About the Guild of Fine Food

As comfortable answering the phone as presenting to a government panel, JF runs our finely tuned team. In control both financially and operationally, he also contributes monthly to Fine Food Digest, is front of stage at our award ceremonies and represents our sector and membership on various industry groups including the Food & Drink Sector Council, DEFRA’s SME group and the Independent Retail Consortium. He is also rather partial to a radio interview or panel discussion.

Sally began her career with Abbey National in 1994, quickly progressing to management level. She then worked for a niche management consultancy in North Dorset helping small and medium-sized businesses in Wiltshire, Hampshire and Dorset secure grants and management training.

She joined the Guild in 2006 and now heads our sales campaigns across the magazines, exhibitions and events. She is also show director of the Fine Food Show North.

Responsible for the Guild’s business strategy and developing our digital systems, Christabel is instrumental in the efficiency and future planning of the business.

Taking the lead with our marketing and communications strategy, working closely with our PR agency Sharp Relations, she is also instrumental in brand positioning and proposition development.

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After reading Business with Languages at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, Tortie began her career in London organising fundraising events for Macmillan Cancer Relief. This led to managing accounts at the advertising and marketing agency Ideas Unlimited. Her accounts included The National Trust, Royal Opera House, MS Society and Macmillan Cancer Relief. Tortie left Ideas as an Account Director in 2002 to move to Dorset.

A director of the business, Tortie works across all Guild activities, including Great Taste, World Cheese Awards, Guild membership and Fine Food Show North.

Michael honed his craft a business journalist covering commercial property, travel and construction for various magazines before joining the Guild of Fine Food and Fine Fine Digest.

Ensuring we bring the latest developments and interesting perspectives from the food & drink industry to our readers, Michael welcomes comment from across the industry.

Always hungry for latest food & drink news, Tani is a key part of the team producing Fine Food Digest and our host of other publications throughout the year. Organised and articulate, she is a major contributor across all our print titles, as well as online. A fluent French-speaker with great chef connections, built up from her years at The Staff Canteen. Tani has recently been studying for her WSET qualifications and is often the voice behind Fine Food Digest drinks focus pages.

Becky looks after our advertisers and event exhibitors. Having been part of the sales team since 2005, she is uniquely well connected to make sure her clients get their products and services in front the right people in our audience.

Jenny recently joined us with a strong sales and publications background. She will help you with getting your business in front of retail buyers and consumers through our publications and events.

After a previous life as cheesemonger, Jenna’s experience in the speciality food and drink sector combined with her substantial marketing skills make her an excellent addition to the awards & events team. Deftly handling our marketing for both awards schemes, as well as several other projects, and helping to steer our social media output, you’ll often see Jenna at our events snapping a picture or directing our photographers.

Coming with data & insight experience built up over a career at some of the UK’s biggest newspapers, plus a more recent immersion into independent food retail and produce growing, makes Lindsay ideally placed as one of the people quietly taking the Guild forward into the next stage of our development.

Lindsay helps us better understand our audiences, ensuring we can deliver the most useful range of activities for all the people and businesses that we interact with.

Claire masterminds the coordination and safe delivery of all entries into our award schemes. She also builds & manages the relationships with our many international partners for Great Taste and World Cheese Awards, including the worldwide consolidation points.

A great problem-solver, she is calmly efficient in managing a number of projects, including looking after some of our larger retailers and improving our entry and results processes year to year.

Zara transfers her substantial skills built up in the healthcare publishing sector to our events and awards schemes.  Part of the operations team, she skillfully project manages the event operations at some of our flagship events, in particular the Great Taste Golden Forks and World Cheese Awards.

Sepi is likely to be the first person to welcome you if you’re joining us for Great Taste judging at No. 42 in London and will be sure to make you instantly feel at ease and part of the team.

She plays a key role in recruiting our judging panels for Great Taste and World Cheese Awards, as well as running No. 42 as a venue for other events.

Part of our operations team in Gillingham, Chris will be one your first points of call if you contact us by phone or email.  Also responsible for helping with the mammoth task of sorting products into judging sessions behind the scenes, ensuring that stored and delivered to judges in top condition for tasting.  Chris also loves finding new producers who are interested in entering Great Taste and World Cheese Awards.

Your first point of contact when you ring the Guild or email for advice or help with award entries. Chloë also plays a key role in the administration behind both of our awards schemes, as well as coordinating the travel and hotel arrangements for Great Taste judges coming to Dorset.  A budding photographer, Chloë also assists with capturing content for our social media channels.

With a hands-on experience of working in a deli for over 10 years, Nick knows the day-to-day of many of our retailers first-hand.  He will endeavour to ensure retailers are taking full advantage of their Guild membership and the services we offer to provide support for their business, as well as building on our community of retail members.

A most tenacious and polite account assistant, Julie is our chaser of money (we all need them, please be kind to her). She is also one of our longest serving team members.

Responsible for design on our publications and promotional artwork, Mark started his graphics journey in music magazines, record labels, branding and packaging design and at BBC Worldwide.

If you’re sending in an advert for one of our magazines, Mark works closely with the sales team to execute the magazine layouts and place your artwork.

He gets his creative inspiration while cycling through the rural lanes of Dorset & Wiltshire.

Never one to miss a story or photo opportunity, Emma manages our social media channels with aplomb. Following all our Guild events – sometimes in person and sometimes behind the scenes, Emma’s thumbs are working overtime to ensure not a moment or comment is missed.

Sharp Relations run the press office for the Guild of Fine Food, supporting PR and communications for all our activities, including Great Taste and World Cheese Awards.

They are your first point of call for any image or comment requests from the Guild of Fine Food team. Working closely with our marketing and social media team, the friendly team at Sharp help us get the message about well-made food & drink, and the people who produce it, out to those who sell it, make it and enjoy it.

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The man with a calculator who keeps a watchful eye on our management accounts. Ashley has a wealth of experience that he brings to the Guild of Fine Food and ensures we all stay on track.

A good man to know, Stephen not only ensures we are all paid on time, but also keeps his hand on the facilities tiller at the Guild.

Our founder and chairman, without whom the Guild of Fine Food would not exist, has dedicated 40 years to the food & drink industry (longer if you include his first job at 13 in Shaftesbury’s finest grocery store!). Bob’s hard work, good ideas and contribution is much more than to just our organisation, it is to the entire food & drink trade in the UK and beyond.