Connect
Buy Now Tel: +44 (0)23 9262 0020

Quattro Foods

  • Home
  • About Us
    • How We Work
    • FAQs
    • Meet the Team
    • Mission Statement
    • Careers
  • Sectors
    • Wholesale
    • Retail
    • Food Service
    • Food Manufacturing
    • Education
    • NHS
  • Ranges
    • Ambient Range
      • Garlic and Ginger
      • Sun dried tomatoes
      • Ready to use sauces
      • Salad dressings
      • Curry pastes
    • Vegan Range
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Online Shop
Home / News Articles / A day in the life of Mark Smith, Financial Controller

1st December 2018

A day in the life of Mark Smith, Financial Controller

Mark Smith

Next up to share what it is like to work at one of the UK’s leading food manufacturers and suppliers, is Mark Smith. Under the spotlight as we enter the last month of the year, Mark shares a detailed account of life in the Finance Department here at Quattro Foods.

Over to you Mark!

Q. Please can you describe your role at Quattro Foods…
My job title is Financial Controller, and my role is everything financial! Whether it be processing invoices, paying suppliers, statutory returns, cash flow, product costing or preparing accounts, it’s all just numbers…

Q. How long have you been working at Quattro Foods?
I’ve worked for Quattro Foods for seven years man and boy.

Q. Have you always had an interest in the food industry?
To be honest, before I started at Quattro Foods I never had an interest in the food industry. Over the years I have worked in a variety of business sectors, defence, fuel, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, property, retail, recruitment and service industry.

It sounds strange, but the process and manufacture in the cosmetic industry is exactly the same as in the food industry, and from a financial reporting perspective there is very little
difference.

Q. What are your favourite aspects of the job?
Being the only person in finance, and slightly OCD, I love the daily routine. Accountancy is very repetitive. It involves the same tasks each month. I can carve up the tasks with weekly deadlines, and know what I have to do and when I have to do it.

Q. What are your least favourite aspects of the job?
I don’t really have any least favourite aspect of my job. As the company has grown, the tasks and workload have grown too. The mundane daily tasks now take three times longer to complete, which eats into the rest of the day.

Q. Have you noticed any remarkable changes in the industry since you joined the business?
There are certain products we manufacture that are, “core” lines. We have manufactured them week in week out for eight years. As we offer a bespoke product development service, our customers often come to us to develop a product that they want to sell for maybe a couple of months. As the manufacturer, we are driven by our customer’s requirements, and as company, we have seen the product range we produce grow significantly.

Q. What do you find most rewarding about your job?
When I joined Quattro Foods in October 2011, the company had 11 employees and was selling about £1m a year. We have grown year on year, now employing 40 staff and selling over £4m a year. It’s nice to know I have been a part of that.

Q. What is it like working with the Quattro Team?
I have watched the team quadruple in size since I joined, and I can safely say we are a wonderful team. Everyone plays their part in making the company a success.

Q. In your opinion what four words describe Quattro as a business? 
Bespoke. Knowledgeable. Customer focused.

Q. Do you see any major changes for the food manufacturing industry for the future?
The British high street is seeing less and less retail outlets and more and more food outlets. It is a very competitive industry. Food manufacturers need to adapt to this growing and varied market.

Filed Under: News Articles Tagged With: day in the life, day in the life of a financial controller, finance

« Previous Why do Restaurants co.. Working at Quattro Fo.. Next »

Recent Posts

  • Quattro celebrates Vegetarian Week
  • Plant based or vegan – what’s the difference?
  • Are pizza ovens the next big thing for outdoor eating?
  • Quattro marks Allergy Awareness Week
  • Celebrating International Hamburger Day
  • Quattro celebrates World Fair Trade Day
  • Going dough crazy for Sourdough Bread Day
  • Quattro marks World Health Day
  • Quattro hopped to it this Easter!
  • Quattro celebrates World Idli Day
  • Quattro welcomes seasonal fruit and veg
  • Happy British Pie Week, love Quattro
  • Quattro Celebrates Cook a Sweet Potato Day!
  • Quattro leans into Fat Thursday
  • Team Quattro’s New Years resolutions
  • Quattro marks Food Diversity Day
  • Bringing joy to Dry January!
  • Quattro celebrates warming winter fare for Slow Cooking Month
  • Christmas across the world
  • Quattro celebrates Gravy Day
Tweets by QuattroFoods
Quattro Foods Footer-Top Logo
Quattro Foods Footer-Top Logo
Quattro Foods Footer-Top Logo

CONTACT

  • Quattro Foods Ltd
  • 8 The Nelson Centre
  • Portfield Road
  • Portsmouth
  • Hampshire
  • PO3 5SF
T: +44 (0)23 9262 0020 T: +44 (0)23 9262 0021 E: info@quattrofoods.co.uk

QUICK LINKS

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Ambient Food Range
  • Vegan Food Manufacture
  • Sauce Manufacture
  • Food Supply for the NHS
  • Food Supply in Education
  • Retail Food Manufacture
  • Wholesale Food Manufacture
  • Food Service Providers

SECTORS

  • Wholesale
  • Retail
  • Food Service
  • Manufacturing
  • Education
  • NHS
  • Ambient Range
  • Vegan

© Copyright 2025 QUATTRO FOODS | Privacy Policy

Site by Innovate