Morepeople 5 questions

Gordon Flint spent 19 years as MD and Exec Chairman at Winchester Growers, which happened to be MorePeople's first client when we began 24 years ago!Gordon then started New Horizon Flowers 9 year ago, which is now one of the largest peony growers in the country.Here are Gordon's answers to our 5 Questions!What's the single biggest challenge facing our industry today?Climate change and its impact on crop production. In my lifetime the climate has changed dramatically with the rate of change appearing to gather pace in recent years. Are the recent extreme weather events, such as the current mild and wet winter, the new normal? What do you think the next big product/piece of tech will be?Robotics in crop production and processing. Bearing in mind my first answer, any robot needs to be able to cope with extreme weather conditions. I also feel that the robotics people need to be working much closer with geneticists. I see a lot of robots that mimic human action. Why not change the plant to make it much easier to harvest? Developments in technology in precision farming in its greater sense are having a huge impact on the way that we grow and harvest our crops and we are only at the beginning of the technology journey. What do you like most about our industry?I like the close connection with nature for example seeing wildlife in the fields, experiencing the changing seasons and the constant challenge that nature poses be it pests, diseases or the weather. What was your first ever job in our industry?Trainee adviser with ADAS, working in research and development. I couldn’t have gone on and developed my career without those years in ADAS. I was fortunate that at the time funds were more easily available and my Directors gave me free rein (or really didn’t know what I was doing!) What piece of advice would you like to give to your 21-year-old self?I wouldn’t change much but I would say get work/ life balance more in balance! Fortunately, I had a supportive family but now with Grandchildren, I realise how little time I spent with my children when they were young. Furthermore, I would say set up your own business earlier in your life than I did.

​With a successful career within horticulture and agriculture starting as a strawberry picker, Stephen spent 7 years as CEO of BASIS, before becoming CEO of TIAH last June.Here’s his answers to our 5 Questions! What's the single biggest challenge facing our industry today?We talk a lot about attracting and retaining the next generation, but I actually think that it’s just as important that we all have the skills and ability to thrive in tomorrow’s world. Life and business is so dynamic that we all need to adopt a philosophy of lifelong learning with access to intuitive training and professional development tools that will become essential in keeping our knowledge and skills current. What do you think the next big product / piece of tech will be?I would like it to be a Transporter (think StarTrek), but until physicists have perfected teleportation, I think that it is most likely to be augmented reality. Many of us find it unthinkable to go anywhere without our smartphones, and augmented technologies will undoubtedly find their way into our everyday lives. Using augmented reality, farmers and growers will be able to monitor field conditions, quickly spot pest infestations or nutrient deficiencies, train their workers, and so much more! What do you like most about our industry?We are very much still working in an industry that is built on relationships. I value my friendships and associations enormously. At the end of the day, we’re all dedicated to growing, processing, transporting, or selling nutritious food that is produced economically, and to the highest environmental standards. I’m proud to be part of it. What was your first ever job in our industry?My very first proper job in our industry was as a Wheat Breeding Assistant for the Plant Breeding International, Cambridge (Unilever). However, my first paid employment was straight out of school as a strawberry picker. 5am starts accompanied by a soundtrack of Skylarks ascending! I saved up, bought a motorcycle, and my employment prospects grew enormously overnight. What piece of advice would you like to give to your 21-year-old self?Life is for living. Push yourself outside of your comfort zone. Because at the end of the day, what’s the worst that could happen?

​We’re delighted to announced that Simon Bell is now officially an associate of MorePeople!Simon has worked in the food industry for over 30 years, and now helps small food and drink businesses scale up fast – a virtual CEO on hand at short notice for as long or short time as needed. “My work with food businesses on growing revenue and streamlining business operations to grow profitability always focuses on people – how teams can work together effectively to deliver more.”Here are his answers to our 5 questions!What's the single biggest challenge facing our industry today?Finding the right people in all departments, and then developing and retaining them whilst adapting to an ever-changing workplace landscape. People make businesses and culture eats strategy for breakfast! What do you think the next big product/piece of tech will be?AI without a doubt in terms of tech. DNA-tailored diets in terms of NPD What do you like most about our industry?The sheer variety and the pace of change, plus the fact that it touches everyone, every day What was your first ever job in our industry?Field sales representative for United Biscuits; new car, free Jaffa Cakes - it took a long while to find a better role than that! What piece of advice would you like to give to your 21-year-old self?Always try to see the bigger picture and take time out to review your progress. Embrace change and keep learning and evolving. ​

