How did you get to where you are today?

Through being sufficiently gullible to believe my brother when he told me in 1999 that Cook was a guaranteed winner. And through being given fantastic training by a lot of great people at Cadbury.

What was the best decision you have made in your career and why?

Joining my brother. It's not always a bed of roses, but we have a lot of fun (when I remember not to take myself too seriously).

Who do you most admire in the industry?

All those independents who are being old-fashioned by putting a passion for good food and personal relationships with their customers ahead of their bottom line.

Do you have a mentor and how have they helped you in your career?

I have had several. All have taught me lessons that can only be learned through experience, and have in their different ways been invaluable.

What is the most important piece of information you have ever been told?

The end does not justify the means, ever.

If you could change one thing in the grocery industry what would it be?

The way that small producers are treated by the supermarkets - and that big producers treat small independent retailers. I do not believe that such a change is possible under the current plc system - the distance between the fragmented ownership of the business, the management and the wider consequences of the decisions being made is too great.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

The freedom that I have.

What is the one thing that you could not do your job without?

The gifted people who make Cook what it is, and rigorous financial controls throughout the operation, 'from plough to plate'.

If you could start your career again, what would you do differently and why?

I would like to change mistakes that I've made that have had a negative effect on the lives of people that we've hired.

What advice would you give to someone starting out in the industry today?

Do not underestimate the importance of who owns the business. The values of the owners will become yours, whether you like it or not.

What do you like doing in your spare time?

My wife Jenny, our baby Grace and I are blessed to live in a beautiful area of working countryside. We spend as much time as we can enjoying it with our friends and family.

Where do you hope to be in five years' time?

Further along this journey, and maybe a bit more mellow with age.