Adrian Boswell – Selfridges
Adrian Boswell, a fishmonger by trade, has held down roles as a Retail Admin Assistant, Allocator, and Merchandiser before moving into the world of Buying. Prior to his current role as a Senior Food Buyer, Adrian worked his way up through the ranks as a Buyers Admin and Assistant Buyer. Here he has spent the last 20 years gaining experience in premium fresh food retail. Adrian has extensive knowledge of the different food areas, including cheese, deli, fresh fish, smoked fish, caviar, truffle, meat & poultry, F&V and more recently Health & Wellbeing.
Amanda Ludlow – IWSC Judge
Amanda has worked world wide in the food and drinks industry for 20 years. Her whisky journey really began in earnest when she joined The Whisky Lounge in 2011.
Amanda is the behind the scenes ideas factory of the business. She has a maniacal passion for putting the The Whisky Lounge customer first. Since joining the team Amanda has continued to develop her love of whisky and all spirits becoming a IWSC judge in 2015.
Amanda Owen
Amanda is a well-known icon in the farming industry. Shepherdess, hill farmer and public speaker. Amanda lives a busy and fufilling life with her family in Swaledale.
She is also an author with 5 best selling books including her latest cook book ‘Celebrating the Seasons with the Yorkshire Shepherdess‘.
Amanda Peberdy – Subrosa
Amanda Peberdy is co-founder of FMCG retail consultancy, Subrosa Ltd. She has over 25 years’ experience within the food and retail industry. Having worked as a Buyer for over 15 years Amanda has extensive knowledge and ‘in-depth’ know how as to how retailers work and now provides commercial and strategic expertise to some of the fastest growing retail brands in the UK to help them grow and make their proposition as commercially attractive as possible.
Bob Doherty – University of York
Bob Doherty is Dean of the School for Business and Society at the University of York. Since joining York in 2012 he has won £10.1m in grant funding with £9.4m as Principal Investigator including, ‘IKnowFood’ in 2016 (£3.4m) and more recently in 2020 a £6m award from the Transforming Food Systems SPF for a programme retitled ‘Fix Our Food’.
Bob was seconded for 3-years (April 2019-March 2022) as a policy fellow into DEFRA on a new science research programme launched to inform DEFRA policy making. In addition, he is former University of York lead for N8 AgriFood with the role as Director of the N8 Food Systems Policy Hub and former research theme leader for sustainable food in the York Environmental Sustainability Institute (YESI).
Carla Mills – Booths
Category Buying Manager for Fruit & Veg, Meat & Fish, Horticulture, Chilled Free From & Vegetarian and Dairy (Excl. Cheese)
Catherine Scott – The Yorkshire Post
Catherine Scott is The Yorkshire Post’s Magazine Editor which champions the best of Yorkshire especially when it comes to what the county has to offer in terms of food and drink – from restaurant reviews to producers’ stories, recipes, wine and pubs.
She has been a journalist in Yorkshire for almost 20 years covering a wide variety of stories.
Passionate about all things Yorkshire , especially food and drink, Catherine has been a DY judge for a number of years and finds it a privilege to be able to sample the wide variety of produce from across the county
David Whittle – CHILLI
David co-founded the food and drink agency CHILLI nearly 27 years ago. Working with both retailers and food manufactures, David has a wealth of experience with national, international and regional brands and heads up a team of strategists, designers and packaging specialists.
His experience includes researching what drives consumers to choose one product over another, understanding their buying behaviour, their motivations and the reasons why they are prepared to invest in a brand, both emotionally and rationally.
David’s current clients range from Co-op, Ocean Spray and Florette to Jacksons of Yorkshire, Wensleydale Creamery and Vale of Mowbray.
Elaine Lemm
Elaine is a former chef, cookery school owner and for over 20 years a freelance food and recipe writer. As well as seven years as Food and Wine Editor at Yorkshire Life magazine, she has written for many leading magazines including Waitrose Food Illustrated, National Geographic Food, Olive and BBC Good Food magazines
She is also the author of 3 food books including the acclaimed Great Book of Yorkshire Pudding now in its 3rd Edition and her new book, More Than Yorkshire Puddings is published this autumn.
Jon Appleby – Feversham Arms Hotel
Jon Lee – Hedonist Drinks
Supported by 13 years in the hospitality industry, Jon has created a name for himself as an award-winning bartender and respected management figure. Moving to Leeds shortly after a brief stint as a “beer slinger” in Birmingham, he quickly moved up on the cocktail bar scene. He worked his way up through the ranks at Leelex, an independent bar company in Leeds. Where he went from Bartender to Bar Manager to General Manager and Head Distiller at the well renowned Jakes Bar & Still. After 9 years with Leelex, Jon came to join Hedonist, where he is the drinks director for the business, whilst also heading up the consultancy & white label distilling.
John Gill – Booths
Head of Marketing & Trading
Lisa Bennison – Bettys
Lisa Bennison is Catering and Cookery School Innovation Manager at Bettys and has worked with the family business since 1986, after first visiting on work placement from college. Her many roles in the business have included: waitressing, kitchen assistant, catering manager, front of house manager, deputy branch manager and training manger. She has been a central part of Bettys Cookery School where she worked as a senior tutor for 14 years, during which time the Cookery School won a series of nationally recognised awards.
Lisa regularly visits France where her parents have a summer home, and where she delights in French cuisine particularly seafood. Her philosophy is one of simplicity as she believes good quality ingredients should be able to speak for themselves.
Mitch Mitchell – TRUEfoods
It‘s a family affair at TRUEfoods where founder Mitch Mitchell brings over 35 year’s experience working across the food industry, including time as a Head Chef at leading hotels and restaurants and cooking for Jordanian royalty then with some of the UK’s most successful food manufacturing organisations as Product Innovation Director. His background means that he truly understands how to deliver outstanding Product Development solutions that are manufactured exactly the same way as any high calibre Chef would; without compromise. When he established TRUEfoods in 2007 the clear vision was to deliver uncompromising fresh stocks that offered consistent clarity and great flavour without any needless enhancers or additives. Mitch leads the business maintaining his commitment to his teams and customers that the products delivered by TRUEfoods are the very best the industry can offer.
Nigel Barden
Nigel is one the busiest food and drink hosts in the industry and is Chairman of Judges for the Great Taste, World Cheese Awards and Farm Shop & Deli Awards. He judges & hosts the Deliciously Yorkshire Awards and as a huge fan of seafood was delighted to host the National Fish & Chip Awards for 4 years running.
He is a keen supporter of Action Against Hunger.
Nigel champions local, artisan food and drink producers from all over the UK. Growing up on a farm he has great respect and understanding of the farming community and to those who sell their home crafted produce at farm doors, markets and farm shops.
Steph Moon
Chef Consultant
Will Woodhouse-Banks – Taylor’s of Harrogate
I’ve worked in coffee since 2011 in various roles including cafe manager, head roaster and head of quality. I work at Taylor’s of Harrogate as Operations Developer for our Discovery brand.
I’m a certified Q grader (the highest tasting qualification in coffee) and I took 2nd place in the 2022 U.K. Barista Championship.
I’m excited to be judging the the coffee for the Deliciously Yorkshire Taste Awards for the 2nd year in a row.
Valerie Aston – Proudfoot
Director