Food and drink industry appointment round-up

New quality manager at cereal firm Silvery​

Manufacturer Silvery Tweed Cereals has appointed Susan Smith as its new quality manager in its technical department, where she will be responsible for all aspects of product quality.

Smith has spent her entire career within the food and drink industry, starting at Jus-Rol where she gained experience in auditing, before moving on to Greenvale AP and Genius Gluten Free.

Commenting on her appointment, she said: “The role is one that I am very excited about and will give me plenty of challenges, which is something I thrive on. It also gives me the opportunity to work as part of a well-established and knowledgeable team, which is something I thrive on. I am excited about the future here at Silvery Tweed.”​

Berwick-upon-Tweed-based Silvery was one of the first British companies to specialise in breakfast cereal coating and boasts a blending plant that is ‘first of its kind’ in the UK.

Martin Drewery, technical manager at Silvery Tweed, added: “The role of Quality Manager is a vitally important one and requires a lot of in-depth knowledge and skills. Susan has many years working in the industry and brings considerable experience from her previous roles, which will make her a real asset to the technical team and Silvery Tweed as a whole.​

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Q Catering appoints commercial director​

Sittingbourne-based Q Catering has appointed Tony Blake as its new commercial director.

He joins the business from Kent Frozen Foods and is the third in a series of hires by the company as part of its growth plan to reach £20m turnover by 2030.

Blake joins Steve Clarke, Q Catering’s managing director, and the group’s senior leadership team along with recently appointed sales director Caroline Martine and financial director Nick Jennings.

In his new role as commercial director, Blake will head up the Procurement, Marketing and Supply Chain teams, introducing more structure to the business, helping to improve efficiencies and relationships with suppliers.

“A focus of mine will be to introduce new, innovative products to our clients, particularly within the independent sector, to continuously improve our offering,”​ said Blake, “The company already has roots in local produce from Kent, particularly through its Produced in Kent membership, so I look forward to working more closely with the team there.”​

Fabcon announces new hires and promotions​

British food processing equipment supplier Fabcon Food Systems has announced a series of appointments and promotions.

Co-founder Andrew Peek has become operations director, while senior design engineer Luke Cossey has been promoted into a new engineering manager role.

James Bradford moves from his role as supervisor and compliance officer to production manager, further boosting Fabcon’s leadership team.

Jakub Bak joins as a mechanical design engineer, with Nick Kittle coming on board as controls engineer following many years working as a sub-contractor for Fabcon. The sales department has also been expanded as Adam Harvey joins the team as a sales engineer, working closely with new and existing customers.

In further key appointments, Jim Ayre joins as parts and logistics coordinator, in charge of purchasing and managing the stock and materials required for Fabcon’s growing list of orders. Meanwhile, Kevin Wrathall is appointed as project manager on a contract basis and will coordinate a variety of UK and global build and installation projects.

Managing director Trevor Howard said: “All eight appointments and promotions are fully deserved and we really do have a first-class team in place as we look towards 2023 and a variety of global projects we have in the pipeline within the snacks industry.”​

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Wales appoints new chief veterinary officer​

Current  Defra UK deputy chief veterinary officer and policy director for global animal health Dr Richard Irvine has been appointed Wales’s new chief veterinary officer.

Irvine has held different roles leading animal health surveillance and science programmes at the Animal and Plant Health Agency, as well as time spent in a clinical mixed veterinary practice in South Wales. He will join the Welsh government in March.

Commenting on his appointment, he said: “It is a real opportunity to make a difference and build on what has already been achieved. I’m pleased to be able to come back to Wales, after spending some time here working as a vet in practice.​

“I am delighted to have the opportunity to play my part and look forward to starting my new role.”​