The new Food and Drink Export Council will be co-chaired by Ian Wright CBE and Andrew Bowie MP, Minister for Exports.
Bowie said: “British food and drink are among the best in the world and renowned for their quality and provenance. Exporting supports higher pay and more productive jobs. We are helping our farmers and food producers to seize the opportunity of the enormous global demand for British food and drink.”
Explaining the aims of the Council, he continued: “The FDEC has an 18-month term with a focus on harnessing the expertise and resource from Government and industry across the UK in a collective endeavour to increase agriculture, food, and drink exports. It brings together dynamic agriculture, food, and drink experts from across the UK with an onus on sharing knowledge, raising ambition, building capability and effective collaboration.”
The full Council will be made up of specialists from various sectors of the industry:
1. Ian Wright CBE (Co-chair)
2. Andy Richardson, Volac
3. Anthony Mulley, Quorn
4. Dominic Goudie, Food and Drink Federation
5. Donna Fordyce, Seafood Scotland
6. Ewen Cameron, Scottish Development International
7. Grainne Moody, Invest NI
8. Helen Dallimore, Coombe Castle
9. Iain Baxter, Scotland Food and Drink
10. Keith Smyton, Welsh Government
11. Lee Hemmings, Belvoir Farm
12. Margaret Boanas, International Meat Trade Association
13. Michael Bell OBE, Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association
14. Nick von Westenholz, National Farmers Union
15. Patricia Dillon, Speyside Distillers
16. Phil Hadley, Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board
17. Rachel Gwyon, DIT
18. Sandra Sullivan MBE, Food and Drink Exporters Association
19. Tee Sandhu, SamosaCo
20. Tim Brooks, DEFRA
21. Andrew Bowie, MP (Co-chair)
