michelle torinsci amanda turner Freshtime NPD

Michelle Torinsci and Amanda Turner

Prepared supplier Freshtime continues its wave of new appointments with two additions to the NPD team.

Having previously worked at Northern Foods (now owned by 2 Sisters Food Group) and Icelandic Seachill, Amanda Turner will head up the team as NPD manager. She is joined by ex-Bakkavor employee Michelle Torinsci, who takes on the role of development technologist.

“I was at Northern Foods for 11 years and that’s where I discovered my love of food product development,” said Turner, who will manage a team of four technologists and one chef in her new role.

“I went into my career straight after my A-levels; I didn’t know what I wanted to do but I really enjoyed my first job in the food industry and I’ve been lucky enough to be given some great opportunities to progress,” she added.

Turner has worked as NPD manager at Daniels Group, senior process technologist at Saladworks and process development manager at Solway Foods. Her most recent role was as NPD controller at Icelandic Seachill in Grimsby.

Torinsci trained as a chef, worked as a cook in the NHS and ran her own food retail business before working at Bakkavor subsidiary Cucina Sano for six years.

“We’re doing a lot of work on innovation, getting out into the stores and restaurants, finding out what’s going on in the market at the moment and what the customers want,” Torinsci said.

Snack and prepared vegetable supplier Freshtime has invested over £14 million in its Boston production facility in recent years.