Adam Reeson

Tell me what beats a good conversation and a decent pint? Last week I had a drink with Allan Stevenson Chemisphere and TecFlo both live within the M60 orbital and if geography didn’t bring us together a shared set of values certainly would. The last time we sat down was about 12 months ago. The Chemisphere UK Ltd Academy was just getting off the ground and I was invited to see the cellar they had built as part of the programme. Fast forward 12 months and over a drink I learned that the academy has reached a place whereby enquiries, booked courses and future demand are in constant flow. It was a refreshing hour in a week, where I had otherwise been considering how AI will support what TecFlo does and the industry we serve. Back in June 2007 no one could have predicted what would follow from the launch of the iPhone and I am minded to think that this is the same principle when we consider AI and hospitality over the next 15 years. Whilst I don’t know where these new technologies will support TecFlo ( yet ) -throughout history, polar opposites seem to have grown together - Fast fashion retailers grew at the same rate as ethical sustainable clothing. Digital music evolved at the same time as a vinyl record comeback, and ultra processed food boomed as did organic, local, sustainable produce Within the hospitality sector perhaps a very similar occurrence is happening. We have never been so data rich and the emerging projects from all corners of the supply chain will undoubtedly allow us to have more insight than ever before. I still don't have a crystal ball but my assumption is there will be a juxtaposition between high tech optimisation and a return to a simpler, more connected way of living. When that time comes and we are looking for more opportunities to digitally detox and embrace simpler choices. When we look to take an hour to sit with someone and have a really good conversation over a drink we like … perhaps ‘all the other stuff’ wont be what we are talking about at all – it will only be the quality of the person and the quality of the pint! 🍻 Exhibit A: a good conversation and a quality pint #manufacturing #brewing #drinks #pubs #beer

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Flavourist - Salary Insights 💰 Last week, I reached out to all members of the Aston Chambers Flavourist Register with an intriguing question: "What do you believe the starting base salary should be for a Flavourist with 9 years of qualified experience working in Europe for a top 10 F&F house?" There were four options to choose from: €70-80,000 €80-90,000 €90-100,000 €100,000 The insights shared by the members were incredibly valuable. With a good number of members voting, the majority voted for the €90-100,000 category, but only just, with the €100,000 category coming in second. However, the breakdown of the votes revealed an interesting trend I wanted to share. Senior members of the group who are in higher-level positions, managing teams of Flavourists themselves, predominantly voted for the €80-90,000 and €90-100,000 ranges, while those at a similar level to the position in question tended to vote for the €100,000 category. Additionally, Flavourists with a similar level of experience based outside of Europe voted for the €100,000 category. This highlights a significant disconnect between employee expectations and what companies and management are willing to offer. Another trend of interest was the responses from Flavourists working for highly reputable names within the F&F/flavour industry such as Givaudan, dsm-firmenich, Symrise AG, IFF, Takasago International Corporation, and ADM. Majority of those working for these companies tended to vote in the lower salary categories, while those working for different companies voted in the higher salary categories. This trend surprised me the most as I expected it to be the other way around. It's important to note that I’m not suggesting that one side is right and the other is wrong. Compensation depends on a multitude of factors, including the company's size, exact location (in EU), the candidate's invaluable experience, the urgency of the hire, and many other considerations. I'd be very interested to get some further insights from my wider network on this, so if you feel comfortable, please comment below or message me privately—what are your thoughts on this salary expectation gap and have you experienced a similar issue as either a hiring manager or employee? *The Flavourist Register is a private group run by Aston Chambers. It is a hub for connecting Flavourists at any level from around the globe. It is a place to keep up to date with industry news, share information, and be made aware of global opportunities within the industry. Should you wish to join the Flavourist Register or even pose a question to the group for them to answer, please get in touch.

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