Group Food Safety and Quality Projects Manager
Dunbia

Julia’s career spans more than twenty years within the animal protein industry. She has an MSc in Meat Science and is a Fellow of the Institute of Food Science and Technology. In Julia’s current role she actively develops and manages scientific and technical based projects across the group, collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to ensure innovation and best practice is delivered. Much of this involves encouraging young people to consider careers within the industry – something that Julia is hugely passionate about. She has been instrumental in the set-up of the company’s Food Safety & Quality Placement Programme, which has been designed to give placement students the right range of business and technical skills to succeed in their studies and future career. She is described as a real asset to both Dunbia and the meat industry, and her dedication to educating the next generation on the opportunities within our industry is invaluable.

Butcher
Crich Butchers

Olivia is an extremely driven young woman. She works part time as a butcher in an independent shop whilst also looking after the tenancy of a small farm. Known as Liv, she tends a flock of 220 sheep and 215 lambs, together with a herd of 106 beef cattle. She also milks for a local farmer once a week. She has passed her Level Two butchery exam with ‘excellence’ status and is currently studying for her Level Three in butchery at Meat Ipswich. Liv constantly comes up with new products, mostly added value, to contribute to the shop’s range, which is a great hit with customers. Since starting at the business she has built up, and now maintains, the shop’s Facebook page and she posts daily updates helping to increase turnover and followers. She demonstrates a real passion for the industry and is a great team player, always going above and beyond.

Senior Manager – Quality and Technical
Asda

Suzanne’s passion to do the right thing for Asda customers is both refreshing and relentless says her proposer. Her inspiring leadership style is an asset that defines the dynamics of her team who she always has time to develop. She has delivered major changes and mitigated numerous meat industry challenges over the last twelve months whilst offering her knowledge and experience to fellow colleagues. Her proposer from Asda added: “Without Suzanne we would not have the highest quality of wholesome and safe meat our 18 million weekly customers have become accustomed to.”

Supply Chain Manager
Moy Park

The year 2023 opened with a multi-million pound operational investment programme at Moy Park’s Dungannon site. This huge operational upgrade opportunity brought with it a major demand and supply challenge which Catherine, as Supply Chain Manager, led the site through, focusing on the supply / demand plan and both liaising with customers and coordinating the company’s commercial and plant teams. She liaised with the team to establish a critical path to create success factors, milestones and actions. The plan was designed to negate any impact on customer supply whilst delivering the installations, often referred to at the company as the poultry processing factory equivalent of open heart surgery! The benefits were clear to Catherine and she motivated others around her on the art of the possible. Her ability to cut through problems is due to 18 years’ experience, personality and communication skills at top levels, plus a calmness under pressure. The project was successfully completed over 16 weekends, on plan and is delivering the expected benefits. Catherine’s peer relationships grew throughout and she is an outstanding example to anyone.

Head of Operations
Becketts Foods Ltd

Diane has worked in the Becketts Foods business for two and half years. Her proposer reports that during that time she has: “Really made her mark on the business.” Her passion for the industry and the improvements that she has made are described as incredible even in the most challenging of circumstances. Diane is said to have a way of communicating with her colleagues that has really improved the engagement within the business and has improved the retention of staff. She has worked with the HR team to really support and develop the team through training and upskilling. She cares passionately about her colleagues and the business and is actively supporting other women in the production area to develop skills and experience.

Operational Manager
Pilgrims UK (Redruth)

One of several nominations for Nicola highlights her good organisational skills and that she is supportive yet challenging, sharing her knowledge accumulated over 29 years of working in the meat industry. Over her time at Redruth she has worked her way up from an Operator to Operational Manager. Colleagues agree that her vast experience and knowledge benefits herself and others. She is committed and dedicated, and is a key person in the industry, and not just at the Redruth site. One proposer said: “Nicola has made a lasting impression on me since I started at Pilgrim’s seven months ago. I’m nominating her for this award due to her relentless and industrious approach. I’ve recognised her style and her due diligence and knowledge, culminating in making her a well-respected and liked manager.”