​Jacqui was CEO at Berry Gardens, a UK cooperative of fruit growers until 2019. Before this she was General Manager of Wingland Foods (Bakkavor), prior to that Commercial Director at Capespan and in the early 2000’s General Manager of IPL, set-up by Asda to directly source their produce.In 2019 she founded Viridis Associates, with the overarching purpose of spending her time focusing on people, profit and the planet. She is passionate about personal development and, as well as her Consulting and Non-Executive Director roles, she works as a Mentor and is a qualified Transformational Coach. ​What's the single biggest challenge facing our industry today?People! In it’s broadest sense - young people coming in to farming and seeing it as a career and, of course, the skills around agronomy, manufacturing, agriculture, crop husbandry, irrigation, picking, packing, quality assurance. We need a joined up approach between all the Government departments and trade bodies to focus our attention on skills and affordability of / grants towards training. ​What do you think the next big product / piece of tech will be?I would hope it will be in the shape of accessible, meaningful climate-ag tech, ensuring that we are holding agriculture across the world to account for reducing the devastating impact we are having on our planet and leading the way for other industries to follow. Right now, this space feels a bit like the Wild West and needs clarity, regulation and investment. ​What do you like most about our industry?The constant pace of change. Being surrounded by the passion of entrepreneurial growers, the ambition of retailers and the drive for continuous improvement. I am heartened to see the industry taking more time to consider those who are less fortunate and with charities like City Harvest, true partnerships can ensure healthy nutritious food is accessible to those in food poverty. ​What was your first ever job in our industry?I was the junior Account Manager for Marks & Spencer and Sainsburys at AFI soft fruit.It was a baptism of fire and I loved every minute. ​What piece of advice would you like to give to your 21-year-old self?Enjoy your job but don’t let your job define you. Stay true to your values and, if you find yourself somewhere that does not fit comfortably with your moral code, make a move. There is somewhere or something out there for you where your skills AND values are equally desired. You might just have to turn over a few stones to find it. ​

Adam White is the Head of Agriculture for Barclays Business. Responsible for a team of dedicated Agriculture and Landed Estates managers across the UK, who support farming and land based businesses through a range of projects such as diversification, sustainability and growth. He studied at the University of Greenwich, followed by an MBA at the University of Lincoln and a qualification in Sustainable Finance at the University of Cambridge. Adam is also a Member and regular speaker at the Institute of Agricultural Management. He also serves as a trustee of the East Anglia Agricultural Society supporting with industry engagement and growing the next generation, alongside showcasing UK Agriculture and food systems across urban areas and within schools. What's the single biggest challenge facing our industry today?A nice easy question to start with! In my view, it is balancing the competing demands of different stakeholders across the food sector. Those demands are for food security and food quality at the same time as improving bio diversity and carbon capture, which is a difficult balance to strike for the food sector, so forward planning becomes even more important. Having a plan for the next year is important, but thinking ahead about food and food production 5-10 years into the future is vital. What do you think the next big product / piece of tech will be?I truly believe it will be as simple as supply chain reporting, I remember a shoe company telling me they could not call their leather sustainable as they had no traceability in their supply chain. The Irish system works very well in tracking produce from farm to fork and being able to evidence the sustainability of that product is fantastic for the whole supply chain. We are already starting to see this in dairy which has benefits for farmers, food producers and consumers and add value all the way along the supply chain. What do you like most about our industry?I love the innovation in every part of the supply chain. Food production has a perception of being quite boring and old fashioned, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Be it on farm technology and practice or food production technology and robotics, not to mention the whole science of carbon storage and nature restoration. What was your first ever job in our industry? My first role was as a commercial director for the Agriculture team, it was quite intimidating coming into a sector I didn’t know a lot about. On my first day a colleague told me, if you don’t know just ask, farmers are experts and will tell you everything openly, which is still true today. What piece of advice would you like to give to your 21-year-old self?Everyday is a school day. If you aren’t learning anything new you are standing still. Put yourself in positions where you learn and are exposed to new ideas. ​​

​David Pratt, sporting his MorePeople Umbrella at Glastonbury last month, is next in line for our MorePeople 5 Questions. David joined the industry straight from uni, starting at Geest Produce Marketing and was hooked from there! He now focuses his time on a NED role for Angus Soft Fruits and being Chairman for Growers Direct, as well as his current role as Director of Food Heroes.What's the single biggest challenge facing our industry today? Rewarding the growers and risk takers for their endeavor, not getting lost in the clamor for margins from the conglomerate members of the supply chain to the customer. What do you think the next big product / piece of tech will be?I think drones will be a significant change to how we farm, and I think the new soft fruit varieties will drive that section of the produce industry to greater heights. What do you like most about our industry? The people, and the global community. What was your first ever job in our industry?Account assistant for fruit looking after M&S for Geest Produce Marketing. I was on a 12-month placement from Liverpool Poly! I had no understanding of the industry on arrival, but loved the endeavour and I was hooked straight away. What piece of advice would you like to give to your 21-year-old self?Be humble and friendly ​

