White gives Pidy UK creative boost

Related tags Hill station Sector skills councils

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Ian White has joined Belgian ready-baked pastry case specialist Pidy as pastry sales chef.

This is a new role and incorporates the practical skills gained by White during eight years working as a chef, together with five years' experience gained as a supplier of speciality foods to the restaurant trade.

White will be responsible for the further development of Pidy's business in the catering and manufacturing sectors, with particular emphasis on increasing product knowledge and the identification of new applications.

The Pidy UK sales team also comprises commercial director Godfrey Pratt, national account manager Lesley Galbraith and sales admin manager Dawn Knott.

Tex-Mex training manager

Supplier of Mexican and regional American food Discovery Foods has appointed Paul Aggett​ as its first training manager. He will be responsible for the training and personal development of the group's 350 employees from the Sonora Foods factory in Daventry, Northants.

One of Aggett's major areas of responsibility is the development of training standards and training programmes for all employees. This will involve analysing current skill sets and setting up new standards.

"The group is in the middle of a massive growth period so it is vital that we have induction, best practice and personal development programmes in place," says Aggett.

Before joining Discovery Foods, Aggett worked in a similar position at Kodak where he was responsible for staff based at 12 Kodak laboratories.

Cheese Promotion

Carl Ravenhall​ has been promoted to md of The Kerrygold Company, one of the largest producers of cheese products supplied to retail outlets. He joined Kerrygold as technical controller in 1996 and took on the role of operations director in 1999. Prior to this he worked for three years as a product manager at Sainsbury.

During his time as operations director he has been responsible for modernising and restructuring the factory resulting in sustained and improved operational performance.

==Ice cream dream team ==

Hill Station, which manufactures brands Hill Station, Loseley, Granelli and own-label ice creams, has created a new role of group commercial director. Thomas Gwynfor Jones​ (Gwyn) has been promoted to the role, having previously served as md of Granelli McDermott since 1993.

Jones will be responsible for all aspects of sales and commercial relationships across the three subsidiary operating companies - Hill Station Ice Cream, Granelli McDermott and Loseley Dairy Ice Cream. His remit will include both own-label customer relationships and sales of the group's branded products.

Iain Macpherson, commercial director of Hill Station, leaves the company to pursue other opportunities following the creation of the position of group commercial director.

Beacon board role

Linda Lloyd​ has been invited to join the board of fresh and exotic ingredients specialist Beacon Foods after working with the company as a consultant for eight years. A human resources specialist, Lloyd's first contact with Beacon was when she helped guide the company to the Investors in People standard. She has since been working closely with the company on all human resources issues, including staff training and development, organisation development and recruitment.

New md for Centaur

Grain marketing business Centaur Grain has appointed Malcolm Parkinson​ as md. He took up his post last month having previously been chief executive of Lingarden, the agricultural and horticultural business.

Improving skills

Ruth Kelly, the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, has appointed Paul Wilkinson​, chairman of the food and drink sector skills council Improve to the board of the Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA). The SSDA funds, supports and champions the UK's Skills for Business network, comprising all 25 employer-led sector skills councils.

The news comes only weeks after the announcements that one of the first four of the government's new national skills academies, scheduled to open in September this year, is to be dedicated to food and drink manufacturing, and that Improve has been chosen to be the leading sector skills council in the development of new schools diploma in manufacturing for 14-19 year olds.

Related topics People & Skills

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