Butcher
Bridget B’s

Sammy has been in the industry for the best part of two decades working in Dewhurst Butchers through to Dalesfords, to now being part of the award winning team at Bridget B’s Butchery. Her proposer confirms that Sammy has an incredible eye for value added products and display, and can ‘butcher with the best of them.’ Described as someone with a fantastic range of skills that transcend the block through to her relationship with customers, Bridget B’s says that Sammy is a true star and a ‘rock star butcher’ details of which can be found on Sammy’s Instagram. Rock on Sammy!

Chief Executive Officer
IMTA

Katie originally joined The International Meat Trade Association (IMTA) without any trade knowledge, yet quickly developed a grasp of the industry and a knowledge of the complex world of trade related quotas. A baptism of fire followed with Brexit. Her rapid promotion to CEO occurred at a time of great change and uncertainty due to the Brexit negotiations, which had and continues to have a major impact on IMTA members. She has built a strong reputation and has developed a good team around her, gaining a healthy respect from all those she deals with.

Business Development Manager
Eville & Jones

Ioana has been active in raising awareness about the incredible burdens that exporters have had to face since Brexit. She is highly valued for playing a key role in veterinary public health, successfully helping exporters deliver their products of animal origin throughout the world. Safeguarding the welfare of animals, ensuring food is safe to eat and enabling international trade to continue unfettered is all part of her achievements. She provides excellent technical support to the industry and guidance on SPS regulation (covering more than 255 exporters across UK). Ioana has been part of a remarkable period of achievement within a business that in less than 30 years has grown from a handful of vets to become the largest independent provider of veterinary controls in Europe.

Meat Buyer
Campbell Brothers

Vicky Parsons has been in her current role for one year, as part of a career of more than 20 years in the meat industry, including ten years with Campbell Brothers. Her extensive experience includes operations, auditing, sales, retail, butchery, and procurement. Vicky is responsible for buying all the meat and packaging associated with production for the fresh meat department, as well as maintaining relationships with a range of suppliers, and using her knowledge of industry to source new ones. Vicky directly supports the sales team, drawing on her experience to provide explanations of different cuts, terms and specifications for meat. Her proposer says that Vicky has gone over and above the expectations of her role and that she is driven by her passion to take on new challenges and develop her own skills and knowledge.

Group Food Safety and Quality Projects Manager
Dunbia

Julia’s career spans more than twenty years within the animal protein industry. She has an MSc in Meat Science and is a Fellow of the Institute of Food Science and Technology. In Julia’s current role she actively develops and manages scientific and technical based projects across the group, collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to ensure innovation and best practice is delivered. Much of this involves encouraging young people to consider careers within the industry – something that Julia is hugely passionate about. She has been instrumental in the set-up of the company’s Food Safety & Quality Placement Programme, which has been designed to give placement students the right range of business and technical skills to succeed in their studies and future career. She is described as a real asset to both Dunbia and the meat industry, and her dedication to educating the next generation on the opportunities within our industry is invaluable.

Environmental and Sustainability Officer
Linden ABP

Elizabeth first came into the Linden business as a graduate and from the start stood out as someone who was very adaptable, eager to learn and was willing to take on whatever task or placement that was given to her with equal enthusiasm. These placements included spending time in the Learning & Development team where Elizabeth demonstrated her ability to engage with employees from across the business while delivering key training courses. She has also spent time supporting the slaughter hall management team in trending and identification of offal yield improvements. Towards the end of the graduate programme she was identified as someone who could support a vacancy in the role of Environmental and Sustainability officer. In her role she has managed people for the first time and has built relationships and earned the trust of those in the various environmental agencies, and has been able to present sustainability plans to customers with confidence. Elizabeth has a great future in the business and has made the position her own through sheer determination, adaptability and willingness to learn.