Next up in our 5 Questions series, Deputy Head of Rural at Strutt & Parker and Senior Director for BNP PARIBAS, Karl McConville!Some great insight and answers from Karl, thanks for taking part!What's the single biggest challenge facing our industry today?In order for farmers to make a living and thrive in the coming zero subsidy environment, the rural sector needs to better collaborate by building a culture where landowners learn more from each other. This approach is not part of land management DNA, yet. Traditional landed estate owners are on the verge of a significant opportunity from environmental and social payments, but the best returns will come when applied at a landscape scale and this will need landowners to collaborate and cooperate. I believe a wider cooperation will bring a strength in buying and selling commodities, as well as the opportunity to share equipment and people but also ideas and information. This sharing of information will increase the change of pace and ensure that margins increase and our clients thrive, not just survive. ​What do you think the next big product / piece of tech will be? Without a doubt in the area that I work in, Land Management, the next big thing will be the use of land to support the ESG and Net Zero objectives of corporate institutions. There are so many opportunities in this area from biodiversity net gain, nutrient neutrality, and carbon offsetting through afforestation, peatland restoration and incoming soil carbon. Renewable energy equally continues to be an opportunity with corporates acquiring ‘power purchase agreements’ (PPAs) to secure their electricity supply, biomass for heating, habitat restoration, water management, landscape recovery, rewilding and so much more. At the same time there is a real challenge with the social impacts of this change in land use. It is easy to buy up large areas of land and plant trees or rewild it, however corporates need to understand the potential impact this could have on local communities, businesses and people. If the approach is correctly balanced with these considerations in mind, there are opportunities to really support local communities, be that through tourism, value add from local products, or use of redundant buildings for residential or commercial uses. ​What do you like most about our industry? The people I work with and the passion they have for the rural industry. I am fortunate to work with fantastic clients who are, in the majority family based businesses, and they are constantly striving to do their best for the farm or estate. In no other industry would someone come back to work at 10pm (knowing they are up at 4am) to check on the health of a baby calf. This mind-set means you get to work with people who are the most genuine I have ever worked with and I am fortunate to have made many good friends over the years. ​What was your first ever job in our industry? My first job in the sector was a farm worker during school holidays! I remember it was quite basic, sleeping in a two-man tent, but with access to the farmhouse for food and ‘stuff’. I learnt so much about the industry during those holidays, from practical farming, milking cows, dipping sheep, making hay, harvesting corn and baling straw. The experience also taught me that land is not always used for farming. The farmer, Mr Fuke who was a tenant, had diversified some of the land to a caravan site. It was fascinating to see how he secured a separate income stream, while I also learnt how to deal with people on the site. My biggest takeaway of that first job was how Mr Fuke gave back to someone keen and interested in the sector. I try to ‘pay that forward’ today, and give back where I can. For example, I do talks to local primary and secondary schools on careers in agriculture and lots of mock interviews for students from around the country. We should all remember the difference we can make on the future of young people we interact with. ​What piece of advice would you like to give to your 21-year-old self? I much prefer to look forward and see the future as it can be. However, if I look at the advice I have been given on my journey to where I am today, I wish my 21-year old self had known these four things at the time: •Do the unpalatable and difficult jobs as soon as you practically can. We all worry about these tasks, we imagine doing them and then re-run how it went, we imagine the worse possible outcomes. Don’t waste that emotional energy and just get on with the task. The outcome is always fine, and you learn so much on the way. •Make time for you and your family and friends. Prioritise that time and treat it as strictly as you would a client meeting. Never miss a school play or parents evening as you won’t get those back! •Don’t be scared of ‘No’ or disagreeing. People will respect you more for standing up for your views. •Be confident in who you are and in your abilities. We are judged on what we do and how we did it. If you work hard, with ambition and consideration for others, there is no reason to doubt yourself, or compare yourself to others. ​

