Flour, Trends & 10 Years on the Road – A Conversation with Jonathan Durnell
If you’ve spent time in the bakery or food production industry over the last number of years, there’s a good chance you’ve crossed paths with Jonathan Durnell.
Whether it’s discussing premixes, gluten-free production, clean label trends or troubleshooting a challenge over a cup of coffee, Jonathan has become a familiar face to many Shackleton’s customers across Ireland and beyond.
This June marks 10 years since Jonathan joined Shackleton’s as Technical Sales Representative — and while a lot has changed in the industry during that time, one thing that hasn’t changed is the importance of relationships, trust and understanding what customers really need.
We caught up with Jonathan recently to reflect on the changes he has seen across the industry, the projects that stand out, and where he feels the future is heading.
“The industry never stands still — which is probably why I still enjoy it.”
Before joining Shackleton’s, Jonathan worked in both retail and large-scale manufacturing baking environments, giving him hands-on experience of the realities facing bakeries and food producers every day.
“I think that background definitely helps because you understand the pressures customers are under. Whether it’s consistency, labour challenges, efficiency or changing consumer trends — you’ve experienced it yourself.”
Over the past decade, Jonathan has supported many customers, from large plant bakeries to smaller independent producers and start-up food businesses.
“No two customers are the same, and that’s probably one of the best parts of the job. One day you could be discussing efficiencies with a large manufacturing bakery, and the next you’re helping a smaller bakery develop something completely new.”
From Brexit to Gluten Free — and Everything In Between
The food industry has seen enormous change over the past 10 years.
Brexit, Covid, changing consumer expectations, gluten-free growth, clean labels, gut health, fibre, protein, seeds — the pace of change has been relentless.
But according to Jonathan, that’s also what keeps the industry interesting.
“There’s always something evolving. Consumer expectations are much higher now, especially around ingredients and product quality. People want cleaner labels, better nutritional value and more transparency around what they’re eating.”
At Shackleton’s we continue to evolve alongside those changes — particularly through investment in the company’s standalone gluten-free facility and the continued expansion of its blending and ingredient capabilities.
“The business is constantly investing and adapting to where the industry is going. Gluten-free is a great example of that — the quality expectations from consumers are so much higher now than they were years ago.”
One area Jonathan particularly enjoys is working directly with customers to solve practical challenges.
That can range from helping customers improve efficiencies through developing premixes, supporting product reformulation around clean label requirements, or helping businesses scale production.
“There’s great satisfaction in helping a customer solve a problem or improve a process. Sometimes it’s a major new product project, and sometimes it’s something small that makes a big operational difference for them.”
One example Jonathan reflects on was helping a smaller bakery move its full product range from scratch baking to Shackleton’s premix solutions — helping improve consistency, efficiency and scalability while still maintaining product quality.
“It’s about understanding what works best for that particular customer. There’s never really a one-size-fits-all approach.”
The Man Behind the Flour Clap
Outside of customer visits and industry conversations, Jonathan has also unintentionally become somewhat of a familiar face in Shackleton’s recent marketing content.
Those hands featured in the now-famous “flour clap” image on the new website? Yes — they belong to Jonathan.
“I didn’t realise I was signing up for modelling duties as part of the job,” he laughs. “Although I’m still waiting on royalties from the marketing department.”
Looking Ahead
For Jonathan, the future of the industry will continue to centre around innovation, efficiency and understanding changing consumer needs.
“Clean label, nutrition, gluten-free quality, fibre, protein, gut health — those areas are only going to continue growing. Customers want partners who understand those trends and can help them react quickly.”
And ultimately, that’s where Shackleton’s continues to position itself — combining technical expertise, industry experience and strong customer relationships to help food producers stay ahead of the curve.
At Shackleton’s, we are fortunate to have people like Jonathan on the team — people who genuinely care about customers, understand the industry and are always willing to go the extra mile (even if that occasionally includes being the preferred hand model for the website).