Ellen Smith, Feed Formulator

Tell us a little about your background, how long have you been with ForFarmers?

Following my degree in Animal Science at the University of Nottingham, I joined HST Feeds in 2011 starting in a customer services role before then moving into formulations. When HST Feeds were acquired by ForFarmers I moved to a blends formulation role, before then joining the central formulations team in 2019.

What does your role involve?

In my role as a Feed Formulator, I focus on ensuring that our formulations, raw materials analysis, and labels are up to date. Day to day this means I maintain the formulations that go into the mill and ensure that all the required labels are correct. I’m also involved in the monthly mixes, ensuring that we have the right raw materials to go into the mix and that we are working as efficiently as possible with the available materials.

What does the average day look like for you?

My role is quite varied, so each day tends to look a bit different. However, we always have day-to-day maintenance and checking, as well as ensuring we alter any formulations to reflect raw materials stock.

Each month we also reformulate all the products to make sure they are the best mix of raw materials and at the right price, without compromising the nutritional value. We also work on quotations for customers that want bespoke diets. Our existing bespoke diets often change to reflect customer’s needs, so we have to ensure that the set-up is correct every time a diet is altered.

What do you like most about your role?

I love the challenge that comes with my role; you never have the same day twice and it’s certainly never boring! For me, it is important to be in a role where I can push myself and continue to develop my abilities.

What do you like about working at ForFarmers?

The team and the people are what make ForFarmers special. Everyone works hard to ensure that we are always striving for the best, but we also look after each other. It’s great to be part of a team that is supportive, and who are not afraid to muck in during challenging times. Being able to work effectively as a team is crucial, and I believe it means that we are always doing our best to ensure that our customers get what they need.

What do you do in your spare time?

I’m based in Crewe and have a two-year-old daughter called Bella who is my world. The other big part of my life outside of work is amateur dramatics. It’s something I’ve been involved with since I was eight years old and since then I’ve been involved in a number of shows.

I’ve just finished performing in the Little Mermaid at the Crewe Lyceum. This was my first production back after COVID, so it was great to be back on stage again and I’m already looking forward to the next one.

Ellen Smith performing 1 cropped
Ellen performing on stage