New appointments to the board of Quality Meat Scotland
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The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, Mairi Gougeon MSP has announced the appointment of Ian Bentley, Peter Brown, Adrian Ivory, Scott Jarron and Niall Jeffrey as Members of the Board of Quality Meat Scotland (QMS).
Ian Bentley brings a depth of retail experience after a long career in Marks & Spencer Food Division.
After leaving M&S, he took up a non-executive role with Scotbeef Ltd, one of Scotland’s largest meat processors, and he continues in this role today.
He is also active in both Scottish and UK meat trade associations.
Peter Brown studied agriculture at Aberdeen University, worked for six years with the Highlands and Islands Development Board, then become founder and managing director of Scottish Food Quality Certification (Edinburgh) and CMi Certification (Oxford).
He was involved for over twenty years in the establishment of farm assurance schemes across the UK and further afield.
He has chaired two arts charities and has been chair and director of The List.
Adrian Ivory graduated from the Royal Agricultural College with a BSc Hons degree and took over the running of his family farm in 2004.
He has a herd of 150 commercial breeding females alongside 55 pedigree Simmentals, 45 pedigree Charolais and a couple of Beef Shorthorns.
He also harvests 1500 acres of cereals annually.
Mr Ivory completed the Scottish Rural Leadership Programme in 2008 as well as Harvest the Growth in 2015.
He sits on the British Simmental Council, was a member of the British Charolais Council and was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Agricultural Societies in 2019.
Scott Jarron has considerable retail experience in the red meat industry, having directed Scott Brothers Butchers in Dundee for the last fifteen years.
He was president of Scottish Craft Butchers and contributed to the Scottish Red Meat Resilience Group, and The Beef Strategy 2030 Group.
He also served as President of Dundee & District Master Butchers, the Boxmaster (Vice President) of The Fleshers Trade, Committee Member of Broughty Ferry Traders Association, and a member of Dundee City Centre Management Group.
Niall Jeffrey is a mixed beef and arable farmer based in East Lothian.
He graduated with a BSc in agriculture from Newcastle University and spent some time working in New Zealand, completing a BASIS certificate in Agriculture, before joining the family business in 2009.
He is currently an Agri-EPI Centre satellite farmer and, in 2018, he won the AgriScot Scotch Beef Farmer of the Year.
Commenting on the new appointments Kate Rowell Chair of Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) said: “Each of the new board members brings a wide range of skills and expertise and demonstrates a commitment to promote, protect, develop and support Scotland’s red meat industry.
“Scott, Peter, Niall, Ian and Adrian join us at a time where our industry continues to meet challenges and changes – such as labour shortages, skills development and the up coming changes to farm support payments.
"The team at QMS look forward to working with each of them.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the hard work and dedication of Sarah Mackie, Louise Welsh and Julie Fitzpatrick who have completed their second term and who have now stepped down from their positions.”
