British Poultry Council chair, Graeme Dear, the farming minister Mark Spencer, and shadow farming Minister, Daniel Zeichner MP were joined by UK poultry farmers, producers and other key stakeholders to celebrate the resilience of the industry at the BPC Annual Awards.
The event, held in December at the House of Commons recognises long and distinguished careers, contributions to research, potential for future excellence and individuals who have supported and made significant contributions to the British poultry industry.
Dear was joined by Zeichner to present the awards celebrating meritorious service. “We are here because we all share a stake in a vision that is incredibly special: feeding the nation quality food produced to world class, sustainable standards,” said Dear. “Today, we find ourselves at a critical moment. The challenges are bigger than ever…but we continue to witness the resilience and strength of our sector. It all comes down to our people – some of whom we are paying tribute to today.”
Zeichner praised the reliance of the award winners in tacking some big challenges. “This industry is a hugely important British success story. Feeding the nation is a matter of national security and, as things currently stand, there is a risk we go in the wrong direction and rely on importing more food…healthy and profitable domestic production must be prioritised.”
The winners were:
Distinguished Service – Graeme Dear (British Poultry Council)
Distinguished Service – John Vincent (Cobb Europe)
Mid-Career – Muhammed Maliki (Moy Park)
Distinguished Service – John Sloss (Moy Park)
Distinguished Service – Andrew Bryant (Noble Foods)
Marketing Award – Euan Meldrum (Moy Park)
Special Merit – Gordon Hickman (Defra)