I have spent more than 25 years working in the UK food food industry and my passion has always been the same; understanding what shoppers really want and helping retailers and suppliers build categories that deliver it. My career has taken me across a wide range of sectors – from continental meats and fresh produce to fresh soup, salads and other fresh prepared foods, with category & marketing roles across brands (eg New Covent Garden Soup, Linda McCartney) as well as working on private label range and category strategies across major retail accounts.

Working across all of the major supermarkets has given me a real appreciation for what makes a new product stand out – not just in terms of taste and quality, but genuine consumer relevance, strong category thinking and commercial credibility. I bring all of that to the judging panel and enjoy championing innovation that makes a real difference to shoppers and the category as a whole.