“My typical day starts with the changeover, which involves a brief from the person working the shift before me. It includes safety checks on the machines.
“Once those safety checks have been passed, I can make a start. I produce flour samples for the lab to test for quality, put bags through the metal detector, stitch bags, and change screens (big sieves) to get rid of larger unwanted materials and prevent a build-up.
“Being trained on both flour mills feels quite a big achievement. It makes me more useful to the company – and gives me variety in my work. Next step is to learn to work other machinery – I want to become skilled in every part of production.
“Of course, processing is quite repetitive, and it can be challenging. Like when a piece of equipment chooses to stop mid-run. If you can’t get it to start again, it’s time to call the emergency services. Our engineering team, that is! It’s their skills and expertise that mean you’re not standing about like a lemon for long, when a bit of kit decides it wants to be stubborn.
“I’ve only been with the company 10 months, but it didn’t take long to realise how much the business relies on us in production. Not just to get things produced on time, but to get them produced to the highest quality standards – so that customers keep coming back for more! You have to have your head screwed on to be an operative – and you have to work well with the rest of the team.
“It’s the people that make this place. They’re a great bunch. It’s good to work with people who enjoy a bit of banter (yes, they’ll probably find something to say about what I’ve said in this newsletter!) - and who support each other in getting the job done well.
“And on the subject of good teamwork, I wish I could say the same for Ipswich Town. To say I’m sad at their performance this season would be an understatement - crushed is more like it. Their teamwork was woeful. Maybe they should all have a go at working here in production for a few days before the new season gets going. Might be able to teach them some useful lessons…”
