The 2016 winner of the Zoetis / British Poultry Council Trainee Award is Northamptonshire farm manager Sean Harrison, who switched from a career in the hospitality sector to the poultry industry just three years ago.
Aged 25 at the time, Sean was becoming frustrated with his career in managing restaurants, bars and gymnasiums and its impact on his young family. Encouraged by the remarks of a poultry farmer client, he obtained a job with Faccenda Foods as part of their broiler relief team in Northamptonshire.
Six months later he became an assistant manager on two separate 300,000-bird broiler units, and then, earlier this year, he was promoted to farm manager on a 120,000-bird farm at Helmdon, Brackley, which also houses turkeys for part of the year.
The award judges said it was Sean’s rapid progression through Faccenda in his short time in the poultry sector, and his clear plan for training to further his career, that won them over.
The other finalists, who also attended this week’s presentation by Defra Minister, George Eustice, in the House of Commons, were Chloe Carter, who rears broiler breeders for Cargill Meats on a farm near Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire, and Kristine Libiete, who manages a broiler site for Hook2Sisters at Laxfield in Suffolk.
Headline image shows (l-r) James Porritt, Zoetis UK poultry manager with Kristine Libiete, Sean Harrison and Chloe Carter
