Meat our members: Debs Stevenson

Debs chats to us about how she came to work in the meat industry, more about her role and a great piece of advice she was given when younger.

Tell us more about how you got to where you are today. What was your career path and how did you end up in your current role?

It is quite strange my route into the Food Industry, I am actually an English Graduate and started down the path of becoming a teacher! I took on a temporary role at another Food Manufacturers in Hull thinking it was a marketing / admin role and it was actually a technical role. I learnt a lot from the role but it was quite a short contract so I moved onto Cranswick where I’ve worked mainly in Technical with a short stint in another team.

What do you enjoy most about your role and working in the meat industry?

I get to be involved in some really interesting projects which strengthens the work that we do and makes us a trusted company. Working in the meat industry is varied and often seen as a man’s world but I like that the industry has changed a lot even from when I first stepped into it. It is developing a lot.

Tell us a little about a project you’ve been involved with in your career that you feel proud of, or passionate about.

I am involved with a number of projects around Food Fraud. I get to present to retailers, my colleagues and other peers about the work we do. Our TACCP work has been recognised as industry leading and has been audited to a very high standard. I know how much work goes into this by me and the team I work in so it is a huge compliment that it is received so well.

What do you think we could do to encourage more gender diversity in the meat industry?

For me, I don’t particularly work in a role that is seen as a male driven role but there are still roles out there that do have that stigma attached to them such as Butchery – it is a fantastic skill to have and really sets you apart from other candidates.

What’s the best piece of career (or personal) advice you’ve been given?

The best piece of advice I have been given is from my dad that you must trust your gut always, even if your heart is pulling at your emotions, your gut knows when something is right and when something is wrong.

What do you think the meat industry could do to ensure that we attract and retain top female (and male) talent?

Keep showcasing the varied roles available, how you can develop yourself in the industry and keep following trends of what attracts people to workplaces when looking for new roles. In addition, supporting working mums with hybrid working so that they can have both!

Find out more about #SheLooksLikeMe here

Find out more about membership here