Meet The Team: Office Administrator

In this week's instalment of our "Meet the Team" series, we meet Catherine, our Office Administrator! 

What is your job title?
Office Administrator

What do you do every day at work?
I place regular customer orders to ensure our customers receive their deliveries when requested. I also run regular reports for bulk orders from suppliers. Some days can be a lot more "manic" than others though - there is the odd day where anything and everything can go wrong, which completely puts a spanner in the works!

How long have you been with FFTO?
18 months

What is your go-to breakfast?
Porridge with blueberries

What do you do as soon as you get into work?
I'm usually in a bit earlier so I can make myself a cup of tea and have a chat with Vicky in accounts, before the day begins!

Lunch at your desk, or lunch out?
Lunch at my desk!

What's your favourite fruit? (or fruit snack?)
A bowl of red grapes and blueberries, with some yoghurt

Tea all day, or tea never?
Tea whenever it gets a bit chilly in the office!

Tell us one thing no one in the office knows about you (yet!)
I have Italian blood - we used to have the surname Morellini but they changed the name to Moreline to avoid being attacked. It was just after World War I when the Italians had sided with German!

What is your party trick?
I'm not sure if I still can, but I used to be able to quote Finding Nemo word for word....I spent lessons in school with my best friend taking it turns! Rock 'n' roll I know...

If you were an animal, what animal would you be and why? 
A sloth...I can take things at my own pace but still get the job done!

Have any more questions for Cat? Let us know @office_fruit!  

 

Best Fruits You Should Be Eating For a Summer Body

It's that time of year when we're all gearing up to go on a sunny holiday, and we all want to look our best in the sun! Luckily for us, there's plenty of fruits that we can incorporate into our diet, that will help us with our bikini bodies, and give us that summer glow!

Celery
If you get hungry after meals, why not fill up on celery sticks? They're crunchy, so you'll feel like you've had a satisfying snack, and the water content helps fill you up with few calories. It will also help reduce water retention, which is always helpful when considering wearing a bikini! Cut a stalk into a few pieces, and you've got the perfect after-lunch snack.

Pineapple 
Pineapples are not only delicious (especially in summer), but they contain a digestive enzyme called bromelain, which helps with bloating and gas. Eaten on their own or in a fruit salad, pineapples are great to replace your mid-afternoon sweet snack.

Grapefruit
Grapefruits are a great summertime breakfast, as they are light yet filling. High in water content which helps hydration, they also contain vitamin C, which is important for skin health. They promote weight loss by reducing insulin levels, and they boost your metabolism!

Pears
Pears don't get as much love as they should! They help you stay regular and full, and they contain soluble fibre which help keep your digestive tract healthy. They are also full of heart-boosting potassium, and bone-strengthening calcium. Eat them alone or as part of a fruit salad.

Apples
Apples are great for you in a way you might not realise! Did you know they can help reduce cellulite? They are full of enzymes which aid the digestive process of breaking down and eliminating fatty deposits in the body's cells, which leaves you bikini-confident!

What are your favourite fruits for that summer glow? Let us know @office_fruit

How to peel an orange - have you been doing it wrong all along?

  Oranges are the most notoriously difficult to peel, and that's certainly the feedback we get from our customers! With complaints about them being messy, to downright annoying (orange juice in the eye, anyone?), they're a fruit that we've all struggled with at some point in our life. But what if we have been peeling them wrong all along?

What about being able to open an orange in 3 easy cuts? Well, as the below video will demonstrate, it might be just as simple as 1, 2, 3!

First, take a knife and slice off the base of the orange. Then slice off the top. Finally, cut halfway through the orange from top to bottom, allowing the fruit to open out. Look at all those segments!



Source: Life Hack: Fastest way to peel an orange by LifeHacks4You on Rumble
  

Will this humble trick mean oranges get a fairer chance in our clients' fruit boxes? Let's find out!

Have you tried this hack? Let us know @office_fruit

What fruit is your baby today?

You may think that's a weird title, but many people use fruit to work out how big their baby is during certain weeks of their pregnancy. Who knew fruit had so many uses! Following this chart, you could even buy the corresponding fruit each week to compare it to your bump!

