“My name is Fredrik Fagernäs, and I’m a 53-year-old product developer at Fresh Servant. I live in Pietarsaari with my wife Pamela, and much of my free time is spent with my family and exercising – they help me stay balanced and energised.”
Fredrik’s career began in the restaurant industry, where he worked as a chef for around eight years. Food and the world of flavours fascinated him, but as his family grew, it became time to reconsider how work and everyday life could be balanced.
“When I was on paternity and childcare leave in 2004–2005, I realised that the irregular working hours in the restaurant industry no longer suited family life. I had to make a decision – so I resigned. It wasn’t easy, but I knew I wanted to be more present at home.”
Chance played its part when Fredrik saw a job opening at Fresh Servant.
“I sent in my application and got the job. I started in production in August 2005. Back then, there were maybe ten of us – quite a small team compared with what Fresh Servant is today.”
Fredrik quickly moved into a supervisor role in 2007. The work was varied and required continuous learning.
“At that time, we did a bit of everything – work schedules, production planning, machine maintenance. If you didn’t know how to do something, you learned. It was quite intense, but also very educational.”
When Fresh Servant moved to new premises in 2012, Fredrik and his colleague Dennis shared the supervisor responsibilities.
“We took turns being responsible for the preparation and packaging departments. The company was growing quickly, and soon it was no longer possible to manage everything alone. Fortunately, more supervisors joined the team.”
Fredrik’s transition into product development happened naturally – he had strong product knowledge and a background as a chef, which gave him an understanding of different cuisines and flavour profiles.
“I’ve always enjoyed trying new things with food. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t – but perhaps you learn the most from failures. It’s part of the creative process.”
In product development, Fredrik closely follows food trends and tries to anticipate what the next hit might be.
“The market is changing all the time – and fast. You have to stay alert, follow trends and sometimes make educated guesses about what might work. What works in Sweden or England doesn’t necessarily work here. That’s why you need to be curious and brave – and dare to put forward your own ideas.”
Fredrik is particularly interested in technological development. Manufacturing and packaging technologies are constantly evolving, and artificial intelligence is also becoming part of product development.
“AI is also entering the world of food – and I find it really interesting. I want to learn more about how it can be used in product development. New technologies open up entirely new possibilities.”
Fredrik’s story shows how a passion for food, curiosity and the courage to seize new opportunities can open an entirely new direction in one’s career. At Fresh Servant, he has been able to grow alongside the company, learn new things and use his skills in many ways – first in production and as a supervisor, and now in product development as part of building the food solutions of the future.
