Scotland Food & Drink has appointed the founder of Genius Foods and a partner in the A Milne & Son family farming business to its board, as it bids to double the size of the industry in Scotland to £30bn in turnover by 2030.
Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne founded Genius Foods and has grown the business to become the UK’s leading gluten-free bakery brand. She was elected as a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2017, where she sits on the enterprise fellowship panel. She also champions innovation, entrepreneurial thinking and academic collaboration through her business, her directorship at The Scale Up Institute and as Royal Society ‘entrepreneur in residence’ at the University of Edinburgh.
Alison Milne brings experience in the agriculture and wider food and drink supply chain to the industry body. She is currently a partner in A Milne & Son, who have recently launched a new malting venture, Crafty Maltsters. The new business produces malted grains, grown, harvested and malted on the farm, to sell to the brewing and distilling sector.
In June 2017, Milne was appointed co-chair of the National Council of Rural Advisers, commissioned by Scottish government to provide recommendations on how to secure a vibrant, sustainable and profitable rural economy. She is also currently a member of the Scottish government’s ‘Future of Food and Farming Group’ and a member of the Brewing Industry Leadership Group. She is also the former membership director of NFU Scotland.
Both new directors would help steer the direction of the membership organisation and shape its ongoing collaborative partnership with the Scottish government, Scotland Food & Drink said.
“Lucinda and Alison are exciting additions to our board,” said Dennis Overton, chairman of the Scotland Food & Drink board and co-founder of seafood business Aquascot. “They will be central to our work to deliver further growth and collaboration in our food and drink sector; an industry that is now one of the star performers in Scotland’s economy.
“As we face into a climate emergency, Scotland has great potential to be a world leader in responsible and sustainable food and drink production. Our sector can deliver huge benefits to consumers and communities within our shores and globally.
“Lucinda and Alison’s experience and knowledge of both public and private sectors further strengthens our diverse board and I’m delighted to welcome two inspiring and talented new faces to the organisation. Their fresh perspective and experience will be an enormous asset to us.”
Bruce-Gardyne and Milne will join the other 10 members of the Scotland Food & Drink board in January 2020. They are appointed for an initial term of three years and fill vacancies created by the retirement of Gareth Baird and Geoff Bruce earlier this year.
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