By Kerry Maxwell, communications manager, British Poultry Council
Six years, five seasons of avian influenza, four Prime Ministers, three annual reports, two national food strategies, and a whole pandemic later, it is time for me to say goodbye.
I joined BPC weeks before the pandemic hit. With zero knowledge of how agriculture works, let alone poultry, all my friends told me I was mad to take the job on. I did too, until I realised how deeply this sector, and the people working in it, matter.
I arrived at a time when the “unprecedented” became the norm. This is a sector that has, since 2020, navigated disease outbreaks, skills shortages, supply chain shocks, policy churn, and big public conversations about food that often forget the reality of producing it. Through all of that, I have seen an industry that doesn’t just bounce back, but builds forward: quietly, without applause, while getting the job done.
What has stayed with me most is the people. People who are experts in their field, who care deeply and defend robustly. People who understand that food is never just food – it is livelihoods, climate, global relationships, social cohesion, and fairness all rolled into one. And people who, despite everything, keep showing up to do the work.
2026 already looks set to test industry. Between trade pressures, regulatory uncertainty, and labour availability, the challenge of producing affordable food sustainably will not go away.
But my time at BPC has shown me that this is a sector that does not shy away from difficult conversations; we continue to step up, innovate, and make the case for our role in feeding people well. If I have learned one thing, it is that progress rarely comes from firefighting alone. It comes from setting direction and being clear about what matters. That is something I’ll take with me wherever I go.
Thank you to everyone who has challenged me, trusted me, and worked alongside me. I leave with huge respect for the sector, confidence in its future, and no doubt that British poultry meat will continue to matter politically, economically, and to the people we feed every day.