
After leaving school in Leicester in 1961 Tom started work as a lab' technician at Unilever's Colworth food research in Bedford. During his time there he studied by-day release and by 1968 had the qualifications to leave and complete a PhD, at the University of Leicester. Tom then moved into teaching, at what is now London South Bank University, rising to become Principal Lecturer in Food Biochemistry. Tom's professional career also included frequent talks to local audiences on food subjects and as an occasional television and radio interviewee. He retired from full-time teaching in 2000 and now spends several months a year testing educational computer software for the Open University at Milton Keynes as well as contributing to articles for technical and trade magazines on food chemical topics.
In 1982 he was asked by the Royal Society of Chemistry to write a small textbook of food chemistry to help 6th form teachers come to grips with what was then a new topic for schools. From this modest beginning "Food: the Chemistry of its Components" is now over 400 pages, has run to 4 editions (a 5th is currently in preparation), a world wide readership and translations into four other languages.
He remains fascinated by the relationship between the essentially chemical nature of all food and how it behaves on its journey from field to plate and beyond. He is proud of having had the opportunity to bring some of his chemical insights into the world of haute cuisine, at Heston Blumenthal's famous 3 star restaurant.