Featured
Harvesting Talent from Within: Barfoots’ Apprenticeship Success StoryVideo Transcript
If you’d prefer to read the full conversation, here’s a complete transcript from the video.
Programme Impact on Participants
“I think what I’ve noticed with the people that have been on the programme is that they become more empowered, they become more curious, and actually more mature.”
Geoff Faulkner – Head of Factory Production at Barfoots
Increased Knowledge and Industry Understanding
“The most valuable aspect of the course was that we increased our knowledge. We developed a lot during the programme; we now have a broader view of food science, microbiological analysis, and the industry.”
Adam Lukasik – Technical Factory Supervisor at Barfoots
Confidence and Career Development
“It’s opened up more opportunities for me, and I feel much more confident to take on extra tasks, let’s say something harder that I for sure wouldn’t have decided on at the beginning of the course. It showed me that I can, if I seriously want to, do whatever I want.”
Karolina Baran – QA Officer at Barfoots
Importance of Developing People in the Workplace
“I think that it’s really important for us to develop our people, not only for succession but also for growth. And I think when you’re learning and developing like that, you can add a lot more back into the business, and it sort of motivates the teams quite a lot.”
Geoff Faulkner – Head of Factory Production at Barfoots
Business Benefits of Employee Development
“It shows our employees that the company is willing to invest in their future. We have really a lot of opportunities at Barfoots in terms of development, so this helps us to keep people within the business.”
Adam Lukasik – Technical Factory Supervisor at Barfoots
Learning Experience and Support from Coaching
“To be honest, before the course I was studying pedagogy in Poland, and it was hard. It was very formal and strict compared with this course. I feel like part of a family, where I had many opportunities to have meetings in case of any problems. I just organised a meeting with my coach and it was very helpful. If someone is considering starting Level 3 with CQM, I highly recommend it.”
Karolina Baran – QA Officer at Barfoots
Tutor Support and Course Completion
“The biggest impact, what I really liked, were the tutors. So greetings to you, Richard. Richard Everitt was an amazing and really helpful person. Even when I was struggling with time because the food industry is very specific and we are really, really busy, with help from Richard it was much easier to complete the programme.”
Adam Lukasik – Technical Factory Supervisor at Barfoots
Barfoots are one of the UK’s leading fresh produce growers and manufacturers, specialising in a wide range of seasonal and semi-exotic vegetables. The company grows, processes, and packs produce across farms and facilities in the UK and internationally, supplying major retailers and food service customers nationwide.
The business is built on quality, sustainability and on developing the people who make it all possible.
Why Barfoots Invested in Apprenticeships
Barfoots partnered with CQM Training and Consultancy to enrol team members onto the Food Industry Technologist Level 3 apprenticeship programme, with clear goals in mind to strengthen technical capability, support succession planning, and create long-term development pathways within the business.
“It’s really important for us to develop our people not only for succession, but also for growth. When you’re learning and developing like that, you can add a lot more value back into the business and it motivates the teams quite a lot.”
Geoff Faulkner
Head of Factory Production at Barfoots
Beyond capability building, the programme also helped Barfoots reinforce a wider cultural message that employees are valued and supported to grow within the organisation.
From Apprentice to Mentor
The true impact of Barfoots’ investment is seen in how learning continues beyond the programme.
Having completed the Food Industry Technologist Level 3 apprenticeship, Adam Lukasik has progressed into his current role as Technical Factory Supervisor and now supports Karolina Baran, who is undertaking the same programme, as both her line manager and mentor.
Adam’s journey highlights how apprenticeship learning builds over time. The “confidence, technical knowledge, and professional maturity” gained through the programme are now being shared with others across the business.
The Programme Experience
The Food Industry Technologist Level 3 apprenticeship combines structured technical learning with flexible, workplace-friendly delivery, including online workshops and dedicated one-to-one coaching.
For apprentices like Adam and Karolina, working in a fast-paced fresh produce environment, this flexibility proved essential in enabling consistent progress alongside the business’ operational demands.
As Adam explains by completing the programme he has developed knowledge across key areas including:
- Food science and microbiology
- Industry analysis and technical understanding
- Broader awareness of the food supply chain
For Karolina, the impact so far has had both technical and personal outcomes:
“I feel much more confident to take on extra tasks and it has showed me that if I seriously want to, I can do whatever I want to.”
A Supportive Learning Experience
For Karolina, the experience of learning with CQM stood in contrast to her previous academic background:
“This course felt like being in a family, I had many opportunities to arrange a meeting with my coach whenever I had a problem, and they were really helpful.”
The same can be said for Adam who highlighted the support provided by CQM’s development coaches was a key factor in helping him stay engaged during busy production periods.
For a deeper insight into how the Food Industry Technologist Level 3 apprenticeship is delivered in practice, check out our latest behind the scenes video that shows the programme in action.
The Impact
Barfoots’ experience demonstrates what meaningful investment in workforce development can achieve in a demanding food production environment:
- Increased confidence and capability across teams
- Broader technical knowledge across food science and industry practice
- Stronger employee retention through visible development pathways
- A growing culture of peer mentoring and internal succession
- More motivated and engaged teams across the business
Would you like to find out more about our Food Industry Technologist Level 3 Programme?