Case studies: Chocolatier: Vikki

Vikki has a degree in food science and nutrition. She works as a chocolatier for Thorntons...

Vikki thinks she has the perfect job and believes hers is a role ideally suited to anyone with creative flair and a genuine interest in food. 'I was never keen on science at school,' she explains. 'In fact, I already had a place at art college when I took a summer job at Thorntons. I started work in the handmade department and I loved it so much I never left.'

Chocolatier Vikki is a food technologist who works as a member of the new product development (NPD) team at Thorntons, where she is responsible for creating the boxed sets of chocolates.

After moving into NPD seven years ago, Vikki has undertaken extensive training to equip her for the role, completing courses in food hygiene and food safety, cake decorating and chocolate rheology (studying the texture and thickness of chocolate). Last year, she obtained a foundation degree in food science and nutrition from Nottingham Trent University.

'Despite my aversion to science as a teenager, I very much enjoy learning about the science theory behind the practical work I do,' says Vikki. 'I also love the creative side of the job - developing new recipes, trying out different raw materials and investigating natural alternatives. Because the industry never stands still, there are always new and exciting challenges in developing products. For example, we've recently removed all hydrogenated fats from our chocolates, so we spent time working to find alternatives that don't compromise the taste or shelf-life.'

In creating Thorntons' boxed sets, Vikki works on the whole development process for each individual chocolate - from devising new recipes, to inputting on the design of the final decoration.

'I would say that 80% of the recipes we come up with never make it into the finished boxes of chocolates,' she explains. 'If we're introducing, say, four new chocolates into a box, we'll come up with about 12 different alternatives and whittle them down.'

The job also enables Vikki and her team to delve into the past in the search for inspiration. 'Thorntons was established in 1911, and we have boxes and boxes of handwritten recipes, all developed before the introduction of computers. It's not unusual for us to refer back to these old recipes, and look at ways of updating and refreshing them.'

Vikki is also the kitchen supervisor, a job which requires good organisational skills as she is responsible for delegating the workloads of the seven-strong NPD team, and ensuring raw materials are stocked up. Strong communication skills are also key to Vikki's role. She is required to work closely with the marketing team so she can tailor her recipes to respond to ever-changing consumer demand, and with the factory floor, to ensure her creations can be mass-produced.

Vikki is keen to recommend the job: 'Of course, getting paid to taste chocolate is a bonus, but I think working in new product development would be fantastic whatever branch of food manufacturing you're involved in. It's exciting being at the cutting edge of such a fast-moving sector where you're working to identify, and respond to, industry trends. The sector is crying out for bright young people and there are massive opportunities.'