If you are expecting, what fruit stage is your baby at? Let us know @office_fruit! 

Meet the Team: Packer

In this next instalment of "Meet the Team", we introduce our longest-serving packer, Lee! Find out what his favourite fruit is, and why he has stayed with us for so long!

What is your job title?

Supervisor/packer

What are your daily tasks?

Mainly sure all orders are packed correctly and efficiently, and other tasks like cleaning.

How long have you been with FFTO?

10 years!

What do you like about working here?

It's a laugh. Where the Dispatch Unit is quite small you get to know your workmates a lot quicker, and it makes it more enjoyable to work.

What's your favourite fruit? 

Strawberries. I love the melt in the mouth taste and how sweet they are.

What's your favourite vegetable?

I like broccoli. It's nice with a bit of gravy over it and has a nice taste.

If you were an animal, what you would you be?

Lion. I've got a heart like one! Not a lot really bothers me!

Got any questions for our packers? Let us know @office_fruit! 

How To Be Persuasive

Being persuasive is a useful skill that takes us through not only our work life, but also our everyday life! Whether it's persuading your boss for a pay rise, or asking your friend to give you a lift at 2am, a few persuasive techniques will make it all the easier to sway people to your way of thinking. If you need help being more persuasive, read on!

Appear confident
Whether you feel it or not, if you appear confident, you are more likely to persuade the other person that your point of view is right. You will appear more authoritative, which people respond to positively. Remember, fake it until you make it!
 
Know what you're talking about
People will not be persuaded unless you can prepare to answer the "why" question. Do all your research around the topic, and make sure you know the facts!

Prepare for arguments against you
If it's a tough topic, the other person may well have a good reason why they don't think the way you do about that subject. Make sure you think about what their objections to the decision may be, and prepare counter-arguments that make your point difficult to say "no" to!

Stay calm
No one likes giving in to an angry or emotional person, especially in a workplace environment. Even if you think it's not going your way, make sure to take a few deep breaths, and to talk slowly. This will help your point come across stronger.

Read your audience
Who are you talking to? If you are talking to your boss, informal language isn't going to cut it. Are you talking to your family? Then formal language is going to sound very odd! Monitor your language to fully connect with the person you are talking to.

Gauge their reaction
Look at how the person is reaction to what you're saying. If they look angry, think about toning down your language, and go softer on the subject. If they look like they're agreeing, you have some room to press home the point!

Picking your time
No one likes to be approached about a pay rise when they are about to go into a big meeting. Make sure you pick a good time for the other person, as they are the one you want to help you! Ask if it's a good time to talk, and if not, ask to arrange a time that works for them. Being flexible will help you seem more approachable, so when the time comes, they are more willing to talk to you!

What are your top ways of persuading people? Let us know @office_fruit

Profile On: Passion Fruit

 Following on from our last post in our Profile On series, this week we take a look at the passion fruit, a versatile fruit which has grown in popularity.

What is it? 
The passion fruit is a nutritious fruit, rich in antioxidants and vitamins. This tropical fruit is considered a type of berry. It is the fruit of the passiflora vine, which is a type of passion flower.

What does it look like?
It is small,with a  tough outer rind, and a juicy, seed-filled centre. There are several types; the most common are purple (passiflora edulis) and yellow (passiflora flavicarpa).

Where's it from?
Although it is a tropical fruit, some varieties can survive in sub-tropical climate. It is grown all over the world, and crops can be found in South and North America, Asia, Europe and Australia.

How do I eat it?
You need to slice or rip open the rind to expose the flesh and seeds. The passion fruit can be eaten raw, and the seeds are edible. The white film separating the rind from the flesh is edible but is bitter so most people leave that part! This fruit is mostly used in drinks, desserts, on salads and in yoghurts.

What does it taste like?
It is very tart, and there is a large smell component, as it has a very strong and characteristic perfume.

What are the health benefits?
It contains iron alongside vitamin c, which is hugely beneficial as vitamin c helps with iron absorption. It also has lots of antioxidants, and that all important dietary fibre.

Do you like passion fruit? Let us know @office_fruit