Fresh Produce Jobs UK

One week later and the team here at MorePeople have just about recovered from last week's busy schedule! As sponsors of both IFST's annual lecture and the Young Person of the Year at 2011's re:fresh awards, resources were juggled and shirts pressed to allow the team to hit the City and join in the fun.

At the re:fresh awards, held at the Intercontinental Hotel on London's Park Lane, Jack Hanson (pictured), trader at Greencell, was crowned the MorePeople Young Person of the year for 2011. Within 12 months of joining Greencell in January 2010, Jack has been responsible for £1million worth of turnover and believes he can double that by the end of this year. The management team at Greencell were excited by the knowledge that Jack bought with him to the role which has enabled him to drive sales quickly. The judges selected Jack to win the award for his 'superb commitment to building a career and his self-made success'.

It was a tight category and we would like to congratulate Dean Garcia of Dole Fresh UK and Joanna Rhodes of Hayford & Rhodes for making it through to the final stage.

MorePeople would also like to bask in a little reflective glory as Dean is a graduate of the MorePerformance Leadership programme and we also spotted Jack's potential and recommended him to Greencell in the first place!

Just a couple of weeks earlier, Suzanne Moss (pictured) beat off stiff competition to become the Institute of Horticulture's Young Horticulturalist of the Year for 2011. Held this year at RHS Garden Harlow Carr, Suzanne, a student at RHS Garden Wisley, represented the South East region and plans to use her £2000 Percy Thrower Travel Bursary to travel to Madagascar to study the native flora.

After 20 years of male only winners, it has now turned around for the girls as Suzanne follows the success of last year's winner Faye Steer who was the first female to win the competition.

Now in its 22nd year, the competition has seen nearly 2000 students from across Britain and Ireland taking part in local heats and regional finals over recent months. MorePeople were delighted to be involved in the event for the 5th year running and after a thoroughly enjoyable day, Peter Hunt, Director, said: 'As a business that specialises in recruitment in the horticulture and fresh food industries we are always keen to promote the images of these sectors and the great opportunities that exist in these areas for young people looking to establish a long term and rewarding career. We've always been keen to see the competition encompass all sectors of horticulture and help the Institute of Horticulture to raise the profile of Young Horticulturalist of the Year with our clients in the commercial sector.'

Congratulations to all award winners - it looks like the future of the horticulture and produce industries is in good hands!

Just like the proverbial London bus scenario, you wait a while for something to happen, and then two things come at once!

MorePeople are delighted to be sponsors of the Institute of Food Science & Technology (IFST) lecture and the re:fresh awards event, both being held on Thursday 19th May.

'Food security and the impact of science and technology' will be the topic of Sir David King's lecture at the IFST event, being at The Royal Society in London.

MorePeople Director Guy Moreton says, "We've been working with the IFST and some of our key clients for a while now helping to raise the profile of the institute within the sectors that we work in - fresh food and horticulture. So we are delighted to be co-sponsoring this year's keynote lecture. Anyone attending this year's City Food Lecture will be aware that food security is becoming a hot topic so I'm sure there'll be a lively debate to be had on the night."

The same day also sees the fresh produce sector equivalent of the Oscars with the annual re:fresh awards being held at The InterContinental, Park Lane! As usual, we are sponsoring the 'Young Person of the Year' category and again this year looks to be a strong line up of candidates in this and all the other categories.

So good luck to all those shortlisted and if you are lucky enough to be there on the night, don't forget to come along and say hello to Guy and the team!