Welcome to our monthly series Meet the Team, where we spotlight the extraordinary people that make Bayley & Sage so special. This month’s feature is on Shannon, one of our talented product developers and the mastermind behind our tasty new sandwich range. Read the full interview below!
1. How long have you been working at Bayley & Sage and what different roles have you held within the company? What is your role now?
I started with Bayley & Sage in October 2023. I am the new Product Developer for the B&S Kitchen and the Buyer for the Prepared Foods category.
2. What’s your favourite thing about working at Bayley & Sage?
I love working with and meeting new people from all over the world.
3. Who has inspired you the most throughout your career?
I wouldn’t say that there has been one specific person that has inspired me in my career, but rather many people. I have learnt so much from every person that I have worked with throughout my career.
4. Have you always worked in this industry? If not, what other types of roles have you held?
I studied a 4-year Food Science degree in South Africa. I started work in retail, managing own label new product development within the business. Following this I moved into the manufacturing side of things and worked for a hot chocolate company as a product developer. I have always worked in product development in either manufacturing or retail.
5. What’s the best advice you could give someone who’s just starting out in their career?
Embrace being the person who knows the least in the room. Starting out in your career you have opportunity to learn from the people around you to grow as an individual in your career. Be a sponge and absorb all the knowledge that you can – never stop learning; I know I haven’t.
6. What are some of the accomplishments you’re most proud of?
I’m proud of all that I have accomplished and the products I have launched throughout my career thus far and I look forward to pushing myself even further and launching many more products in the future.
7. What are you most looking forward to this year, both personally and professionally?
I am looking forward to the travelling I have planned for this year. I have plans to go to Italy, Belgium, Portugal, Austria and of course South Africa at the end of the year.
8. If you could only eat one thing from Bayley & Sage for the rest of your life, what would you choose?
Oh wow, that’s a tough one – I have to say the B&S Chicken Escalope’s as they are delish, but I am also a sucker for cheese, and I couldn’t possibly pick just one…
9. How do you spend your time when you’re not at Bayley & Sage?
I love exercising and it may come as no surprise that I love cooking and baking when I have some time over the weekends (scones have become a weekend ritual).
10. What’s one interesting fact that we might not know about you?
I was born in the United Kingdom but moved to South Africa at the age of 2.