Claire Marshall is currently studying a BSC Degree in Food, Marketing and Management at CAFRE, Loughry Campus and was given the opportunity to spend a placement year at Linden Foods as part of their retail NPD team. 

Claire has embraced her practical hands-on role at Linden, explaining that the industry has proven to be a learning curve and one she is very glad to have experienced.

Her initial 2 years at CAFRE have provided Claire with a great foundation of food related and marketing knowledge and it was imperative that she stepped out of her comfort zone to challenge herself in the fast paced agri-food industry. At Linden Foods Claire has been responsible for costing, resourcing ingredients, nutritionals, shelf life, product production and liaising with the marketing and sales team.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Linden Foods and feel I have become an important member of the team. My appreciation for the agri-food industry has grown and I have increased my knowledge base and gained valuable experience within the wider food related and retail environment.  This has been a massive challenge and one which will hold me in good-stead for my final year and ultimately potential future employment. It was my pleasure to work with and learn from the professional and dedicated team within NPD and would recommend this placement to any of my peers.”  Says; Claire Marshall – Placement Student, Linden Foods

“We have been very impressed with Claire and her willingness to learn. She has shown many attributes that we look for in a placement student and she has demonstrated excellence and initiative in several key areas of NPD and retail operations.  We have great relationships with CAFRE and enjoy collaborating with them to help improve and develop their students for their future careers in the industry. We all would like to wish Claire every success with her degree and future.” Commented: Rita O’Kane – NPD Manager, Linden Foods