Belinda Jennings is a Technical Sales Consultant in the Kersia UK Brewing and Beverage Team and has been in her role for three and a half years. She tells us more about her role and her previous career.
“I studied Biology at University and, unsure of what career I wanted to get into, I went down the laboratory route at Greene King Brewery where I tested beer. I then went on to become a Quality Trainer, Quality Manager, Production Manager and then Head Brewer at several different breweries of various sizes including Greene King, Adnams and Woodfordes Brewery. Whilst working, I also completed a Diploma in Brewing and a Masters in Brewing.
“My current role encompasses technical service and advice on all aspects of hygiene. This can include testing, Cleaning in Place (CIP) audits, optimisation of clean, continuous improvement, and Health and Safety training. I attend meetings on customer sites where we discuss my findings and raise actions. I also help with brewer's external audits including BRC and Salsa and help develop their validation programmes.
“One of the favourite things about my job is that every day is different, and every day is a school day. Being there as a support for industry colleagues and developing a bespoke service depending on the customer’s needs is important to me. Seeing improvements and savings being made from the service we provide is also key. I enjoy networking with colleagues at industry events. I now carry out Cleaning in Place lectures for the Brewers Apprenticeship in Nottingham, which is very rewarding. I love to learn and enjoy sharing my knowledge and experience with others. There is always something new to learn in this role!”
“There is no such thing a typical day. Every brewery has different needs. For a larger brewery, my day consists of checking previous weeks actions/notes and then getting into my PPE, checking my ruck sack has all the test kits, strips, cable ties, measuring tape and anything else I can carry which I might need and then I catch up with relevant people in the brewery. I like to do a lot of CIP audits. It’s the best way to find any problems and improvements that can be made. I hate waste and don’t like seeing water going down the drain when it can be avoided. This involves chasing pipework around the brewery, checking valve and pump operation, the cleaning heads are doing as they should, pressures in the tank, water going to drain, water recovered, final rinse checks, probes all working, tank/pipework inspection, swabbing, micro sampling and much more! I then report any major findings at the end of the service visit and catch up on admin which includes writing service reports and answering queries on emails.
“This is my dream job, being able to specialise in one area within the brewing industry which I love. I am passionate about improvements and optimisation and enjoy helping new and old colleagues with cleaning, CIP advice and how to make savings. I also really enjoy networking and keeping up to date with the latest industry news and changes by attending brewery events that are full of likeminded brewers. It’s a great industry to be part of and ideas are often shared over a beer! And of course, not forgetting working for and being supported by Kersia whilst out on the road with everything we need to service our customers to the high standard we provide every time.”
