In general terms, a buyer is someone who works within the purchase and supply field of the food industry. The kind of company the buyer works for will determine what sort of products or materials they will source. For example, if you have a buyer food job in a manufacturing or processing company, you will be sourcing raw materials for new products, whereas if you work for a supermarket or other retail company, you will mainly be sourcing finished goods or packaging to sell to consumers.
How to get these kinds of food jobs
As well as having incredibly high standards for quality, you must also be able to keep a watchful eye on market developments, and the buying trends and demands of consumers. You also need the following set of key skills:
• Organisation and time-management - to enable you to see a project through to completion
• Excellent communication skills -in order to liaise with colleagues and develop strong working relationships with suppliers
• Problem solving - You need to be able to think on your feet, and come up with effective solutions as and when problems arise.
In addition to this, a business-related or specialist qualification will definitely be an advantage, as will any relevant experience. A further way into this kind of food job is to undertake a training scheme or buyer apprenticeship programme.
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