Pilgrims Technical role

Can you talk me through your previous experience in relation to technical or similar roles?

S - As part of my degree I completed a placement at St Anns hospice, during this placement I worked in their professional kitchen, under the catering manager, ensuring food quality and safety.

T - For my project, I was tasked with ensuring all documentation was up to date and all HACCP regulations were being met to ensure consumer safety.

A - I did this by establishing the prerequisites, I went through documentation and interviewed kitchen staff on: previous training, cleaning schedules, personal hygiene and PPE requirements, waste management, pest control and other requirements. From this I could start to conduct my hazard analysis and make sure all 7 HACCP principles were being followed. I made my own documentation on the critical control points and critical limits as St Ann’s methods were slightly dated. I presented my project to the catering manager and suggested making the kitchen records more accessible for long term use.

R - As a result, at the end of my placement St Anns was visited by environmental health to ensure they were following all the correct procedures and they passed with flying colours. This was a great opportunity to put my HACCP level 3 to use, apply my knowledge and see a professional audit take place.

What is your understanding of your role?

My understanding of this role is ensuring that food products are safe, legal, and of consistent quality from "farm to fork". These roles act as the bridge between product development and production, managing the scientific and regulatory aspects of food manufacturing. Responsibilities include:

What attracted you to this role and how does it fit into your future ambitions?

Pilgrims - IFST we met with I met Nicola leech and Hannah Wilson who inspired me to persue a career at pilgrims – they were professional and friendly, made a daunting hiring process less intimidating – presented the compact and scheme really well.

Morrisons - Morrisons is the 2nd biggest food manufacturing company in the country and british farmings number 1 direct costumers. They also pride themselves in food traceability, something i think is really important. I beleive this is the perfect company to start my career in, I want to help make a difference and to contine supoorting british farmers. I care about consumer safety and doing the right thing, this is why i’ve this role in quality control, im ambitious to increase my knowledge.

What skills do you think the QA Technician would need to be successful in this role?

Communication, leadership, attention to detail, approachable/ personal skill (D of E, Uni projects)

What experience have you had dealing with complaints?

S - I work in a busy pub behind the bar which is a customer facing role, in this role costumers sometime complain about a pint they have been served and didn’t taste right and believed the beer might have gone off.

T - My responsibility was to address the complaint professionally, investigate the issue, and make sure the customer left satisfied while also ensuring product quality was maintained.

A - I listened carefully to the customer’s concern and apologised for the inconvenience. I replaced the drink immediately and checked the tap and barrel to make sure there wasn’t an issue with the line or the keg. I also informed the supervisor so the line could be checked as part of our quality control process. Throughout the interaction I remained calm and polite to ensure the customer felt their concern was taken seriously.

R - The customer appreciated the quick response and was happy with the replacement drink. By checking the tap and investigating the line, I ensured there were no wider quality issues affecting other customers. The situation reinforced the importance of responding quickly to feedback and maintaining product quality standards.

How do you find work independently and as part of a small team?

I don’t mind working independently or within a small team, I make myself work tasks and prioritise my work effectively to stay organised.

S - In my final year of uni I have had to complete honours project, this is a task which i had to work independently on.

T - This task included: finding an area of research which interested me, finding and analysing previous literature which was relevant to my topic, decided a method which would be best and provide the best results. Then independently conducted my study, analysed and interpreted the results to create a final research conclusion.

A - As this was a large and challenging project which tackled I independently, I had to ensure i was organised and managed my time well. I set weekly deadlines to follow to ensure my progress was consistent.

R - This enabled me to stay on track and produce a detailed yet consise piece of research. These strict deadlines have also allowed for a balance between part time work and other university deadlines.

Can you tell me what your understanding is of a high care manufacturing environment? Have you had any experience working in one

A high care manufacturing environments handles high risk food, these are foods which do not get any further heating or processing done to them. These are typically perishable ready to eat foods which will go directly consumer. I have experience working in a kitchen preparing and serving high risk foods to a consumer. I handled food which had to be kept below a certain temperature, I upheld food hygiene standards and therefore safe to go directly to the consumer. These foods can’t be reheated.

Can you give me some examples of what micro issues we are likely to have at site with our high care product range (what are the main bacteria we need to control)?

Listeria, E.Coli, Pathogens, Staph A, Yeast / moulds, Salmonella

What do you think could be the source of these issues (bacterias)?

Drains, Cross contamination, Poor hygiene, Out of date ingredients / poor stock rotation. Poor personal hygiene, High care areas, High level condensation / chiller units

What kind of support could you provide for the production team to help investigate these issues (bacteria)?

• Provide micro results.

• Explain potential sources and controls required.

• Assist with investigation.

• Improve staff awareness.

• Agree corrective actions.

• Follow up on action plan

What experience have you had completing audits to monitor compliance to systems or processes? (GMPs, on line checks etc)

St Anns Hospice experience - Hygiene audits, On line quality checks, metal, glass

How do you think these audits help minimise food safety risks?

• Check compliance to procedures

• Check standards are met

• Look for continuous improvement

• Identify non conformance

• Enable corrective actions to be implemented

If you noticed a potential food safety issue whilst carrying out an audit or during a walk round, how would you deal with it?

Raise immediately with team member / team leader / supervisor. Explain why it is a food safety issue. Explain what action would be required to correct the issue. Follow up to ensure the issue has been effectively actioned. Raise an NC to capture relevant details and corrective actions. Place product on hold

How would you gain sufficient knowledge to carry out an audit / inspection in a department where you had little or no experience?

• Spend time in the department learning the process.

• Speak with the staff and Supervisors/ Managers ask questions.

• Review previous inspections / audits in this area.

• Speak with other QA Techs

How do you ensure standards are maintained and improved in your current job?

S - While working in a busy pub, it was important to maintain high service and hygiene standards, especially under pressure.

T - My role was to make sure that drinks were served correctly, the bar area remained clean and organised, and that customers consistently received a high standard of service.

A - To maintain standards, I followed established procedures for preparing and serving drinks, including correct glassware, measurements, and presentation. I also made sure the bar was regularly cleaned and equipment such as taps and glass washers were checked throughout the shift. If I noticed small issues, such as glassware running low or a bar area becoming cluttered, I addressed them early to prevent them affecting service. I also paid attention to feedback from customers and colleagues so I could adjust and improve how I worked.

R - By consistently following procedures and being proactive, I helped maintain a smooth and efficient service even during busy periods. This contributed to positive customer experiences and ensured the pub maintained its standards for cleanliness, service, and product quality.

Can you give me an example of when you had to organise your own time to ensure that all tasks have been completed on time?

Balancing work and university

What experience have you had working with managers or people at a higher level?

Have you had any experience with BRCGS global standard for food? What do you know about it?

How would you communicate changes that affect others, to get them to support the changes and make them happen?

What kind of support do you think is required for staff carrying out CCP tasks to ensure compliance to procedures?

Internal audits, Procedure training Shadow / coaching / observing, Visual aids, Talk to staff, Explain the reason for the procedure

This QA position is working a night shift, which would mean you would be the only QA contact on site during this time. What skills/ experience can you bring to the role to show you are confident to work alone?

Lifeguarding

In your current job what decisions regarding day-to-day work do you make?

Morrisons Values

Customers first, Teamwork, Listening hard, responding quickly wherever possible, Freedom in the framework, Driving sales, tough on costs, We care

Question for them

If today went well and I end up getting the role what can i do for you to look back to make sure your glad i was chosen for the role?