I study food quality safety and nutrition with Professional Studies at Queen's University Belfast and I am now full-time employed with Suki teahouse. My role is technical quality coordinator so what that involves is dealing with things to do with food quality and food safety and ensuring that the product we deliver to our customers meets a certain standard every time. I'm also involved with new product development so I get to see the whole fun side of the business, the creativity and the innovation.

I came to get this job through my placement. I got the opportunity to go on a year placement and actually get hands-on experience within the food industry. I was here for a year working full-time and then when I went back to Queen’s, Annie and Oscar actually offered me to do one day a week part-time in my final year and it was after that I got opportunity to come back on a full-time basis once I graduated from Queen’s University.

In my final year at high school I studied home economics and biology. I really enjoyed the whole food nutrition and the whole health benefits to the body. I was researching courses and I found that Queen’s actually did food quality, safety and nutrition. It was the nutrition bit that  initially stood out to me, I didn't really understand what the safety or the quality aspect was, but I was intrigued to learn about them. So that's really what led me in the direction of Queens and obviously Queen’s has such a good reputation.

I would definitely recommend doing this course to other students. Doing the course with the professional studies actually gives you the opportunity to go and explore the food industry for one year to consider if you like it. There's so many doors that open to you with this course and so many jobs in Northern Ireland and further afield with food and nutrition.

 

Geraldine Renaghan

BSc Food Quality, Safety and Nutrition