Food & drink production

The food and drink production sector includes all businesses involved with creating, processing, packaging and distributing raw/fresh or prepared food and drinks.  

Man working at Bath Soft Cheese
Food & drink production

Facts & figures

The West of England has a growing network of innovative food and drink production companies. The economic successes driven by innovation suggest the regions food and drink sector will be at the forefront globally in the coming years. 

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Careers in food and drink production

Career progression

There are a wide range of entry level jobs across the food and drink production sector. These include: 

  • Packers, Bottlers, Canners and Fillers - £9.69 – Level 1 
  • Warehouse worker - £10.33 – Level 1 
  • Industrial Cleaning Occupations - £10.05 – Level 1 

Learn more about career 'levels' in our FAQs.

Top skills requested by employers

Skills for food and drink production jobs can be split between ‘general’ skills and ‘specialist’ skill.  General are transferrable between sectors and sought by most employers, whilst specialist skills are more focused on the sector. 

General skills
  • Communication 
  • Customer Service 
  • Management  
  • Detail Oriented  
  • Sales 
Specialist skills
  • Warehousing  
  • Procurement  
  • Finance  
  • Marketing Purchasing  
  • Food Safety 
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Green jobs

Green jobs in food and drink production sector

Many food and drink production companies are working to become more sustainable and develop more sustainable products. There are green elements featured in many roles and a rise in green jobs, including: 

  • Agricultural engineer 
  • Food technologist 
  • Soil scientist 

A man in a hat with the words 'Lost Horizon' on the lid holds up a glass with coffee in. He is looking up at the coffee and smiling.