Louise Robert, Alimenti Food Sciences
Louise Roberts set up Alimenti Food Sciences in 2016 and
offers technical consultancy to small food and drink businesses focusing on
food safety, supplier management, audits and coaching / training.
Louise has attended a range of FasterBusiness training sessions and had a one-to-one Business Review with FasterBusiness advisor, Jack McCaughtrie.
Why did you start Alimenti Food Services?
“Originally I trained as a microbiologist, but I left the
laboratory for the factory floor. Through my career I built up a great deal of
experience; working in technical management and quality assurance, as a lead
for the food buying team, liaising with food and drink suppliers, retailers,
manufacturers and clients such as the MoD. I have also contributed towards
technical handbooks writing about using rapid hygiene monitoring techniques for
manufacturers and other food businesses.
It was in my last corporate role I worked alongside small
food and drink producers, coaching them through the approval process. I really
enjoyed the collaboration and saw an opportunity to launch this as my own
business, using my knowledge and passion for the food industry.
“It is my understanding that “Alimenti” is Italian for
feed or nourish and my objective is to support small food & drink business
to grow.”
How did you hear about the FasterBusiness support
programme?
“I met a member of the Fastershire team at the Hereford Means
Business Expo in May 2017 and I began attending the monthly workshops shortly
afterwards.”
How has the training and support provided by
FasterBusiness helped you?
“The monthly training workshops have been incredible, as
a relatively new business it’s been great to have a regular source of free
training and networking to tap into. I’ve attended a range of sessions,
including SEO, online marketing, blogging and social media and they’ve been
really useful in developing the business.
The networking lunches at the beginning of each workshop
have also allowed me to meet other small local businesses as well as new
suppliers and potential clients.
The FasterBusiness Review has been especially useful, having free tailored one-to-one time with expert has really expanded my IT skillset. I met with FasterBusiness advisor, Jack McCaughtrie
and at that time I needed some help getting started. Jack showed me how to set
up Office 365 and enable clients to access a virtual portal, Sharepoint, and an
email marketing service, embedding code into my website to allow visitors to
sign up for my newsletter.”
What does the future hold for you and Alimenti?
“As my social media expertise has developed, and in part
due to the support from FasterBusiness, I was inspired to start my own Twitter
Hour. I launched #UKFoodHour in September 2017 and it takes place every Tuesday
from 2-3pm. It’s intended to celebrate all that is great about the UK food
industry. We have some of the best animal welfare and food safety standards in
the world alongside the quality of the food that we produce. It is intended to
be a networking opportunity for everyone involved in the food industry, from
farm to fork.”
You can find out more about Louise’s business at www.alimenti.co.uk and join
#UKFoodHour every Tuesday from 2-3pm.
For more information about the training and support provided by
FasterBusiness, please click here.