Nick Vince
Product Development Technologist, Beverage and Food Gurus Ltd
Bachelor of Science in Food Science and Microbiology
The inspiring and engaging staff were a highlight of his studies, says Nick Vince who studied a Bachelor of Science in Food Science and Microbiology.
“Having teachers who are both passionate and approachable lets you match their energy and makes all the difference for your learning! Associate Professor Rothman Kam was an awesome lecturer. Also shoutout to Dr Liz Buckley, Associate Professor Brent Seale and Dr Syrie Hermans for fostering my passion for microbiology; Associate Professor Thao Le, Dr Cassandra Fleming and Professor Allan Blackman for chemistry; and Professor Colleen Higgins and Dr Gardette Valmonte-Cortes for molecular genetics. All the staff in the peer mentoring support group were also genuinely incredible people.”
While he had many highlights throughout his studies, there was one project that made a particular impression on him.
“I especially loved the beer making project in my food technology course with Associate Professor Rothman Kam. It was part project and part competition, which made it extremely fun. I ended up being the runner-up with a pretty weird hibiscus and rhubarb Belgian Tripel. This led into a summer project where the food science department collaborated with the marine ecology and aquaculture staff to produce a couple of bespoke beers for the International Pāua (Abalone) Symposium hosted by AUT. We were given a broad brief with a lot of leeway to get creative. It was a real lightbulb moment where I got a taste of product development and found that this was the sandpit I wanted to play in going forward.”
A love of food
He has always loved food and cooking, says Nick who graduated from AUT in 2023, and is proud of receiving the top scholar award for both food science and microbiology.
“I was a huge fan of blogs like Serious Eats, and recipe books like Kenji Lopez-Alt’s The Food Lab and Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat. My partner and I cooked every recipe in that one! They didn’t just give you steps to follow but explained the mechanics and rationale behind what they were doing. I added microbiology to my food science degree after finishing the introductory microbiology courses in my first year, while reading Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake. I developed a huge passion for cell biology, molecular genetics and understanding living things, and found it was highly applicable to a career in food science.”
He has some great advice for other students who are only at the start of their own university journey.
“Studying gets so much easier if you’re excited about what you’re learning. Study things that make you curious, use your summers to do internships or research studentships, chat to your lecturers about their areas of research, and whenever you learn something new try to think how you can apply that knowledge.”
A career in product development
Now working for Beverage and Food Gurus Ltd – New Zealand’s leading independent food science consultancy – Nick loves being able to work with food every day.
“In my role, I get to work on a huge range of different product categories and never have time to get bored. I’ve worked on everything from healthy functional beverages and protein desserts to delicious cocktails and snack foods. There’s always something new and exciting to make, and always something new to learn.”
He is proud of what he has already achieved in his career.
“Every time I see a product I produced on a shelf is a win. I have a little ritual of buying any product I made the first time I see it for sale; it’s very satisfying closure for every project. My work has also won a number of national awards, including Foodstuffs Emerge, NZ Spirit Awards and the New Zealand Food Awards. I take a lot of pride in the quality of the work that got them there.”
