In the Kitchen with… Lisa Gough

Lisa Gough has built a career around her passion for food, beginning with mastering continental breads and later embracing innovation in plant-based recipes. Today, as Commercial Manager at The Compleat Food Group, she works closely with foodservice customers to deliver a diverse range of products that inspire menus and delight consumers – including vibrant dips and houmous, indulgent pastries, and a myriad of soups.

Dive into our latest In the Kitchen to find out what motivates Lisa, what a typical day looks like, and which products she loves most.

What attracted you to a career in food?

I’ve been passionate about food for as long as I can remember. My journey started in the bakery industry, where I learned the art of continental breads – like baguettes and brioche – sourdoughs, and pastries. From there, I moved into chilled deli and sandwich manufacturing before joining The Compleat Food Group in 2024, working across exciting categories like dips, houmous, fresh soups, and now savoury and sweet pastry.

Travel has been a huge source of inspiration for me. Sampling dishes from around the world reinforces my belief that food truly brings people together. It’s about sharing experiences, stories, and creativity. I love the diversity of this industry and get a real buzz from spotting the next big trend.

I’m especially passionate about plant-based recipes and love experimenting with new ingredients at home – my friends are often my taste-testers!

Tell us about your role at Compleat?

As Commercial Manager for foodservice customers, I work closely with major wholesalers to grow both branded and own-label ranges across The Compleat Food Group. My role spans an exciting mix of categories, including savoury pastry, sweet bakery, and ready meals at our Crewe site to houmous, dips, and fresh soups at Ebbw Vale.

What I love most is showcasing the incredible breadth of products and capabilities we offer, by making sure our customers have access to the best and most relevant options for their menus. It’s all about collaboration, creativity, and helping our partners deliver great food experiences.

What does a typical day look like?

My day usually starts with a spin class – I love keeping fit, and it’s my way of setting my day up right before diving into a busy workday. From there, I check emails and prepare for customer and internal meetings, making sure everything is planned and on track.

Staying organised is key, because no two days are the same! One day I might be in the office, the next up in Inverness, depending on what’s required.

I attend a lot of customer trade shows to showcase our fantastic product range, which I love doing. Seeing end users sample our products and light up when they taste how delicious they are – that’s the best part of the job!

What are your favourite Compleat products?

I’m a big fan of continental deli flavours, so caramelised onion houmous, olives, and tortillas are always a hit for me. I especially love our Vadasz range of Kimchi and Red Onion Pickles – they’re packed with flavour and so versatile when cooking at home.

Squeaky Bean New York Deli Pastrami is another favourite; it’s incredible in a toasted dark rye sourdough sandwich with mayo and pickles. And when it comes to soups, our Real Soup range is hard to beat, my personal go-to’s are the Indonesian Chickpea & Coconut and the Vegan Katsu Curry – perfect winter warmers.

What do you love the most about your job?

The best part of my job is talking to customers, listening to their needs, and developing solutions that really work for them and their businesses. With such a vast product range across the group, there’s something for everyone, and I enjoy helping customers discover that. I’m very results-driven, so seeing projects through from start to finish and watching the commercial growth is incredibly rewarding.

What’s your favourite thing to do outside of work?

I love going on adventures with my little dog Rocco, exploring new walks across Cannock Chase. Weekends are for socialising with friends over a couple of glasses of wine at our local village pub. I also enjoy cooking and getting my son’s brutally honest feedback on new recipes! Fitness is a big part of my life too; I attend VIBE classes throughout the week which combine great music with high-energy cycling. Our motto says it all: ‘Don’t just ride, feel the vibe!’

Enjoyed reading about Lisa’s journey so far? Get to know more members of our commercial team by reading In the Kitchen with Helen Mulford.