Check out your Company Bowl for anonymous work chats.
It was Mental Health Week earlier this month, and thanks to our Culture Team and very own Mental Health First Aiders, we kept it simple with a picnic in the park. Giving us all a chance to go and touch some grass. Every so often, we put mental health in the spotlight at innocent to remind ourselves that not every day feels peachy. And just like we look after our bodies, we think our minds deserve the same care and attention. We offer our people 12 free virtual therapy sessions each year. But we also know it’s often the small, everyday moments that make the biggest difference. That’s why we run two mental health training programmes. One for managers and one for everyone, so that we’re all better equipped to have the right conversations and look out for each other. So, while we wait for the sunshine to properly stick around, consider this your gentle nudge. Pop to the park, kick off your shoes, and give that grass a go. Fancy joining our lot next time for a picnic and a game of rounders? Have a look at our careers page to see if there’s anything that looks like a match for you.
Missed our Loved Lift? Head to LinkedIn and check out our latest video on why we love our jobs.
As the story goes, back in 1998 our three original founders went to a festival with a simple idea and a big question: “Should we give up our day jobs to make these smoothies?” They put up a sign above their stall and asked people to vote by tossing their empty bottles into bins marked ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. ‘Yes’ won, and that’s how innocent was born. To celebrate that little piece of history (and all the brilliant things we do each year), we created the Bin Factor Award. It’s our way of shining a light on the year’s biggest and most successful projects, where our people cast their votes with empty bottles. Just like the old days. This year, the award went to a project based in the blender, our manufacturing facility in Rotterdam. Last year we made over 200 million litres at our Blender. The challenge? We didn’t want to stop at that, which sounds simple enough… until you realise that means more juice, more storage, and more capacity. So, we had to install extra tanks to hold all that juice. Easy? Not quite. Working around production schedules, coordinating teams across multiple areas, and managing a project of this scale takes an incredible amount of planning, precision, and teamwork. It’s a huge effort from a lot of amazing people. To everyone who made it happen, well done. You truly deserve the glory and nods of approval from your colleagues in the kitchen.
Saturday was Positive Thinking Day. So we asked our people what keeps their spirits high, and gives them the energy to do their best work. Some of them said pain, discomfort, and a splash of sweat. Okay, they said Pilates. But when you're 78 seconds into a plank on your lunch break you'd have a tough time convincing us there's a difference. Either way, some of our most limber employees swear by it, which is why Irem, our Head of Brand and Portfolio (and qualified Pilates instructor) started a club at innocent to share her passion and its health benefits with others. That's our Pilate goers after striking a pose below. We tried their routine. Humble pie was served shortly after. For the other bunch who didn't fancy feeling their hamstrings into next week, we offer subsidised massages, 10 free sessions of online therapy per year, and other important things like a wellbeing room. Let us know in the comments if you have any tips of your own, and if you fancy joining the Pilates party, why not check out some of the jobs we've got going on our website (link in the comments).
Here at innocent, being natural is one of the values we hold nearest and dearest. Our drinks and people wouldn't be the same without it. So, every year we come together on what we call our 'Nature Day', to learn about fruit and veg, and to say thank you for all the hard work that goes into getting us to a billion more portions of the stuff by 2030. This year, we sent them off to Fruit Camp. Think Scouts, but with fewer bears, fancy dress, and some questionable pictures in the group chat. Don't think our nan would be pleased. Check out the video to see what our UK and Ireland bunch got up to:
It's Autumn and that means one thing. Getting comfy with a cup of tea and pretending to do some work while reading our latest Q&A. This month we've got one of the brilliant minds and taste buds behind some of your favourite smoothies, our Rachel. So good at her job that when life gives her lemons, she adds apples, pears and a couple cucumbers and calls it a job well done. When she's not working her smoothie-making magic, she's inspiring her team, or co-leading our run club, Kensal Strides. Check out life at innocent in the article below. It might be one of your recipes that we'll be picking out the fridge next year.
Turns out working in HR is just as fun as it sounds. Who'd have thought. Our Mayuri works hard to bring great people to Fruit Towers, our London home. Have a look at what she gets up to in the video, and let her know your thoughts on a cream cheese and Sriracha crumpet combo in the comments. Click the link to watch it over on LinkedIn.
THREE THINGS WE ALL WANT TO SKIP: The line at Alton Towers. A perfectly round pebble at the seafront. The interview for our dream job. Everyone's different, and for some (probably most) people interviews can cause a bit of stress and anxiety. And while we love true crime dramas as much as anyone, we don't fancy interrogating you lot. So it's every interviewer's job to make people's lives a little easier. The small things have a big impact. So one small change we've made is to give everyone sensory toys to fidget with in interviews. So you can focus more on the answers, and less on the being nervous bit. We also give people the chance to speak to members of our affinity groups to ask about the things that matter to them. That could be our parental policy, culture, or what snacks our Maisie puts in the snack cupboard. It's up to you, and always top-secret. The majority of our case studies are sent ahead of time too. We'd rather leave surprises for your birthday, and make sure you have plenty of time to prepare for your assessment. Much like you would on the job. Like we said, it’s the little things. But when you interview with us, we want it to be a two-way street, so if there's any reasonable adjustments you need then let your Talent Partner know. After all, an interview is just a chance to shout about how great you are. As a bonus, have a look below and see if there's any sensory toys that look a little out of place.
In the limelight this month, our Werdah. Someone so passionate about living well, she's co-founded a triathlon charity to help others do the same. Now we're no couch potatoes, but the only triathlons we can finish have a starter, main, and dessert. Which is why we're extra proud of Werdah in getting to run across France with a certain flame in her hand. It's a pretty big deal if you ask us. If you want to know more about how she got there, her role at innocent, and top tips for carrying open flames, then have a read down below:
Some people say money makes the world go around. We might say it's fruit and veg. But most people would agree that parents deserve a mention too. Well, it was Parent's Day yesterday. So we thought we'd shout about all the great work our wonderful PEARent's and Carer's Affinity Group have done. All to make sure that parents at innocent get the best deal possible and focus on what really matters. Mushing veg, changing nappies, and learning all about Peppa. Check out the LinkedIn post for the full update.
