In the kitchen with… James Whitbourn

It’s time for another round of our series ‘In the kitchen with…’ where we speak to the fantastic team working behind the scenes in our Foodservice division.

Compleat Foodservice is home of brands including Wrights, Squeaky Bean, unearthed, and Vadasz. We have a long track record in foodservice and are trusted by the UK’s biggest wholesalers, hospitality brands and contract caterers to deliver great quality, tasty and affordable food.

A key reason for our reputation, is our designated team of commercial and senior account managers, who are responsible for creating and nurturing relationships with our customers. This week we caught up with one of them.

Meet James Whitbourn, our commercial manager.

What attracted you to a career in food?

“I’ve always loved food, but one of the key moments for me was when I was on holiday in Mojácar as a child and I got to try all of the amazing Spanish food there. After that, I got really into cooking at home, particularly making Spanish food and tapas.

“When I was younger, I thought I was going to be a footballer, but I followed my passion for food instead. I’ve pretty much always worked in foodservice, previously in ice cream and desserts, and then at Nestle. I started in the supply chain there until I realised, I liked the sound of sales. I’ve always been good with people, so I transitioned into the sales department as an area manager.

“I’ve worked really hard and managed to climb up through the ranks of this career path and then, around five years ago, I moved to work as a national account manager at Compleat.”

Explain your job to us in a sentence.

“I’m one of the first points of contact for many of our customers and it’s my job to develop and maintain these relationships. I also do plenty of networking and help the group to win new business, and I support our new customers once they’ve begun working with us.”

What does a typical day look like?

“It sounds cliché but literally no two days are the same! I get up, have my morning cup of tea, followed by a cup of coffee and then just crack on with my emails and see what the day ahead has in store for me. It could be customer meetings and presentations one day, and sales team and NPD meetings at our Redhill site the next.

“The NPD meetings are always great as I work with a real spread of products across all categories. And of course, days where I get to travel and visit clients are always fantastic. Some days we’re at clients’ sites, or at foodservice exhibitions, and sometimes even going out to restaurants to have a deep dive into their menus and try their food.”

What’s your favourite Compleat product? And how do you like to cook with it?

“This will come as no surprise to those who know me, but unearthed’s Spanish Omelette, I absolutely love it. It’s so versatile, so I always try to have one in the fridge along with a pot of Vadasz Kimchi – they go really well together as a snack.

“The culture of the whole family sitting around the table and sharing food, like they do in Spain, is something that’s always spoken to me, and I try to replicate this at home in my daily life. I like to serve the Spanish Omelette as part of a nice big tapas spread with salad, aioli, roasted red peppers, bravas sauce, a pot of anchovies and some of unearthed’s croquettes for the whole family to dig into.”

What do you love the most about your job?

“We work with such a diverse range of products that cover so much ground, from global cuisine to pies and cakes, and it’s all so delicious and such high-quality. It’s great to work with food that you’re genuinely proud of and enjoy.

“I also like the variety of each day and the excitement I get from learning about, discovering and selling new cuisines. The Compleat Food Group’s products encompass such a wide range of occasions as well. We’re one of the only players in the industry that has this breadth across the market. It’s really great to be involved in something so unique.”

What’s your favourite thing to do outside of work?

“I love football, I’m a massive Arsenal fan. In my free time I volunteer at the local football club where I coach under 11 girls and under 15 boys. I also sit on the committee of the local youth football club. It’s great to give back to the community and gives me a real sense of reward.

“Outside of my day to day I love travelling and exploring new places with my family. We also go down to Cornwall when we can and we try to get down at least twice a year. We spend a lot of time on the beach going for walks and bodyboarding. We’re also hoping we can go see Fisherman’s Friends at Minack Theatre soon!”

To learn more about the Compleat Foodservice, find us on LinkedIn here.