My major role is actually New Product Development (NPD). That is the main role of the Category Product Manager. It is all about product launches so we are marketing led – what I need to actually be able to do is know the market – that is part of a Category Product Manager’s role and from that you can then gauge the sorts of products you should be looking to launch. Well, the products we’ve actually been working on recently have been things like the Fairtrade Smoothies. Given the Co-operative Group’s background – as in we are an ethical trader and we are renowned for producing Fairtrade products - the market did look as if, we as a Group could actually be stocking Fairtrade Smoothies.

My idea was that we would launch a 100% Fairtrade Smoothie and there are very limited numbers of suppliers out in the market place that could actually fulfil that brief because I wanted it, if we were going to launch something that was 100% Fairtrade, that they could source all the ingredients that we needed to get in there. Looking at market data we realised that we needed to have at least a red fruit and some other type of Smoothie so that you have two sitting on the shelf so that you don’t just launch one product. Once we got that on board, it was then actually trying to find the right ingredients, the right mix, so that you do again visually get the product you’re looking for and also you then get the taste profile.

The most exciting and inspiring thing for my job I would say is the food element. It’s always something that’s been an interest for me. It’s been my background right the way through the Co-operative Group. And for me it’s actually being able to source products that you know consumers are going to want to buy at the end of the day. It is no good going there, launching something that I think everyone else is going to like. It’s actually being able to gauge correctly what the market is at that particular time. So following food trends, following media - anything that’s going on with regards to what’s the latest ingredient, what’s the latest phase or the latest fad. What are people interested in? And it’s anything relating to food – that’s what gets me out of bed in the morning definitely.