How did you come to work in the produce industry in the UK, and what is your background at Stubbins?

In Poland, my family owned a farm shop, selling produce and dairy to local customers. We were based in a big apple-growing area and were approached by some logistics firms in Poland, who persuaded us to start exporting apples to Russia. We were selling well, but I wanted something different for myself.

I came to the UK at the age of 22 in 2004, to seek a better life. I didn’t even think about working in produce when I came over, but in January 2005 I landed a job as a lorry driver at Continental Express, which is the logistical branch of salad and vegetable business Stubbins Marketing.

The commercial director, Peter Turone, discovered how committed I was and how flexible my skills were, and asked me to develop a strategy for bringing eastern European tomatoes and other products into the UK - therefore launching my commercial career.

By February 2005, I was training alongside the senior buyer at Stubbins, and travelling to eastern Europe with Peter to learn the trade.

How has your career progressed since then?

I am now the commercial manager for tomatoes, reporting to Mark Dillon, who is the senior buyer. It is my role to buy tomatoes from all the countries we source from, not just eastern Europe, but also the Netherlands, Spain, the Canary Islands, Morocco, Israel, etc.

It takes a long time to get the experience necessary to do the job, and I am still learning things all the time.

The Stubbins team really helped me get the experience I needed. When I joined my English was not very good, so I was a bit scared to talk! But my colleagues really helped, so in turn I have taught them a bit of Polish.

As well as Polish and English, I can communicate in Russian, Czech and Slovak, and am attending Spanish classes once a week. I have some Spanish colleagues who I practise with.

How did it feel to win the

Re:fresh 2007 MorePeople Young Person of the Year award?

As a Polish man living in the UK, it was incredible to win this award. My friends and family were very impressed, and it has totally boosted my attitude and enthusiasm for my job.

Knowing that my efforts have been recognised by the industry has helped me to develop and get involved in the business much faster.

In the produce industry, every day is different and offers new challenges, so you need to be able to make quick decisions. The whole experience of working at Stubbins is very rewarding.

What contribution do you think you have been able to make to Stubbins’ role in the marketplace?

Stubbins was one of the first companies in the UK to import tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers from Poland, and that was down to me. I have managed to set up a very reliable grower base in the country, which produces to high standards and is very knowledgeable.

Over the last three years, our Polish growers have improved the quality of their tomatoes, because we have taught them what is needed for the UK market. We can now offer fantastic products at competitive prices.

Do you think Poland has a big part to play in the future of produce imports into the UK?

Yes definitely, the future is very important for Poland. It will not be easy, especially this year with the exchange rate problems across Europe, but Poland will remain a player.

The UK market is now very impressed by the quality of the production and the growers over there.

What is next on the agenda for you at Stubbins?

I find this job very interesting and innovative - every day is different, so you cannot get bored.

But in terms of developing my career, I would like to start dealing with different products, and also exploring different areas of the business.

Mainly, I would like to continue developing for Peter Turone, and to do my best for him, as he gave me the best career opportunity so far in my adult life.

I also really appreciate the help and support of my wife and two children who are here in the UK with me, and the rest of my family in Poland.