Employee Spotlight: Ben Davies – From Chef to Concept Innovator

Employee Spotlight: Ben Davies – From Chef to Concept Innovator

At Oscar Mayer, our people are the heart of everything we do. In this month’s employee spotlight, we’re proud to introduce Ben Davies, NPD Concept Technologist, a passionate foodie whose journey from professional restaurant kitchens to product development is helping shape the future of ready meals.

A Career Built on a Love of Food

Ben has spent over 20 years working as a chef in restaurants before joining Oscar Mayer 18 months ago. He began his journey at our Flint site, where he quickly gained hands-on experience in food manufacturing. Eager to take his skills further, he expressed an interest in New Product Development (NPD), and thanks to the support of his managers, he’s now part of our concept team at our Wrexham site.

Turning Recipes into Products

In his role, Ben takes recipes and transforms them into factory-ready products. No two days are the same.  From nutritional analysis and costings to customer presentations and supporting factory trials, Ben’s work ensures that great ideas in the test kitchen become meals that people can enjoy at home.

Making an Impact

What Ben finds most rewarding is the scale of the impact his work has:

“I feel like I’m having a really big impact on the food landscape. Whether it’s healthier products or classics like lasagne and cottage pie, the work we do influences what people see on supermarket shelves every day.”

Coming from restaurant kitchens, Ben admits he was pleasantly surprised to see just how similar ready meal production is to traditional cooking:

“It really is just food. We use real, recognisable ingredients, cooked in much the same way you would at home.”

A Future Full of Possibilities

Ben’s story is also a testament to the opportunities available at Oscar Mayer. With the right passion, ambition, and curiosity, progression is always possible. As Ben puts it:

“Oscar Mayer is a place where there are good opportunities for people who want to progress. If you want to move forward, speak up and this company always has a place for good people with good skills.”

Outside of work, Ben is an outdoor enthusiast, often found cycling cross-country or mountain biking. But whether on the trail or in the test kitchen, one thing is clear. His passion for food drives everything he does.

We’re proud to have Ben on the team and excited to see the impact he continues to make in shaping the future of food.

Watch Ben’s Employee Spotlight video below 👇