​Rupert Ashby is the new CEO of the British Frozen Food Federation, joining after a successful career at The CLA as Director of Membership and Regions. Rupert joined us recently for a catch up in the office and of course we had to ask him our 5 Questions! What's the single biggest challenge facing our industry today? The current levels of food inflation at record highs. The effect of this on top of energy prices and some unstable supply chains is making day to day business challenging for BFFF members. What do you think the next big product / piece of tech will be? In terms of products, the increasing innovation and availability of restaurant grade food in the frozen aisle is exciting and starting to really make a difference to foot fall at the retailers. Several retailers have reported more traffic in the frozen section and there are some really delicious products there. We run the British Frozen Food Awards to recognise these products and the judging process for the 2023 Frozen Food Awards are currently taking place across the UK from Powys to Norwich, and from Kent to Newcastle assessing our retail entries. The panels consist of twelve people from all walks of life as they assess presentation, taste, quality, textures, the packaging and more for each product. I have attended some of the panels and am impressed with the quality of the entries. The judging process finishes with two days at Barnsley College where professional Chefs will cook and taste the retail and foodservice entries. Once complete, the scores are collated with the winners unveiled at our Gala Dinner Dance on the 15th June 2023. From the panels so far, it looks like the top 3 in some categories will be decided by just a couple of points, such is the quality of the entries. The Dinner Dance and award ceremony is a key date in our 75th Anniversary celebrations and takes place almost 75 years to the day from our formation in June 1948. In terms of Tech – the development of robotics to handle product in unpleasant environments for humans – for example mixing of ingredients that could cause respiratory issues for us. What do you like most about our industry? The innovation and fast pace of everything going on……and having to try our members products! What was your first ever job in our industry? I started my working life in farming many years ago as a farm manager growing vining peas for Birds Eye, Broccoli and Cauliflower for Tesco, M&S and Sainsburys, and potatoes for McCain and McDonalds amongst cereal crops. The farm I worked at near Wisbech was part of a trial to produce 90-minute peas – which meant we had 90 minutes from the moment the pea viner started to get the peas harvested, into a lorry, off farm to the factory and frozen. This is the norm for some producers now, but was a new slightly crazy thing then. What piece of advice would you like to give to your 21-year-old self? You will come across situations where you are turned down for a role in favour of someone who ‘has already done this role before and so has more experience’ inspite of your clear ability and enthusiasm which is often far more important than experience. Don’t let them get you down and put you off, maintain your enthusiasm and stick at it. You will in the end come across someone who really knows what they are doing in recruitment and will have the foresight and gravity to recognise your skills. ​

​Aggie is the CEO and lead consulting director of Mahogany Inclusion Partners. Aggie is a passionate Inclusion and Anti-Racism expert, Executive Coach and engaging speaker who excels at partnering organisations to build cultures where everyone can thrive. Her recent accolades include being voted a top 20 Most influential HR thinker in 2022 by fellow people professionals. She works with C-Suite leaders and their teams to deliver DEI strategies and anti-racism strategies. Cross industry organisations she has supported include global FTSE100 organisations, consultancies, retailers, third sector and public sector organisations. She is a trusted advisor for the CIPD and an engaging speaker, most recently for the CBI, FTSE 100 organisations and the CIPD Annual Conference 2020.Aggie recently joined Guy on a panel at the International Food and Drink event on the power of succession planning and has some excellent insights into our questions... What's the single biggest challenge facing our industry today?The biggest challenge facing leaders in our industry is labour shortages. Regardless of size or type of operation, organisations across the food chain are facing staff shortages and the challenges this brings. To mitigate against this, it is vital that organisations build strategies that highlight them as employers of choice. These strategies include diversity, equity and inclusion, wellbeing and talent management strategies. Being an employer of choice through these strategies will support organisations to attract and recruit their workforce and, importantly retain them so they can improve productivity and remain competitive in a challenging market. What do you think the next big product / piece of tech will be? I and my family have allergies. I am impressed with how the food industry has developed over the last few years when it comes to catering for and providing information about allergens whether that is ingredients listing on boxes, specific food ranges in supermarkets or special menus in restaurants. I think the next big thing will be a continuation of catering and providing information about food style choice and diets. I see in the near future keto, no carb, paleo ingredients information, supermarket sections, food ranges menus and maybe even restaurants. What do you like most about our industry? I love the variety and vibrancy of our industry. From farm, to logistics, right through to plate, whether that’s in the home, in a hotel or in a restaurant, I love the breadth and diversity of products, roles and focus across the industry. We have so many people, roles, functions and organisations all playing their parts in different ways, collaborating and coming together to deliver a wonderful (often life sustaining) product. I think this is truly beautiful. What was your first ever job in our industry? My first job was part time, working in a fast food chain (not the golden arches), when I was 17 while I studied for my A’Levels. I loved the buzz of a busy restaurant and the variety of customers who we served. I also loved the camaraderie and the fun we all had as colleagues in the restaurant. What piece of advice would you like to give to your 21-year-old self ? My advice would be to be yourself, to bring yourself to what you do, to do it well and to enjoy the journey. We are at our best when we can be our full selves, that is why creating inclusive environments is so important, that is how organisations get the best out of their people, that is how organisations win.