food science to begin with, I just knew I liked baking. I found the course by typing “baking course” into Google. I saw that the Foundation Degree in Artisan Food Production covered a little bit of nutrition and was really keen on how the course offered the science side and the hands-on side. I love the setting and the farm-to-fork approach, learning holistically about the whole side of food.

What did you enjoy most about your course?

I think I’d say the variety of different things. On the practical side, it wasn’t just one set thing; it was bread, viennoiserie, dairy, and patisserie. It was things I really couldn’t learn at home, really beneficial. Also, I loved how it was a small course, and you could just ask all your questions. I felt like I could really learn so much from the tutors—they have so much knowledge. The School of Artisan Food’s setting and it being linked to the bakehouse and local small business really brought it to life when we were doing our business plans. Ian (our main tutor) had set up his own business and could give me real-life examples and practical tips. We had people come in who had set up things as well.

What would you tell someone considering doing the course?

If you are really keen on practical work, then the course is definitely for you.

What have you been up to since graduating?

I’ve been working in New Product Development at Froneri in North Yorkshire since August 23. It’s a big ice cream company, and we supply most of the supermarkets and a number of big-name brands, such as Cadbury, Rowntree’s and Haagen-Dazs. I did need the degree to get the role I’m in. In fact, I think perhaps the way I did the degree studying with The School of Artisan Food (SAF) and then topping up to a BSc gave me an unusual level of practical experience that might have helped my CV standout. So the course doesn’t just lead to bakery work - it’s very varied.

In my current job, we work with a lot of teams within the company. Sometimes I’m developing, working on recipes, sending them off to customers, tweaking them if they’ve got feedback, and applying the changes they want. Within that there’s a lot of paperwork – nutrition, labelling etc. Sometimes, we’re down in the factory when we have trials, looking at the products on the lines and seeing how they’re doing.

My studies have very much helped me to do the role I'm doing now. Food science has been a big part of this job. Weekly, we try to have sessions in food science in ice cream, and lots of that has come through university. This role is a bit less practical than at SAF, but the general practice of working in the kitchen and working with other people is a big part of the job. Part of my role is meeting new customers and pitching our products to them and for that, my work at SAF on pitching ideas and business plans comes in useful.

I have also set up a little bakery business from home – it’s really small scale so I just get the odd commission. I have been doing that since before uni, but when I went to a market this Christmas and operated it more like a business. Before, it was just friends and family, but I now have a brand name, and I'm hoping to do a few more artisan markets when I can fit it around work. I have a few orders for wedding cakes too, and I’m hoping to develop that in future years.

If you had a time machine, what would you go back and tell yourself at NTU?

In the first year, I probably got a bit too stressed about things that I didn’t need to. Ask lots of questions. I think sometimes I would write loads and loads to say one thing. Plan well for assignments and upcoming projects so that you know the main points you want to come across and they can come out in a more efficient way.

What would you recommend about the campuses?

If you like the countryside, Brackenhurst is definitely the place for you – you’re so close to nature, you can just walk out in the fields. I loved it, especially in lockdown; I loved that I could just go out for walks. You have a tight knit community – you do feel like you get to know people more. And it’s near Southwell so you can get involved in community life. It’s a bit different from being in a uni bubble. You can get involved in wider things. It was similar at the SAF campus, it’s a different experience. I loved it and loved the setting and the facilities.

Any additional comments:

Studying at SAF and NTU really opens up your opportunities and widens your views – it’s a really good starting point for a future career.