About Melanie Loades (1972-2022)

After 20 years developing products for food and drink companies, Mel set up Froghop on Valentines Day 2014. Just a little nod to her love of food.

Mel trained as a biochemist. After graduating she discovered that being in a lab all day wasn’t where she wanted to be. She joined Unilever to study to become a food product developer and never looked back. Mel’s thirst for knowledge and experience led to successfully acquiring a food and management MSc, an MBA, and a European food law qualification. She worked across a wide portfolio of food and drink products, seeing the process through from end-to-end many times.

Her breadth of experience gave her the ability to offer a highly creative approach to product development. The approach and process she developed at Froghop involves applying techniques and solutions from different areas to help generate unique products for clients.

Sadly, Mel passed away in September 2022 after a short, unexpected battle with cancer. Froghop continues to follow her approach and build on the foundations she laid.

Melanie Loades’ CV

2010-2014: Product Development Director of NSA International LLC

Introduced new ‘functional food’ products and formats into 18 countries for this $400m company. Developed a new range of meal replacements for the European market. Responsible for management of product quality with third-party manufacturers and ensuring product compliance across 18 countries.

2001-2009: General Manager, International Food Network Ltd

IFNL is a $15m business that supplies contract food and beverage product development to branded food manufacturers. Mel led a team of 12 senior food scientists, specialising in functional foods, fortification and food labelling across Europe.

1994-2001: Unilever

Worked as a microbiologist, food technologist and Development Manager within Birds Eye Walls and Unilver Research. Key projects included development of new product ranges, redvelopment of best-selling fish products and development of branded products for European roll-out. Research projects included extension of food shelf-life, running sensory panels for product profiling and comparison testing.

Qualifications

• Masters in Business Administration, University of Warwick (2011)
• Post-Graduate certificate Food Law (specialising in EU law), University of Michigan (2003)
• MSc Science and management of the food chain (distinction), University of East Anglia (2001)
• BSc (Hons) Biochemistry, University of Wales, Bangor (1993)
• Professional Member of the Institute of Food Science and Technology
• Prince 2 registered project manager
• Intermediate food hygience certificate
• Completed training courses in HACCP, ISO, advanced microbiology, food legislation and labelling