Ex-boss of Samworth Brothers to chair Branston

McCracken, who joined Branston in March 2010, is to retire on 31 July.

“It has been a huge privilege to be chairman of Branston and to play a part in its growth and development,”​ said McCracken in a statement. “Branston has an outstanding managing director in James Truscott and I know James and Brian will continue to drive Branston forward in the future.”​

Wealth of knowledge​

McCracken has a wealth of knowledge in the food sector, with a range of executive roles in food retailing spanning four decades.

He was a board director and joint managing director of Marks & Spencer, after which he was chairman of Duchy Originals for seven years. He was also chief executive of food retail at The Co-operative Group, where he led the transformation of the business, culminating in the acquisition of Somerfield.

Branston supplies potatoes for top retailers and wholesalers, as well as providing seed for potato growers. It has sites in Lincoln, Scotland and the south west, with Lincoln also being the home of its prepared foods factory.