The Judging Process
your judges
Aimee Mahony
Aimee Mahony joined the NFU as Poultry Adviser in 2016, following four years in the egg sector. In 2019, Aimee was named the EPIC Young Poultry Person of the Year and was appointed NFU Chief Poultry Adviser. In 2020, she completed her MSc in Intensive Livestock Health and Production; after performing research on UK poultry keepers’ perceptions of avian influenza biosecurity and risk. She has also been instrumental in the Poultry Industry Programme's successes.
Charles Bourns
Charles Bourns is a first generation broiler farmer from Gloucestershire, growing 480,000 chickens per year for Hook 2 Sisters. He has been involved with the NFU for 36 years and was chairman of its National Poultry Board for 12 years. Charles has also been involved in consultation work on all aspects of environmental and zoonotic poultry production, in the UK and Europe.
Chloe Ryan
Chloe Ryan has specialised in food and farming journalism her whole career. She has focussed more directly on the meat industry for more than a decade, and has been the editor of Poultry Business magazine since its launch in 2017.
Kannan Ganapathy
Dr Ganapathy completed his PhD (respiratory mixed infection in poultry) in 1997. In 2004, he became a MRCVS; in 2007, a RCVS; and in 2011, a European specialist. He is engaged with research and teachings on molecular immunopathogenesis, diagnosis, control and prevention of respiratory poultry diseases, and has consulted on various issues related to diagnosis, control and prevention of infectious diseases in broiler, layer and breeder farms , globally.
Mark Williams
A poultry farmer's son, Mark Williams studied at Harper Adams before managing a large pullet rearing and egg production unit. In 1991, he joined the NFU as the northern Regional Poultry Adviser; in 1995, Mark was appointed National Egg Specialist; and in 2000, he became Chief Executive of the British Egg Industry Council. Since then he has worked for the EUWEP and CELCAA.
Paul Kelly
Paul Kelly is a second generation turkey farmer from Essex. His business, Kelly Turkeys, is responsible for resurrecting the traditional Bronze turkey breed. His business also encompasses Farm Gate Hatcheries, which supplies turkey poults to hundreds of farmers around the country. Paul is a great advocate for the turkey sector, particularly dry-plucked premium birds.
Richard Griffiths
Richard is Chief Executive at the British Poultry Council and has been in the poultry meat sector for fifteen years. Responsible for the building the reputation of the poultry industry, Richard has been extensively involved in food security issues and minimising the effects of Brexit on food supply and production. His current focus is on the poultry meat sector's role in the UK's sustainable food strategy.