5 minutes with Roddy Perkins, Barries

What would you be doing if you weren’t in the food industry?
I would love to start a company n the CBD industry. There is such a variety of applications for it so it has huge potential.

What was your first job?
Installing Audio Visual equipment (such as TVs and sound systems) in homes.

What inspires you?
Seeing so many people sticking their necks out trying to be entrepreneurs, successfully or not. I think it’s fantastic that we live in a generation that encourages people to buck the big company lifestyle to pursue our dreams.

What’s the worst job you’ve done?
I only had one job before going out on my own so I would have to say being an AV installer, even though I enjoyed it!

What’s your favourite part of the job?
I love the challenge of trying to get people who don’t like mayo to enjoy it. We call our Rosemary and Thyme flavour ‘The Converter’, it has a great success ratio.

And your least favourite?
People who think they know better about how to run a business telling us how to run our company.

How about the food industry?
I love how creative the food industry is getting in terms of flavours and innovation. You are seeing it everywhere and we are trying to bring that game with our mayo.

Tea or coffee?
Tea, coincidentally Barries Irish Tea.

What would be your last supper?
A butter chicken from my local Nepalese restaurant in Shepherds bush, Kathmandu Inn.

What’s your motto?
You win some, you lose some.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?
A spider.

What’s your favourite book?
Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien.

Sweet or savoury?
Savoury, especially crisps.