Keston is Volunteer of the Week for his help with the last three years of Student LaunchPads and signing up his organisation to group membership.
Image: The picture is of Keston in Pagham harbour….in front of a picture of Senegal.
How does it feel to be recognised as Volunteer of the week?
I feel honoured to be recognised for the work I’ve done with the IFST, thank you!. I have had a great career in this industry (so far) and I am an avid believer in ‘what you take out, you should put back in’.
Why is it important to be a member of a body like IFST?
The food sector is enormous, but desperately underrepresented in many specialist areas. The IFST brings together some great industry experts and minds, allowing other members to benefit and learn from their experiences. Collectively we are able to do great things and not only promote our industry, but to inspire a new generation of Food Scientists to join our industry.
What advice would you give to someone thinking about a career in Food Science?
There is so much more to Food Science than you could possibly imagine, involving a massively diverse range of food businesses from primary production through to retail. Once piece of advice; write to various businesses in different sectors in different sectors and ask for a visit. You will be amazed at the response you will get and how many companies are prepared to spare you a couple of hours. Don’t just think of the big multinationals, write to some of the smaller companies too. Get out there an meet people, go to various trade shows (which are free to attend), ask loads of questions and most importantly keep an open mind.
You’ve been involved with the Student LaunchPad for the past three years. Why do you think events like this are so important?
Events like the Student LaunchPad are very important for a number of reasons. It gives students a unique opportunity to meet with different people from different sectors of the food industry and ask loads of questions. In one day the students have the opportunity to meet other students, studying the same course in other universities, and speak to 10 industry experts on a 121 basis.
Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.
About 5 years ago I realised I wasn’t as fit as I used to be and bought a cheap mountain bike to reverse the downward trend. I cycled to the local shop and back (approx. 2miles) and spent the next two hours on the sofa recovering! 3 years ago I cycled the South Downs way (100miles off road in 13 hours nonstop) and this year I have cycled nearly 2000 miles (so far). It’s amazing what you can do if you put your mind to it! And yes I am one of those MAMIL’s (middle aged men in Lycra).
