One of Classic Fine Foods greatest assets are its brilliant people. To celebrate them, Classic Fine Foods Group has recently launched a video campaign (#meetourpeople) on LinkedIn to introduce some of them. Occupying various positions, from different departments, and in several locations, they are professionals, enthusiasts, and serious foodies. Our people all share pride in working for a company that strives at being the best in the business, gives them room to grow, and allows them to be part of a committed team. Coming from different cultures, countries and backgrounds, the people at Classic Fine Foods thrive in their positions and are essential to the company’s success. Let’s now meet…
Richard’s job means travelling the world (in normal times…) meeting with chefs, suppliers, farmers as well as training our staff in our different countries to get the best meats on the best menus! He finds it really rewarding when he gets phoned up by someone completely new saying that they heard that we have got the best meat. For Richard, “word of mouth is the most beautiful thing in the business”. When asked about his most memorable human encounter, Richard shared with us his amazing experience in Papua New Guinea.
Lan joined the company more than 10 years ago and enjoys the company’s amazing culture. Her job involves all marketing activities to promote the products to our customers, including market research, advertising and promotional campaigns. She is happy to be working at Classic Fine Foods as the company has an international presence and she can also develop her knowledge of premium food products. One of them is the Black pearl oyster from Brittany (France) which Lan absolutely loves for its freshness, fleshy texture and crunchiness.
Rangga manages, organizes and implements a complex internal governance system. He also supports our ERP system and makes recommendations to improve our equipment and systems to keep up with the evolution of technology. Rangga appreciates that at Classic Fine Foods you can have a voice, share your ideas and that everyone works together to make them a reality. If you ever want to invite Rangga for dinner, you can cook him a nice cut of medium filet mignon in red wine sauce. You’ll be sure to please him!
Nurul explains that everyone in her department is trained as all-rounder experts so that anyone can step into any job role and fulfill it should they need to. However, each person has also been given a major in their own tasks and Nurul is majoring in shipping and documentation. Nurul is proud to be working at Classic Fine Foods as she believes our products bring so much joy to the people who get the chance to enjoy them. When it comes to food, her favorite dish is the famous Malaysian Nasi Lemak! But she also loves the French croissant.
Bill accurately compares his job to being the traffic police of a sports car driver: he knows when to go full blast and when to slow down, assessing the risks. Bill tells us he likes to work at the Shanghai office, surrounded by smart and talented people, coming from different horizons who share the same vision and aim for the same results. If Bill was not a Finance Manager, he could see himself as a farmer in a remote area, growing trees, fruits & vegetables. One of his favorite Classic Fine Foods products is the frozen dough: all ready to go to make delicious baking creations without the hassle!
Emma gets to work with the best chefs in the country! Her most memorable moment was the night of the Michelin Star Awards when she got the opportunity to have all her heroes in the same room. Emma joined Classic Fine Foods in 2016 and is truly passionate about the UK dining scene. It has been at the heart of her life and career since the age of thirteen. Well, what more can we say about Emma…? She is THE biggest fan of pasta…She loves it the most with seafood in summer and with truffles in winter.
Rukshan is the prime contact for all quality-related matters as well as being responsible for the HAACP and ISO 2200 food safety management system. He takes pride in Classic Fine Foods’ commitment to be constantly evolving and enjoys a work culture that allows a healthy balance of hard work and personal time. Rukshan is a true foodie: his initial career choice was to be a food scientist; he even has 5 research publications at international symposiums. His motto is: “I am strong, I am confident, and I am unstoppable”.
Evelyn has been with the company from the very beginning, for more than 20 years. She shared with us how it all started and how the company has grown, going through all the ups and downs and the global health crisis. Evelyn knows the company inside and out and what makes her really happy is to see the customers enjoying the products that she and her team have sourced for them. There is one product from Classic Fine Foods that really stands out for her…and this is the chocolate fondant cake, a very clean recipe without palm oil and a thrilling dessert after a long day at work!
After working for 29 years at Metro group, Laurent joined Classic Fine Foods in 2019 and confides how much he enjoys the entrepreneurial spirit of the company. One of his biggest successes within the company was the creation of Classic Corner, a shop-in-shop corner concept. Laurent strongly believes that our people are the most important assets of the company and he shares that the thing that makes him happy at work is the smile of his colleagues, who also happen to be incredibly hard workers.
Chiemi’s role is to manage the customer service team as well as the admin sales. Customer Service acts as the intermediary between customers and the sales team. Her motto is: “What one likes, one will do well”. Chiemi enjoys working in an environment where she can experience new food so product tasting is the favourite part of her job! She loves traditional Japanese food, especially fresh tuna sushi, as well as French delicacy such as the renowned comté cheese which she likes savouring with a glass of wine.
Denis joined CFF UK five years ago after a comprehensive 20 year career in notable establishments where he was a faithful Classic Fine Foods client. His main objective is to ensure that Chefs can use products currently in our portfolio properly. What Denis loves most about his job is that he is still a Pastry Chef and continues to bake regularly, and that he gets to support Chefs in the industry by giving them advice and passing on his knowledge. The day he won the Master of Culinary Arts, an achievement in the industry, remains one of his proudest moments; and, added bonus: Prince Charles himself delivered the award!
Thilini is in charge of all HR related activities such as: onboarding, payroll, training, employee services and employee engagement. A true people person, the favourite part of her job is to listen to employees’ suggestions, feedback, as well as their concerns, so that she can give them a better work environment. Her moto is: “Hire for the attitude, and train for the skills”. She describes her work environment as “a place where a bunch of foodies try to create a heaven for the rest of the world with the finest products available”. Food heaven for Thilini is creamy burrata, with its rich texture and soft centre!
Joe oversees purchasing, warehousing, and delivery; meaning sourcing, storing, and delivering products to our end customers. Joe is happiest at work when everything runs smoothly, and he likes working for a company that has ambitions of being the best in the world. At Classic Fine Foods, Joe has become more efficient in his leadership and management skills. His motto is: “We can always be better”.
