“I left school at 16 without any GCSEs”... and now he’s a Managing Director of a leading food safety company, Microsearch. On this episode of the Oh For Food’s Sake podcast, we hang out with the delightful and amazing Danny Franklin, asking him about his career journey, the challenges of working in microbiology, food safety legislation and the power of being yourself in your workplace.
“I left school at 16 without any GCSEs”... and now he’s a Managing Director of a leading food safety company, Microsearch. On this episode of the Oh For Food’s Sake podcast, we hang out with the delightful and amazing Danny Franklin, asking him about his career journey, the challenges of working in microbiology, food safety legislation and the power of being yourself in your workplace.
Danny tells us how he got his start at Microsearch (and why playing the piano helped him to land a job!) and the many roles he’s held at the company since then. He explains some of the services that Microsearch offers to food companies and manufacturers and explains why his company is different from other food safety laboratories. We discuss standards in food safety and the challenge that food manufacturers face trying to balance commercial interests and safety standards. At the end of the episode, Danny shares insights into his own imposter syndrome and gives advice to people beginning their food industry careers.
Danny’s incredible career path shows what a rich and diverse place the UK food industry is. Make sure to subscribe to the Oh For Food’s Sake podcast to catch all our episodes with different people from across the length and breadth of the food industry and to hear their stories.
Timestamps
[1:57] Welcome to the podcast, Danny!
[4:31] “Well I left school at 16”: Danny’s career journey from musician to Microsearch
[7:05] How Microsearch got their start in an attic
[10:32] Doing the rounds of every department at Microsearch
[13:08] From transportation to labs to management to sales to MD
[18:28] So, what does Microsearch actually do? Danny breaks down their services
[22:33] How do you actually test for food allergens in food factories?
[28:02] Danny explains how he business has changed since it was taken over
[32:35] Balancing out commercial interests and food safety
[36:05] Why the role of the microbiologist is changing
[42:18] “The biggest challenge that everyone faces is meeting the turnaround times”
[45:16] The power of being yourself in your career
[49:08] How Danny handles it when the going gets tough
[50:10] Where to go to get in touch with Danny
Links and Resources
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Email: web@daymer.com
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For food industry Consulting from Lucy you can find her here on instagram or LinkedIn
See you next time!