Find your place in the field of good food

Our goal is to connect good people with good food. We advertise sustainable food jobs and training opportunities to help jobseekers and employers find each other.

Roots to Work is a project of Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming.

Job description

The Anne Saxelby Legacy Fund (ASLF) seeks to cultivate and inspire the next generation of food and agriculture leaders by sponsoring 1-month apprenticeships on farms and other environments similar to those that Anne was engaged in during her early 20’s. Participants will usually work full time with a farm and production teams for a fully immersive experience lasting between 28 and 30 days.

Most of what we do at Neal’s Yard Dairy (NYD) involves a sharp focus on cheese— on finding, selecting, maturing and selling the British and Irish cheeses we like best. But none of what we do would work were it not for our similarly acute commitment to people. Every step of the way, the success of our work is completely reliant upon the high levels of expertise and enthusiasm of the staff in our maturing arches, offices and shops. Our mission is to improve British cheese, but to do so we need to develop the skills that will drive that improvement and find and support people who feel inspired to make it happen.

Our apprenticeship programme focusses on young adults aged 17 – 25, as well as graduate students. We also encourage applications from those in life or career transitions, that have led them to a desire to work in the cheese or food industry – all applications will be considered, so please apply!

This apprenticeship will take place during the month of July (7th July to 1st August).

Following an application and interview process, the successful candidate will be paired with Neal’s Yard Dairy for the duration of the working apprenticeship period, under the same terms and conditions as those of an employee of NYD.

As an apprentice you will participate in a tailored programme of activities that will give you an overarching experience of Neal’s Yard Dairy and its operation. As a successfully selected apprentice you will be paid £13.15 per hour for working a 41.25 hour working week. We will also provide travel expenses and up to £5.00 per day for sustenance (receipted).

Apprenticeship – July 2025 - Four Weeks

1 week in our Maturation team - Bermondsey

1 week in our Production team – Bermondsey

1 week in our Retail outlets

1 week in our Business team – Bermondsey - HR, Finance, E-Comm, Wholesale

Required Skills

• An enthusiasm for the ASLF mission.
• An interest in cheese and cheesemaking would definitely be advantageous, but an interest in food and the food industry would certainly be desirable.
• The manual handling and lifting of heavy cheeses plays a part in this experience for at least 3 weeks of the four week experience. You will therefore need to be comfortable with the prospect of there being a substantial physical element to this role and able to participate in these activities.
• You will need high levels of stamina, as there are long stints of being on your feet during each working day and it’s a refrigerated product we work with – it can get cold!
• Having the ability to work independently within a team is really essential – For example, working autonomously while being mindful that your team members are reliant on your pace so they can do their work.
• You will need to be confident so as to engage and socialise with new people – Both with your colleagues and general public.
• You will need great interpersonal and communication skills.
• You will definitely need to be inquisitive and interested in the processes that will be featured during the course of this experience. Questions are not only invited, they are expected.
• Your skills in attention to detail will need to be high - How we present our products to our customer is a significant part of what we do here at NYD.
• We work with ever changing priorities and deadlines, so being able to apply a sense of urgency and using your initiative will be crucial skills to possess.
• Being able to use Windows 365 will also be an advantage for the Business week of the work experience.
• This work experience is in collaboration with the Anne Saxelby Legacy Fund and you will be asked to share your experience through forums such as photos, stories, social media & art.

We very much look forward to receiving your application in due course. Should you have any questions about this Apprenticeship, please feel free to contact a member of the People Team at Neal’s Yard Dairy on +44 (0) 207 500 7531

Application information

Your application should be emailed to: applications@annesaxelbylegacyfund.org and must include:

• A Cover Letter which should include details on the following information:
• Why do you think ASLF will be a good fit for you?
• What do you seek to learn?
• What is your relevant experience?
• What is your inspiration for wanting this work experience?
• What will be your objectives during the work experience?
• A copy of your CV
• 2 letters of reference

In order to be entered into the selection process, your application must be received no later than Wednesday 14th May 2025.

You must also be resident in the UK and be able to provide proof of eligibility to work and be paid a salary in the UK for the duration of the Apprenticeship.

Once your application has been submitted, the ASLF Selection Committee will review and process your application.

Promising candidates will be put forward for a first interview with a member of the ASLF team during week commencing 19th May. The interview will be completed though a video link forum.

Where a candidate’s skills and experiences are selected as a potential match for the Apprenticeship, a second interview will be arranged with Neal’s Yard Dairy. This will be completed during week commencing 26th May 2025. This will be held at their offices in Bermondsey.

You will be asked to bring your original documents of your proof of eligibility to work in the UK to this interview.

The successful applicant will be issued with a formal offer and contract into the ASLF Apprenticeship during week commencing 2nd June 2025.

 

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