Each month, we put the spotlight on a Glanbia Ireland employee and for our June newsletter, we’re talking to Ming Lim

Malaysian-born Food Science graduate Ming Lim revels in his role as Process Technical Manager in Butter and Dairy in Ballyragget.

The 27 year-old graduated in the US in June 2018 and a month later, he started working with Glanbia in Gooding, Idaho as part of the Graduate Programme. He transferred to Ballyragget in October of last year where he’s become a popular member of the team

“Gooding, Idaho isn’t too different to Ballyragget in terms of the seclusion aspect, it is a small city. Idaho itself is almost like an empty plain, while I am able to enjoy more greenery in Ireland. I live in Kilkenny city because I was told that was the place to be, and I LOVE it. However, rental cost is quite high, so I am sharing a place with a Glanbia student. I’m a bit of a home bird and to relax after work, I like to watch Netflix. I’m also trying to get to know Ireland more by visiting other cities such as Cork, Dublin, Waterford, Wexford and Wicklow. I’ve also just travelled to Lake Como in Italy, hoping to jumpstart my Europe travel adventures.”

“I love food. It’s great to be in a tourist city like Kilkenny with so many great restaurants. My favourite so far has to be Butcher, particularly for their Lemon Baked Alaska. Following encouragement from my colleagues here in Ballyragget, I started a food Instagram blog, giving my own ratings of the restaurants I’ve dined in. Anyone interested can follow me on @waltontastebuddies.”

“I’ve visited Kilkenny Castle and plan to go to Butler Gallery to see their exhibits. It’s a great city and Ballyragget is close and a fantastic place to work. People have been welcoming and I love the variety in my job. It’s great to link in with different plants on site, working to support the operations team in trouble shooting and problem solving. It offers new and exciting challenges to my role, helping me grow into a better person in and outside from work.”

Ming is also part of a tag rugby team this year, playing alongside 20+ other Glanbia employees. Outside of that, he loves baking and would sometimes bring some baked goods in for his co-workers (excluding nuts, of course). He is also big on birthday/eventful celebrations for his colleagues here in Ballyragget.

While life in Ireland is great, Ming misses home. “It might sound surprising, but I actually love the cold in Ireland. Malaysia has a tropical climate and is very humid with temperatures reaching as high as 35 or 36 degrees. But I miss my parents and my two sisters. My parents and one sister are in Malaysia and my other sister is in Australia. I’ve also left behind friends in the US. We try to stay connected, but it is hard with the time difference.”

Ming came to Ireland with the intention to go back to the US, visa permitting. “The fact that Glanbia Ireland is no longer part of the PLC might complicate matters for me so we will have to see.”

But, he’s enjoying the role and while he isn’t quite sure what his next steps are, he will discuss his future with his line manager.

“Until then, I’m excited to be part of the Irish team during the company’s transition into a fully Co-operative company. I love what I do and where I’m based and Kilkenny is a really great place to be.”

“Sin é,” he quipped.

WFoodBuddies (@waltontastebuddies) • Instagram photos and videos