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Fresh Produce

Stephen Jones Joint MD of Focus Management used to be a Fresh Produce Buyer for Marks & Spencer and he still views the sector as one of the key lynch pins of any successful retailer. "Fresh" produce by its very definition has to be Fresh. The curling cabbage or limp lettuce tells you so much about a retailers performance. Its merchandising, its ranging, sourcing and supply chain all on view at the front of the store. There are not many places for anyone in the growing, supplying or selling of fresh produce to hide, the product is not hidden - its on display and as such the pressure is truly on.

Salary levels in fresh produce are on average higher than the majority of other categories within the food sector. This is not true of every discipline, but certainly General Management, Commercial and Technical roles do command market leading salaries. The reason? Produce can be a closed shop and if you are good you will be recognized and coveted. The roles can be relatively specialized as there are not hundreds of agronomists and people with specific product knowledge, so they are always in demand. Equally the positions can be very highly pressurized. Growing cycles, crop issues, weather conditions can all lead to real spikes in supply and demand which can in return offer significant reward for the high achievers in the sector.