Young talent winner Amy moves from line to leader

Few people can claim as swift a climb in their career as Amy Gillies.

Named as the Scotland Food & Drink Young Talent winner for 2025 in September, Amy’s journey from the production line to senior team leader at Lazy Day Foods is a great example of how to forge a fast and successful career path in the industry.

The 24-year-old is now using her platform to inspire the next generation to see the diverse opportunities the sector offers.

Amy Gillies on the night, centre, with host Kirsty Wark on the left and FDF Scotland’s Moira Stalker

A clear career choice

Amy began her career at Lazy Day Foods in 2021, starting on the backshift in production at the Shotts-based company that makes gluten-free, milk-free and egg-free vegan treats.

“I was working on the line, picking and packing the biscuits,” she said.

This was a deliberate move after deciding college wasn’t the right fit. Having achieved a Level 6 in beauty, she opted to leave her HNC course to focus on full-time employment.

“I just wanted a full-time job,” she said. “I wanted to be earning money and thinking about where I was going with my life.”

It was during her time in production that her dedication and organisation skills began to shine, particularly when she started helping out with the online orders in the warehouse.

Pinched for potential

After around six months of splitting her time between the production line and the warehouse, Amy was offered a permanent move. The manager had spotted her potential and wanted her for a full-time warehouse operative role.

“I think it was my attention to detail,” Amy explained. “I was happy to take a bit of an interest  and was always really focused on getting things right, writing notes into the orders and taking a lot of care in how things were done.”

For Amy, the appeal of the warehouse was the chance to push herself and try something new.

“I enjoyed the environment and it was a bit more challenging,” she said.

“The biscuits come into the warehouse from production once everything's packed and wrapped to be put on racks and stored or sent out as orders.

“I was keen to push myself a bit and try something out of my comfort zone.”

Key skills

From that moment on, she made quick progress. She moved from being a basic operative to shadowing her team leader, then covering as an acting team leader.

When a supervisor position became vacant, Amy stepped up and took on the extra responsibilities which helped maintain team morale and keep the department going. This determination led directly to her current position.

“I’ve been here three years and it’s really in the past year I’ve gone from team leader to senior team leader,” she said.

“Communication really is key. I need to make sure I'm communicating effectively with who I’m speaking to and what exactly needs done.

“That’s taken a bit of confidence. I was really shy when I started working here and didn’t speak to anybody. My team leader really pushed me and helped me come out of myself and talk to people.

“In a typical day, I’ll have a look at the orders that need to go out that day and then begin to process them through the system.

“Once I've done all that, I’ll then give the guys ‘pick lists’ and we'll get everything lined up and organised for going out later on that day. We also make sure that production has all the sleeves and packaging they need for upcoming orders.”

That award night feeling

Amy was nominated for the award by the company’s founders, Sally Beattie and Emer Bustard, and admits she was in a state of shock from the moment she received the email to say she had been shortlisted.

Recalling the Excellence Awards night, Amy said it was an amazing evening but she felt out of place walking into the room. And when her name was called, she described the feeling of overwhelm.

“I really didn’t expect it,” she said, reflecting on the tough competition.

“I can just remember hearing my name, looking around the table and seeing Sally and Emer and everybody cheering and my eyes started to fill up with tears.”

She said her only goal as she walked to the stage was to maintain her composure.

“I couldn't look at anybody because I knew if I did, I was going to cry. I can remember walking up with everyone cheering me on, trying to remain calm and collected and all the time just repeating in my head, ‘don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry’.”

After the announcement, the evening became a whirlwind of congratulations, with Amy meeting lots of new people, including figures from the Scottish Government.

A platform for inspiration

Looking to the year ahead, Amy is keen to use the award as a platform to inspire the next generation. She is already discussing a representative role that would involve going out and talking to young people about the industry.

This kind of mentorship is something in which she already has experience. At school in Shotts, she used to run clubs for younger children who might have felt left out or didn’t have many friends.

“We had a wee room they could visit at breaks and lunchtimes,” she explained. “We'd have games and music and they could eat there, rather than sitting in the canteen feeling isolated.”

The Young Talent award has given her a newfound confidence and Amy views it as confirmation that she is on the right path.

“I've always doubted myself and found it hard to judge if I’m good enough. But this has spurred me on because I know that by getting shortlisted and nominated, I'm obviously doing a good job,” she said.

“It’s going to push me to go further and work harder to progress as far as I can.”

An eye-opener for the industry

Amy’s perspective as a young leader highlights the variety of both jobs and companies there are in the food & drink industry.

“When I describe where I work at Lazy Day to other people, I say it’s a vegan biscuit factory, so we make biscuits for those who can't have a chocolatey treat. Even if they’re allergic to eggs, or milk, or nuts, we make sure everybody can have a wee bit of happiness,” she said.

She believes more young people should recognise the diverse opportunities available beyond the obvious roles.

“What has surprised me is how many jobs are actually in the food & drink industry. It’s not just packing on a line or driving a forklift, there’s so much more. There are different jobs to suit everybody, from office jobs in sales, accounts and HR, through to working in hygiene - and that’s just in this one factory,” she said.

She has also gained insight into the complexities of manufacturing, particularly the economics behind the products.

“I do get an oversight into the cost of ingredients,” she said.

“I now understand why the end product can be more expensive, because when you see how much goes into making it, that’s quite an eye-opener."

Amy’s ability to climb the ranks quickly at Lazy Day Foods and her desire to use her platform to educate and inspire demonstrate a quiet but forceful dedication to the sector.

“Looking to the future, I’d like to see myself still part of the food & drink industry and hopefully still part of Lazy Day, just hopefully in a higher position and having gained more skills,” she said.

“There’s always more to learn!”