5 Minutes With… Tom Mercer, founder of MOMA

What would you be doing if you weren’t in the food industry?
I’d love to be an explorer! I think I may have to content myself with some adventurous holidays now.

What was your first job?
Mending wooden pallets on the farm at home.

What inspires you?
Innovation and initiatives that make a positive impact on the world.

What’s the worst job you’ve done?
I recently got asked to sit on a Q&A panel at the last minute – I didn’t know anything about it so required a lot of bluffing and was very embarrassing!

What’s your favourite part of the job?
Coming up with new ideas and products.

And your least favourite?
Reconciling accounts… tedious but has to be done.

How about the food industry?
Favourite: Getting messages from people that love eating our products.
Least favourite: Tricky supplier-buyer relationships.

Tea or coffee?
Black coffee first thing followed copious amounts of tea.

What would be your last supper?
Porridge obvs.

What’s your motto?
‘It’s not about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward’, Rocky Balboa.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?
Mopane worms – a lovely chew to them.

What’s your favourite book?
Papillon – an epic story of adventure and resilience.

Sweet or savoury?
Sweet…I can’t resist.