The Aberdeenshire ingredients manufacturer’s long-running student placement programme provides crucial industry experience, directly addressing acute recruitment challenges in the UK’s vital food and drink industry.
Aberdeenshire-based food ingredients manufacturer Macphie is marking another successful year for its student placement initiative, a collaboration with Abertay University that spans nearly a decade. The programme is a strategic response to the widening skills gap within the UK’s critical food and drink manufacturing sector. It provides students with a financial award and a 12-week paid placement, offering invaluable hands-on industry experience crucial for career development.
The UK food and drink manufacturing industry stands as the nation’s largest manufacturing sector, with a turnover often exceeding £142 billion and employing approximately 456,000 to 500,000 individuals directly across the country. However, this vital sector is grappling with persistent labour shortages and significant skills gaps. Recent data indicates that up to 75% of businesses faced difficulties in filling skilled roles in 2025, a notable increase from 50% in 2023. The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) highlighted that labour shortages cost the industry an estimated £1.4 billion in lost output between July 2022 and July 2023 alone. Vacancy rates within the sector are notably higher than those in wider manufacturing and the national average, with an acute demand for talent in areas such as production, engineering, technical roles, and new product development (NPD).
Macphie, a family-owned Scottish firm with a heritage dating back to the early 20th century and manufacturing operations in Glenbervie since 1973, has proactively addressed this challenge through its partnership with Abertay University. The company, known for its extensive range of ingredients including cake mixes, savoury sauces, and plant-based alternatives, has a strong reputation for innovation. Macphie was notably one of the first UK businesses to achieve B Corp certification in 2015, an accreditation that has been consistently maintained, underscoring its commitment to social and environmental ethics, transparency, and balancing profit with purpose.
Abertay University supports this initiative through its BSc (Hons) Food and Consumer Science course, which is professionally accredited by the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) and incorporates built-in work placements. The university is recognised as a top UK institution for Food Science teaching by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026, solidifying the academic strength underpinning the scholarship scheme.
Chris Dolphin, a current Food and Consumer Science student at Abertay, exemplifies the profound impact of the programme. “Before applying to university, I was a professional chef working in North East restaurants. Although I enjoyed my time in the industry and still wanted to work in food and drink, the long hours and poor pay made me reconsider my options,” Dolphin stated. “I found out about the Abertay-Macphie partnership through my student portal and after looking into the company, I knew it would be an amazing opportunity.”
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Now in his third week of a twelve-week placement with Macphie’s New Development Team, Dolphin highlighted the immersive nature of the experience. “Macphie has truly gone out of their way to ensure I get as much as I possibly can out of my time here and there’s never a quiet moment,” he commented. “One of my tasks has been getting hands on throughout the design and product development process, gaining experience in a number of functions involved in the Product Development side of the business.” Such placements are increasingly vital for students to acquire practical skills, apply academic learning, and enhance their employability in a competitive job market. For businesses, these programmes offer access to fresh perspectives, support for specific projects, and a crucial pipeline for future recruitment, often leading to graduate hires. “Applying for this programme is an absolute no brainer. You’re not just making tea and coffee; this is a realistic snapshot of working in new product development, which gives you a massive headstart in your future career,” Dolphin added.
The placement scheme is actively managed by Macphie’s Employee Trustee members, Fraser Hogg, Raymond Howitt, and Fiona Macphie, underscoring the company’s deep-seated commitment to talent development. Beyond its partnership with Abertay, Macphie extends its scholarship scheme to students at City of Glasgow College, further demonstrating its dedication to nurturing young talent and creating opportunities in the food and drink sector, particularly as entry-level roles become increasingly challenging to secure for recent graduates.
This proactive approach by Macphie is critical for an industry that requires continuous innovation to meet evolving consumer demands for healthier, more sustainable, and exciting food and drink options. By investing in these academic partnerships, Macphie is not only securing its own talent pipeline but also contributing significantly to the future strength, adaptability, and innovation capacity of the broader UK food manufacturing landscape. Government initiatives and industry bodies like the FDF also stress the importance of such collaborations to fill the nearly 200,000 jobs anticipated in the sector over the next decade.
