Ruth Dolby Fifst Email & Phone Number

Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom

Combining product development expertise with commercial acumen, I established a consultancy business, to support the knowledge growth and transfer within the food & drink industry.KEY PROJECTS: ❖ Shaped the formulation work of an initial concept for a high protein snack, creating an innovative product with viable market potential.❖ Aligned factory production strategy and methodology with new customer demands for an Irish meat producer. ❖ Advised an SME on optimising supply chain strategy to enable robust expansion. ❖ Formed a collaborative training initiative “How Many Beans?” delivering workshops in Development Strategy, Scale Up and Commercialisation for entrepreneurs, expanding and diversifying food production companies.https://www.fsfusion.co.uk/ & https://www.howmanybeans.com/

Nottingham

How Many Beans? is a team of expert food and drink practitioners who provide tailored professional support for new product development, business growth and capability building for all sizes of businesses from product ideation to post launch through taster sessions, workshops and one-to-one contact.

Sharing my knowledge and experience in the food industry, enabling products to be honed and businesses to flourish

Sutton Bonington Campus

Working with colleagues on collaborations to build bridges of greater understanding between academia, the food industry and the consumer across all aspects of Nutrition, Dietetics, Sensory Science, Food Science and Engineering Departments to develop new, innovative and bio-available food - if it is not eaten it is not nutritious!

Birmingham, United Kingdom

Developing and teaching the new MSc in Dietetics, focused on the practical application and practical sessions in food production for year 1 delivering support to students in sessions and discussions from June to October. Contract still active, but little engaged

Derby, United Kingdom

Derby's £11million centre for art and film located in the heart of the city centre. Featuring three cinema screens, a large contemporary art gallery, workshop facilities and a Cafe Bar. QUAD is host to the bi-annual FORMAT international photography festival, Summer Nights Outdoor Screenings and also the Film Festival, ID Fest. QUAD provides facilities and services that connect people and businesses to art and film, creating opportunities for entertainment, education and participation.QUAD's Patrons are actor John Hurt CBE, actor/director Paddy Considine, local actor Jack O'Connell and actor/musician John Tams.The QUAD Enterprise board help ensure the commercial development of the charity both in terms of product development, developing current and new revenues streamsMy role is to facilitate the growth of cafe bar and the cafe staff alongside the other commercial enterprises within Derby Quad as a Trustee of Quad

Derby, United Kingdom

I shaped the strategy to grow and transform the underperforming Quad cafe bar into a commercially viable asset. ❖ Navigated the business through a period of commercial transformation, to create a continuous profit- generating and growing venture.❖ Developed and mentored the execution of new commercial opportunities based on market trends and consumer dynamics within the food sector. ❖ Diversified product offering, to gain a unique position as the first food provider in Derby with a standard menu catering for diverse needs.

Sutton Bonington Campus

Eminate specialises in sourcing novel ideas for new products and services and turning them into commercial reality. We reduce risk by developing early stage ideas in partnership with representative customers before exiting.The role of Application Specialist was created so I can take the product from the research laboratory to the test kitchen, through pilot plant and into production. This involves devising practical tests working with the team to develop robust products that are production ready.The need for more effective communication across the food industry lead to the creation of Culinary Skills in Production a short set of workshops to improve the flow of NPD from concept to launchProduct Application with Eminate has involved me in the successful commercialisation of two products concluding in multimillion $ licencing agreements and in-put to Government funded projects in excess of £1million value with multiple partners

The organisation is dedicated to connecting food technologists and food scientists across the region, creating a robust partnership network and coordinate communications with other regions and allied associations building joint events to benefit our members.I was elected to this role after two years as Regional Secretary & have was re-elected to this role to serve until November 2013 and then again until 2014.

Leicester, United Kingdom

Responsible for Application of functional ingredients to enable 3 licencing agreements and in-put to UK Government funded projects in excess of £1million. ❖ Led recipe development and production for clinical and market trials. ❖ Identified category, sector and channel opportunities to leverage new products against. ❖ Coached and trained colleagues in food development cycle and safety requirements for ingredient sourcing and production.

Engaged with a range of business from Blue Chip to family owned, in planning and executing product development projects.KEY PROJECTS: ❖ Led an innovation 14 meat products from brief to launch ready in 6 months for a processed meat SME supplying into a Blue-chip company.❖ Forged a collaborative working culture to increase efficiency and effectively exceed project objectives. ❖ Engineered a turnaround strategy for a Blue-Chip company’s loss-making bakery production line.

Aston Birmingham/ Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire

Sub-contracted by Aston University to Super Puddings under a Prince’s Trust Grant Award. ❖ Advised on new formulation, moving from domestic formulation, through test kitchen & into factory production. ❖ Sourced ingredients & advised on potential additional variants of both ingredients & range extension. ❖ Identified and secured key, 3rd party production partnerships. ❖ Liaised with other project specialist partners in nutrition, sales & Prince’s Trust Mentors.

Melton Mowbray

Project funded by Advantage West Midlands; Worked with small to medium sized companies across the West Midlands on their needs and wants building the Road Maps for Innovations within the region

Steered the strategic and operational recovery of a failing project to ultimately exceed targets and secure further extensions and 3 legacy projects. ❖ Navigated a diverse and inexperienced stakeholder board to forge a coherent strategic vision and shared purpose for the project. ❖ Identified common objectives and aligned strategy to reflect needs and requirements. ❖ Successfully renegotiated budgets with the public fundholder to deliver more effective and focused, value-based projects.

Development lead for a dual-site strategy to eliminate seasonal production spike costs and open a new category opportunity.

Cheshunt, Herts

Constructive player in the meat, fish, dairy and bakery selection teams responsible for raising Tesco from No3 to No1 UK retailer across key divisions, seconded twice, to supplier technical audit team and to commercial buying team lead.

Grantham, Linc

Support for all aspects of product development and market launch, contributing to a profit increase of over £3 million, expanding operations into all UK supermarkets and major food service groups.